The International Energy Agency (IEA) anticipates less than 1% of worldwide hydrogen production in 2021 will come from green, or renewable, hydrogen. Globally, pure hydrogen demand is around 70 million tonnes (Mt) per year, primarily produced from natural gas and coal and emitting significant volumes of carbon dioxide. Carbon neutral hydrogen is generated via electrolysis…
In April 2017, India introduced phase one of its corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) standards. The regulations mandated fleet-wide carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of below 130 grams per kilometre and provided auto manufacturers 12 months to comply. Despite opposition from Indian OEMs, phase two of the CAFE standards will continue as planned for April 1,…
Mobile technology has spread rapidly around the globe over the past couple of decades. Most of us own a mobile phone with increasing numbers opting for the highly advanced smartphone variety. Data from the ITU World Telecommunication Database indicates there are 109 mobile cellular subscriptions for every 100 people around the globe (2019). Twenty-five years…
2020 was a strange year for the automotive industry with large-scale manufacturing interruptions, disruption to supply chains, and the closure of U.S. assembly plants. Despite these Covid-19 enforced disruptions, global battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales increased gradually to just under 3% and more than 4% when plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and BEVs are both…
Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company Shell says its energy emissions peaked at 1.7 gigatonnes in 2018. In 2020, the company’s carbon intensity declined 4% from the previous year to 75 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of energy (gCO2e/MJ). Lower demand for energy in a year ravaged by the Covid-19 health pandemic may…
Engine oil licensing and specifications are typically a cooperative effort between oil and additive industries, vehicle and engine manufacturers. Ever-increasing complexity in specification development has stretched the time taken to develop industry standards and costs are ballooning, with increasingly vocal calls for change. The International Fluids Consortium (IFC) is a global syndicate of 11 OEMs…
The internal combustion engine (ICE) has dominated car innovation for over a century. During this time, a deeply personal relationship has formed between driver and machine. Perhaps it is the intoxicating smell of exhaust fumes, the gentle hum of the engine on the open road, or maybe the opportunity to get “under the hood.” Whatever…
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) published the latest ACEA European Engine Oil Sequences on April 30, 2021. First allowable use commenced at the beginning of May, and the new specification will become mandatory for new claims from May 1, 2022. Updates to the Engine Oil Sequences include some stark differences to the previous standard.…
Microbial contamination can be a serious issue for users of middle distillate fuels, jet fuels, and diesel fuels. Fuels and fuel systems are vulnerable to biodeterioration, with biofilm communities a primary cause of degradation. When fuel leaves the sterile environment of a refinery it becomes susceptible to contamination, with water typically the root of all…
By Dr. Raj Shah, Dr. Simon Tung, and Nathan Aragon Electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are growing in popularity because of their energy efficiency and positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions; though, several challenges still need to be addressed, including optimising the functional performance of transmission fluids. More effective transmission fluids can…