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Light weighting as a strategy to combat emission and mileage targets has carved a niche corner in automotive original equipment manufacturers' (OEMs') and supplier's research and development. Almost all OEMs have been working on ambitious weight reduction strategies to adhere to future regulations. Light weighting has a profound effect as a long-term strategy, as OEMs transit from making ICE-powered vehicles to battery electric and fuel-cell vehicles. Light weighting as a strategy has implications in other industries such as aviation and power generation. This market insight provides insights on the key factors such as emissions, mileage targets, emission test cycles, electrification, urbanization, and cost and their influence on OEM light weighting strategies.

"Which content caught the attention of 35.000 Automotive IQ members? Check out the top 5 content-pieces for December 2016! EV Charging: Now and the Future EV Charging: The Role of the Supermajors How Automotive Seating is Changing Proposed Sounds for Electric Vehicles Top 5 Mergers & Acquisitions in Automotive History"

"The transition to a more decentralised and intelligent energy system will continue in 2017, driven by the continued regulatory support for renewable energy in a number of key markets. The 3 Ds of energy are driving future investment - increased decentralisation, the need to decarbonise electricity generation, and digitisation to boost the sector's operational efficiency and open up new market opportunities. The highest growth rates will be for solar PV, with investment forecast to increase by 11.5% to €141.6 billion in 2017. China continues to be the largest market in terms of revenue investment, but the fastest growth will come from India, which will see double-digit growth in investment to 2020. New business models that incentivise smarter consumption patterns, and the growth of energy storage technologies, will increasingly reduce the need for peak capacity investment in mature energy markets."

The battery technology for plug-in HEVs and EVs (both fixed and removable) has evolved tremendously over the last decade with the introduction of lithium-based batteries complementing lead-, nickel- and sodium-based technologies. These technologies will all continue to have a significant impact on electro-mobility as they may give cost and/or performance advantages for specific applications, for example as start-stop and hybrid solutions. The selection of a technology depends on the requirements for performance, life and cost for a given application. Given the diversity of possible operating modes, there is no one battery system or technology that covers the entire range of application needs sufficiently. On the contrary, different battery energy storage technologies exist and each of them has a role to play in the future as the best solution to the needs of a system depending on their specific attributes: * Lead-based: for start-stop micro application, up to mild HEVs * Nickel-based: for HEV applications only * Lithium-based: for HEV, plug-in HEV and full EVs * Sodium-based: for Plug-in HEV and full EVs

This will provide us with highly efficient microwave power and help us achieve our goal to recover ore from previously mined material that would normally have been discarded. If we can commercialise this technology at scale it will be akin to tapping into a new ore body.

According to NREL's Renewable Electricity Futures Study, the increased electric system flexibility needed to enable electricity supply-demand balance with high levels of renewable generation, can come from a portfolio of supply and demand side options, including: · Flexible conventional generation · Grid storage · New transmission · More responsive loads · Changes in power system operations

"The decision by the Court of Appeal is also consistent with the likely future trend of data protection legislation - the draft EU Data Protection Regulation will mean that someone can seek damages regardless of a financial loss"

"Water is fundamental to human life and survival-our most fundamental instinct. Because of the forecasted challenges around sourcing adequate quantities of quality water, some feel future wars will be fought over water and not oil. Other challenges are related to the increasing population concentrations and climate-related weather events. This article considers water-related challenges arising out of urbanization and looks at how policies and technology can help make transition to more sustainable use of water work. "

"Independent environmental consultancy, Resource Futures is carrying out the research, which aims to determine how much aluminium packaging is reprocessed or exported beyond that reported by the accredited organisations."

A UK steel glazing specialist has helped to transform an Olympic media hub into one of Greece's foremost retail centres, providing a good example of legacy planning for future Olympic Games.

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and A123Systems have teamed up to support the battery-maker's effort to develop safe, less expensive, more powerful, and longer lasting batteries for hybrid-electric vehicles. The Laboratory and the battery-maker have signed a three-year, Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to examine and develop new techniques to improve thermal management in advanced transportation batteries. "We're pleased to be working with A123Systems on thermal management of their advanced nanophosphate-based lithium ion batteries," NREL Principal Engineer Ahmad Pesaran said. "Batteries with improved thermal behavior are critical for widespread acceptance of affordable hybrid-electric vehicles that consume less fuel and reduced harmful emissions." Hybrid electric vehicles get as much as double the fuel economy of comparable cars. Plug-in hybrids will be even more gasoline-stingy with potential of displacing significant amount of gasoline with electricity for road transportation. To achieve these goals, affordable, high-performance, safe, and long-lasting batteries need to be produced in large quantities. Propulsion batteries - batteries that power an electric motor to assist moving a car - are key components of hybrid-electric vehicles, and will be more important in the plug-in hybrid and extended range electric cars of the future. By better understanding the thermal behavior of advanced batteries, NREL researchers will help A123Systems engineers design improved thermal management systems and to optimize the design of the battery cell and develop a battery pack that's lighter, cheaper and more durable.