Ricardo, Axeon and Allied Vehicles have been given a US$2 million award from the U.K. Technology Strategy Board to develop a lightweight battery system for use in small, urban electric cars.

Turbocharger developer Honeywell recently conducted a survey of U.S. motorists and found that demand for turbocharged engines could increase by as much as 25% by 2014 and 85% by 2020.

Madrid, Barcelona and Seville will convert old telephone booths or boxes into recharging points for electric vehicles. The boxes are ideal candidates to serve as recharging points because of their proximity near street curbs.

The price of the October NYMEX crude futures contract shot up 3% yesterday to $70.93/bbl, as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the country’s economic recession was “very likely over” and as the U.S. Department of Commerce reported higher U.S. sales figures in August.

Sasol is increasing synfuels, gas to liquids and cogeneration capacity. Margins for Sasol’s international operations were generally favorable for the most recent fiscal year.

A new vehicle fuel-economy program will incorporate both the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards under the U.S. Department of Transportation as well as the greenhouse gas standards under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Automakers and environmental organizations generally praised the joint announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation on the proposed fuel economy and greenhouse gas rules for model year 2016 light-duty vehicles.

When world governments meet at the United Nations’ climate change conference in Copenhagen this December, leaders need to develop a system for CO2 pricing so that companies can invest in the large-scale deployment of clean energy technologies such as carbon capture and storage, Royal Dutch Shell’s CEO said at a conference in Alberta on Sept. 14.