COLLABORATION & CO-CREATION -
Ford and Toyota announced this week they are going their separate ways after teaming up in 2011 to develop a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain system for light-duty trucks. After completing a feasibility study of their collaboration, the companies have decided to proceed on development of individual hybrid systems, according to Toyota.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
ESPN has announced that its annual awards show, the ESPYs, will be carbon neutral and achieve zero waste-to-landfill for the fifth and sixth consecutive years, respectively.To achieve carbon neutrality, the sports network says it will apply energy conservation strategies to minimize the use of fossil fuels and prevent pollution. After reducing energy consumption wherever possible through special applications, the remaining greenhouse gas emissions will be mitigated through carbon offsets.Some carbon reduction strategies include:· Solar power to be used on red carpet, press center, golf course.· Multi-passenger vehicles instead of individual limos to reduce vehicle miles driven.· Hybrid and flex fuel vehicles used for other transfers.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Volkswagen finished last of the global automakers that occupied five of the top seven spots in Interbrand's recently released Best Global Green Brands 2013 report. That was a pretty good showing, but the German giant seems determined to hoist itself even higher in terms of the effectiveness of its sustainability efforts — and regard for them — around the globe.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Key to futureproofing is creating a brand that fulfills your customers' higher order needs — things such as meaning, authenticity, self-fulfillment and all those other wonderful aspirations at the top of Maslow’s pyramid.But what if your consumer finds him- or herself in flux, discovering a purchase that felt meaningful a short time ago suddenly seems, well, less so today? How can you keep up with this sort of rapidly evolving ‘higher order’ demand?With Lego thinking.
Tesla Motors has introduced a system that allows battery packs in electric vehicles to be swapped in roughly 90 seconds.At an event last week, the electric car company’s CEO Elon Musk said that the system provides an alternative to charging EVs, helping to convince consumers they are “more convenient than a gasoline car.” Musk gave a demonstration of the new technology on stage, switching out two Model S battery packs in less time than it took for a car on a video screen to fill up with gas, which took about four minutes.
In a webinar this morning, Ford’s Global Director of Sustainability & Vehicle Environmental Matters John Viera and EVP & CFO Bob Shanks briefly outlined the company’s newly released 2012/13 Sustainability report.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
For the second year running, Toyota has topped Interbrand’s list of “Best Global Green Brands,” followed by Ford and Honda. Rounding out the rest of the top ten are Panasonic, Nissan, Johnson & Johnson, Volkswagen, Danone, Nokia and Dell. Overall, the technology sector clearly dominated.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
After several days of joint testing, General Motors and BMW AG engineers say they are confident that DC “Combo” Fast Charge stations from several suppliers will consistently allow an electric vehicle to take on an 80 percent charge in about 20 minutes.This industry-coordinated early confirmation of DC Fast Charge hardware and software will accelerate efforts to roll out SAE Combo DC Fast Charge infrastructure in the coming months, the announcement says. Some of the suppliers participating in the testing were ABB, Aker Wade, Eaton and IES.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Toyota has announced a program aimed at promoting environmental awareness in the Hispanic communities in Miami and Los Angeles while also providing the tools to continue on the path of going green.
MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Chemical technology company Genomatica has announced a new partnership with BASF. The chemical giant has licensed Genomatica’s patented new manufacturing process for a renewable form of the organic compound 1,4-butanediol, more commonly known as BDO.BDO and its many derivatives are used for the production of plastics, solvents, electronic chemicals and elastic fibers.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
In an effort to reduce area residents’ need for vehicle ownership within a very car-dependent city, Las Vegas is getting a high-class car-sharing service.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
In 2003 Ford Motor Co. launched Driving Skills for Life (DSFL), a program the automaker created to teach newly licensed teenagers the necessary driving skills beyond the offerings of most drivers' education courses.
PRESS RELEASE -
BASF supports ‘Achieving Efficiency’ theme at
SAE World Congress
PRESS RELEASE -
General Motors names BASF as 2012 Supplier of the Year
SOUTHFIELD, MI, March 27, 2013 -- For the ninth time in the past 11 years, BASF has received General Motors’ (GM) Supplier of the Year Award.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
General Motors hopes to save as much as 12 billion gallons of fuel over the life of the vehicles it builds between 2011 and 2017 through reducing vehicle weight by up to 15 percent and other fuel efficiency upgrades, the company’s CEO Dan Akerson said at last week’s HIS CERAWeek energy conference.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
As part of its goal of becoming the world’s most environmentally sustainable carmaker by 2018, Volkswagen announced Friday that it will join Daimler and BMW in developing CO2 technology as a more climate-friendly refrigerant for its automotive air-conditioning systems.CO2 as a refrigerant — also known as R744 — is a naturally occurring gas with lower greenhouse gas effects than conventional refrigerants, and is ideal for use in specially designed automotive air-conditioning systems. The German automaker says the technology will be rolled out progressively over its entire vehicle fleet.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
FedEx has trimmed its fleet’s cumulative fuel economy by more than 22 percent, exceeding its goal of a 20 percent reduction by 2020 seven years early.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Aluminum company Alcoa is lending its support to a longstanding research partnership between Honda and Ohio State University that could innovate auto manufacturing.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Greyhound has begun integrating telematics program DriveCam across its entire fleet to optimize safety performance and increase fuel efficiency.