The stunning growth of the Chinese auto industry will reach 21 million units/year capacity by 2012, according to a Nikkei news service report.

Ricardo and Growth Energy officials announced at the Washington Auto Show on Jan. 26 that they will collaborate on a project to demonstrate that a highly optimized engine fueled on ethanol can provide a cost-effective, low-carbon, high-fuel economy alternative to fossil fuel.

General Motors officials announced Jan. 26 that they’ve finally agreed on terms to sell GM’s Saab car division to Sweden-based upstart, Spyker.

The Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) Jan. 25 outlined an action plan for the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration to build on their historic commitment to electric vehicle technology and accelerate the growth of hybrid, plug-in, battery and fuel cell vehicles in the United States.

General Motors officials announced Jan. 26 that their company will become the first U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motors for electric cars and hybrids.

Crude futures fell Jan. 25 over slower demand growth. The price of West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery settled at US$74.71 per barrel (bbl), down 55¢, while Brent crude for March delivery slipped 40¢, to close at $73.29/bbl.

Global crude oil prices could reach $100 per barrel by 2011, according to a Morgan Stanley analyst. An improving economy and a noticeable decrease in spare capacity are prompting these projections.

Green” groups Sierra Club, Save Union County and Citizens Opposed to Oil Pollution last week unveiled a lawsuit to overturn an air permit for the proposed US$10 billion Hyperion refinery/integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) project in South Dakota.

In a Flash Report issued Jan. 26 by Hart’s International Fuel Quality Center (IFQC), the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic Jan. 20 sent to the European Commission a Draft Regulation implementing certain provisions regarding fuel quality.

In advance of the U.S. President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Jan. 27, Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute (API), provided his thoughts on ways that the president can take the opportunity to recognize the potential of energy development to create more jobs. Gerard noted that in addition to “green” jobs, there are “jobs for producing more American oil and natural gas.”

The Ministers of the four BASIC group countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China), which account for 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, met in New Delhi Jan. 24, the first meeting since the climate change conference in Copenhagen.

On Jan. 25, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced that the CaRFG3 Predictive Model Web site has been updated with new CARBOB (California Reformulated Gasoline Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending) and final product predictive model spreadsheets.

.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials announced Jan. 25 that as part of a US$500 million air-pollution lawsuit settlement, Westar Energy will not only slash sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxides emissions from a coal-fired power plant in Kansas, but also subsidize diesel emissions retrofits and pay for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) recharging infrastructure.