Toyota Prius powertrain

The 2008 International Engine of the Year Awards are announced and some very efficient engines are among the winners.  The Toyota Prius hybrid power-plant, BMW's 2.0L twin turbo diesel and Volkswagen's 1.4L TSI four cylinder were all chosen by the 65 person jury for Engine Technology International magazine.

General Motors announces its second major investment this year in a startup creating cellulosic ethanol technology. GM President Fritz Henderson announces the automaker will take an equity stake in Massachusetts-based Mascoma Corp. Mascoma has developed a single step biomass-to-fuel process called Consolidated Bio-processing. 

The concept Mixim EV could point to Nissan's future EV model.

Nissan has committed to introducing a plug-in rechargeable EV, first for use in government and private corporate fleets by 2010, followed by a significant retail rollout by 2011 in the United States. But the car could be available in dealerships even sooner than that.

VW Jetta TDI Cup qualifying

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup kicked off this weekend with 30 race prepped clean diesel Jettas taking to the track in Virginia.  The TDI Cup cars are all running with full diesel after-treatment systems and averaging 25mpg under racing conditions.

Millions of dollars are now being ploughed into the development of “second-generation” biofuels that use non-food feedstocks, such as waste wood. These include wood chips from used wood and waste wood from construction along with switchgrass and municipal waste.

Ethanol fermentation inside of Coskata's operating pilot facility. (Photo courtesy of Coskata)

Coskata and General Motors announce Coskata's first pilot plant for producing cellulosic ethanol will be constructed in Pennsylvania. The initial small-scale facility will be located in Madison - adjacent to the Westinghouse Plasma Center.

2009 Jetta BlueTDI

Volkswagen is announcing the completion of development of its BlueTDI system at the Vienna Motor Symposium in Austria. The first production application will go on sale later this summer in the US market as the Jetta TDI. The new diesel Jetta will be legal for sale in 50 states and have 12 percent better fuel efficiency than the previous Jetta TDI.

One of the more contentious aspects of US fuel economy rules will be phased out by the end of the next decade. The mileage credits that automakers receive for building flex-fuel vehicles will be ramped down beginning in 2015 and eliminated entirely by 2020.

GM CEO Rick Wagoner at the BeIjing auto show

Recent charges by a UN spokesman and environmental activists that biofuels are driving up food prices are "shockingly misinformed,"  General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner tells Green Fuels Forecast. Speaking at the Beijing auto show, Wagoner says the food price issue has become "a cause celebre without reason."

Th!nk City electric car

Norwegian electric car manufacturer Th!nk is launching a US distribution joint venture for its Th!nk City electric car. Th!nk North America is a partnership between the manufacturer and two Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Kleiner Perkins and Rockport Capital.