Capstone Turbine Corporation, maker of the micro turbines that are being used as a power source in some hybrid buses, has announced that they have demonstrated that their 30 kW microturbine is compliant with the new EPA and CARB standards that will come into effect in 2010. Makers of some internal combustion diesel engines have been having some difficulty meeting the criterion without the implementation of lots of expensive add-ons, usually exhaust treatment systems. These additions will add to running costs even as the price of the fuel is dipping below that of gasoline in places.

The C30 microturbine use "lean premix combustion technology" to burn gaseous and liquid fuels and now CTC's engineers have altered the way the fuel is is injected. This allows for a cleaner burn without having to pre-treat fuel or require exhaust aftertreatment. While the 30 kW (40 hp) engine may not have the output to move an eighteen-wheeler over hill and dale, it seems a good match for the Designline hybrid buses (now with Altairnano batteries) it is being used in. Hit the jump for the official press release.

[Source: Green Car Congress]

Proterra has begun a 4-city "California Clean Bus Tour" with the unveiling of its EcoRide B35 all-electric transit bus in San Jose. The lightweight, composite-bodied people mover features the 10 minute recharge-capable TerraVolt™ Energy Storage System, said to be based around batteries from Altairnano, and motors from UQM Technologies. Its regenerative brakes can recapture up to 90 percent of the vehicle's kinetic energy and help it achieve a range between 30 and 40 miles. Although, like many alternative drivetrains, it has a higher upfront pricetag than its diesel counterparts, the company estimates the difference can be absorbed well before the end of its expected 12-year life through lower energy and maintenance costs. Proterra also has a plug-in hydrogen fuel cell version of the bus that will begin service in Burbank this Spring.

California has a mandate that dictates 15 percent of all buses added to fleets after 2011 be zero-emission vehicles. Founder and CTO of the Golden, Colorado company, Dale Hill says, ""The fact is, emissions free transit is not a 'nice to have,' it is a must have for clean, healthy communities across California and the U.S." Indeed it is, Mr. Hill. Full press release after the break.

[Source: Proterra]

Burbank Bus has announced that they will be trying out the world's very first plug-in hydrogen fuel cell hybrid transit bus (say that fast 5 times), the Proterra HFC35, beginning this Spring. Now, we've had all-electric buses, turbine-powered hybrid buses and even a plug-in school buses gracing the pages of AutoblogGreen before, but we must admit that this is probably the first bus with this exact configuration.

Such a unique drivetrain should receive an equally singular package to wrap it in and in that department the Proterra doesn't disappoint. The compact 35 footer forgoes the traditional exterior sheet metal in favor of a molded composite shell that allows it to sport a modern look and keep its weight to a minimum. Using battery cells from Altairnano, the HFC35 is capable of completely recharging in six minutes with Proterra's quick charge station to limit its hydrogen usage, but it can travel up to 250 miles before needing more hydrogen or electricity. Burbank will give it a grand unveiling this Spring before putting it to work on various routes. Hit the jump for all the press release details.



[Source: Burbank Bus Via Green Car congress]

Al Yousuf, based in the United Arab Emirates, is a large company with holdings in the automotive, computer and boat industries. Late last week, the company announced it would expand its green car tech investments by buying 8 million shares of common stock of Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. Al Yousuf now owns about 21 percent of Altair, up from 14 percent before the purchase. In May, the Al Yousuf Group bought $475,000 of Zap's convertible debt, and Al Yousuf LLC's Eqbal Al Yousuf is chairman of the board at ZAP.

It is next to impossible to figure out exactly what is coming in the future from ZAP, but almost two years ago Altair said that it was talking to ZAP about using Altair's batteries in the ZAP-X (above). Even though the ZAP-X is nowhere to be found, the new connection to Altair at least provides good hope fodder for people who want to see Altair's batteries in ZAP vehicles like the Alias (below).


[Source: Al Yousuf LLC]

The lithium titanate batteries by Altairnano has been tried in powerstations, trucks and even a dragster and will soon have the opportunity to prove their metal in a hybrid bus application. The company has announced that they have received an order for four demo battery packs by the innovative bus maker Designline International, who will shell out a hefty $540,000 for this initial order. While one of the 44 KWh packs will be used for modular testing, the other three will be installed in Ecosaver IV buses (pictured above) where they will be matched up with micro turbines from Capstone Turbine Corp. Designline have been using lead-acid batteries in their drivetrains and been getting double the mileage of regular buses but it's thought that the Altairnano packs should do even better as they are capable of absorbing and releasing more power. Their cycle life has been shown to far superior in testing as well. If all goes well, Altairnano expects to receive more orders from Designline in 2009. Check out all the technical details in the press release after the break.

[Source: Altairnano]

Altair Nanotechnologies announced this week that the new lithium titanate battery it is developing for the U.S. Navy has completed its 500th full depth cycle and, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, lost just one percent of its total capacity. The Navy (thanks to U.S. taxpayers) is paying Altair $2.5 million for these batteries. While not destined for any vehicles, the Navy's goal with the battery program is to reduce dependency on expensive jet fuel used in back-up turbines and, through that, to reduce carbon emissions. Altair also has a history with Phoenix Motor Cars and their all-electric SUV and SUT.

More details on the Altair and the Navy's lithium titanate battery are available here. Altair is also developing batteries for the Army's "M119 105mm lightweight gun digitization program."

[Source: Altair Nanotechnologies Inc.]

The moment many green-loving speed enthusiasts have been impatiently waiting for has finally arrived with the unveiling of the all-new Lightning GT at the British International Motor Show. The sheet was pulled back around 1 o'clock London time to reveal metal that stays quite true to the earlier rendered version. The long hood has sexy curves that deliver more than a twinge of lust but with a fascia that evokes the eloquence of an Aston Martin, it retains a classy British feel. A walk around the back reveals a brief rounded rear deck with no exhaust pipes to spoil the view. While we couldn't cross the pond for the event, the Lightning Car Company folks were kind enough to supply pictures for the gallery below.

Though quite similar performance-wise, the Lightning GT's builders believe they have some solid advantages over the Tesla Roadster in the technology department. The British sports car features Altairnano batteries which are capable of receiving a full charge in as little as 10 minutes and can last for over 10 years. No transmission troubles here either since the 4 PML Flightlink Hi-Pa Drive™ motors are in the wheels. A high mechanical efficiency is maintained with this all-wheel drive design that also aids greatly in brake regeneration and traction control. With all that function comes a bit of comfort as well. Full leather, air conditioning, sat nav and electronic door entry are all part of the £120,000 package. The Lightning GT team are also able to customize vehicles with made-to-measure interiors and even bodywork modifications, according to the customers wishes. Orders have already been received. If you wish to join this exclusive line-up you'll need to throw down £15,000 and be prepared to wait at least a year.


[Source: The Register]

After going through a somewhat tumultuous time with a change of leadership at HQ, Altairnano now has a solid success it can point to. A two-megawatt, 500 kWh battery system of its making has been put through some serious testing by its strategic partner, power company AES, along with independent contractor, KEMA, and has emerged successful. The battery came with HVAC, a DC to AC converter and control systems, and was hooked up to an Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) sub-station where the series of tests were conducted.

Technicians were able to charge and discharge each 1-megawatt component of the energy storage system on their own as well as in parallel many times over a 15-minute period. They also did "frequency regulation", which involves switching the batteries from charge to discharge modes every four seconds for four hours. These capabilities are very handy when it comes to performing grid "load leveling". The use of the battery to help store intermittent energy sources, such as solar and wind, were noted by Chris Shelton, Director of Energy Storage Development at AES. "Fast-responding, high-efficiency energy storage systems such as these will create a more resilient grid and allow for increased use of variable generating sources such as wind and solar." To get a more detailed look at the testing and results, check the validation report summary (PDF) by KEMA as well as the Altairnano press release after the break.

[Source: Altairnano via Green Car Congress]

Altairnano's interim president Terry Copeland has moved up to president and CEO, the company announced today. Copeland has been the battery company's interim leader since March, just after previous CEO Alan Gotcher resigned. Copeland has been with Altair Nanotechnologies since November 2007 (when he was vice president of operations for Altair's Power and Energy Group). He also has a long history with the Duracell battery company. Copeland said that Altairnano, which is still in the game to supply batteries for the Phoenix SUT even after Phoenix Motorcars' recent shift to battery supply competitor Electrovaya, "has the people, technology and business plan to drive the commercialization of the company's power and energy products, as well as those in life sciences and performance materials."

[Source: Altair on CNNMoney]

Altairnano has had the spot light thrown on it recently as a result of an agreement between Electrovaya and Altairnano partner, Phoenix Motorcars. It is in this environment of speculation that they released their 2008 1st quarter earnings report. In a continuance of recent performance, they reported a slightly reduced revenue of $1.07 million and moderately increased expenditures. Net loss for the quarter was $8.29 million. So that's not so good, right?

While it definitely wasn't an outstanding financial performance, interim president Terry Copeland sounded relatively upbeat during the conference call with investors that broke the numbers to them. Now stored on their website, the call began with talk of one of Altairnano's brighter prospects, their deal with AES and the near completion of, so far, very successful testing. He stated the 2 megawatt battery system could move power around at a 4C rate or about 250kwh in 15 minutes. That certainly sounds impressive. In fact, throughout the talk, which also touched on the Phoenix Motorcars relationship, Copeland stressed the superior ability of their battery's power density as well as their extreme temperature tolerance. In an attempt to calm fears on the financial front he discussed their near-term goal of reducing the cash burn rate.

So what of the future? Perhaps not too bad if the AES relationship begins to bear some significant sales fruit. Their Navy contract also holds good earning potential. Mentioned briefly during questioning from investors was news of possible HEV applications, including a bus. You can listen to the conference call by clicking here and read the complete Q1 report for yourself after the jump.

[Source: Altairnano]