Clean Transportation

SatCon Technology Corporation (SATC) announced that it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR contract with the U. S. Army to develop an Integrated Starter/Generator (ISG) for hybrid powertrain military vehicles. SatCon's Applied Technology division is currently developing DC/DC converters (pulse power and battery chargers), starter generators, auxiliary power units, and main generators for hybrid electric vehicles for U. S. Army advanced technology vehicles. This award expands SatCon's portfolio of vehicle power technologies with the development of an integrated starter/generator based on advanced permanent magnet machinery design concepts.

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc (QTWW) announced the delivery of five hydrogen-fueled Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles to the City of Santa Ana, California. This is part of a larger South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) program to develop and demonstrate 30 hydrogen hybrid vehicles to fleets in Southern California. The formal delivery took place during a ceremony held today at the City of Santa Ana's vehicle fleet yard. In March 2004, the AQMD awarded Quantum a contract to engineer a state-of-the-art OEM caliber hydrogen fuel system, perform accelerated long-term durability testing, including crash testing. The complete...

Altair Nanomaterials (ALTI) announced that its battery research and development team successfully completed a testing program for lithium ion battery cells containing Altairnano's nano-structured lithium titanate electrode materials. "The test results demonstrated that the performance of these lithium ion battery cells exceed the system-level power requirements set forth by the U.S. Council for Automotive Research FreedomCAR Energy Storage System Performance Goals for hybrid electric vehicle (HEVs), as well as those requirements published by major U.S. automakers," said Evan House, Ph.D., Program Director, Altairnano's Advanced Materials & Power Systems business unit. These batteries demonstrate a useable state-of-charge...

Cobasys announced today that they will provide their advanced NiMHax® Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery systems for GM's 2007 Saturn VUE Green Line SUV which will be made available to consumers in the summer of 2006. Cobasys is a joint venture partnership between Energy Conversion Devices Inc (ENER) and Chevron Technology Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation (CVX) ENER gapped up this morning on this news and has been trading nicely for the last couple of months. However, it has run into upside resistance at the 52 week high. The stock is...

Enova Systems Inc (ENOV) announced that it has entered into a joint School Bus program with a major North American Truck Manufacturer. The School Bus project will feature Enova's post transmission 80 kW Hybrid Drive System and has the potential to lead to future production in 2006 and beyond. They have also recently announced a partnership with First Auto Works (FAW) of China to supply their 80kW Parallel Hybrid Drive system for "Hybrid City Bus." FAW is the largest automobile manufacturer in China and with its expertise in not only buses, but also automobiles and trucks,...

BMW is unveiling its turbosteamer hybrid engine, which uses the excess heat in the exhaust system and reclaims 80% of it by powering a steam engine that assists the gas engine. Overall, this gives a 15% more efficient engine; and significant additional performance (power and torque) with practically no downside. (via /.)

Li-ion Motors. (HYBT) has inked a deal with Frito Lay to provide Hybrid Technologies' Lithium vehicles as part of their fleet sales program. Frito Lay has agreed to purchase and take delivery of the Lithium Mini Cooper model as well as the Daimler Chrysler Smart Car Lithium version. The first deliveries are scheduled for the first quarter of 2006. These vehicles will be part of Frito Lay's Hybrid fleet and the corporation's commitment to "green philosophy" as well as its well known philosophy of working with the latest in American technology. You would have thought that...

The Motley Fool finally had something good to say about an alternative energy stock. It just so happens to be for one I purchased earlier this morning. Don't look now, but Energy Conversion Devices might just prove to be that rare bird an alternative energy play with actual products and a reasonable chance of living up to lofty investor expectations. ... It would appear to me that hybrid vehicle batteries are the biggest near-term opportunity. Although the company didn't specify the customers, it has acknowledged receiving production orders for battery packs. They say that...

Energy Conversion Devices Inc (ENER) opened up trading this morning with a gap down to the $33 level. For the last hour it has been steadily rising up from this point. As I said in my earlier post, I have been looking for a good entry point in this company and feel that the near term support of $33 is an ideal area to place an order. The stock has been on a run for several months and it is always hard to take a new position in a stock that has already seen dramatic increases...

Toyota said it's aiming to increase hybrid production by 60 percent in 2006 and will cut costs and prices to make them more affordable. "In the future, the cars you see from Toyota will be 100 percent hybrid,'' Toyota Executive Vice President Kazuo Okamoto said in Frankfurt, declining to give a time for achieving the target. "We believe that in 10 years the world will be filled with hybrids.''

Energy Conversion Devices Inc (ENER) announced quarterly results on Monday. They beat Wall Street expecations with a less than expected loss, but did not meet sales estimates. They posted a loss of $6.9 million, or 23 cents per share, for the three months ended June 30, compared with a year-ago loss of $11.5 million, or 44 cents per share. The company's loss from continuing operations was 22 cents per share. Wall Street estimates on the loss were 26 cents a share. The stock is currently trading down over 4% in pre-market trading. I have been looking for a...

Green Car Congress has an excellent writeup about the recently announced Honda 2005 Civic Hybrid. Compared to the 2005 Civic Hybrid, the 2006 model with the new IMA is 18% more powerful than its predecessor while delivering a combined EPA estimated fuel economy of 50 mpg US compared to 47–48 mpg US of the 2005 hybrid. The new IMA also adds the ability to cruise only under the power of the electric motor. Honda Motor Co (HMC) has been playing catchup with Toyota in the hybrid marketplace and they are looking strong with this new offering....

SatCon Technology Corporation (SATC) announced that its first deliveries of its new line of hybrid electric auxiliary components have been incorporated into Azure Dynamics Corporation's (TSX: AZD, AIM: ADC) electric and hybrid electric vehicles ("HEVs").

Li-ion Motors. (HYBT) and its subsidiaries - R-Electric Car Co., Global Hybrid Corp., Solium Power Corp., and WhistlerTel - emerging leaders in the development and marketing of Lithium-powered and VoIP products worldwide is pleased to announce that construction has begun on the Hybrid Living Home, an engineering and eco-space showcase developed by Hybrid Technologies.

Toyota Motor will begin producing a hybrid version of its popular Camry mid-sized sedan at a plant in Kentucky in late 2006, the automaker said. The hybrid version of the Camry perennially among the top-selling US automobiles will be the Japanese automaker's fifth gasoline-electric vehicle.

SatCon Technology Corporation (SATC) announced that it has been awarded a contract with the U. S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to assist in the development of power conversion electronics and controls in two key technology areas. These are power control and conversion systems for hybrid electric vehicles and pulse energy applications such as active armor. The contract has a current value of $2.8 million through 2007.