Audi VP of North American operations Johan Denysschen delivers a strong message to those auto manufacturers who spend hundreds of millions in F1. “The manufacturers who participate in Formula 1 one day will have to be held accountable for the lack of relevance to automotive applications in everyday driving…This [ALMS] is where we are developing the cars of tomorrow.” While there is undeniably a bit of self-promotion with this statement, I have to admit I agree with it 100%.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI) today announced the approval of biodiesel B20 blends for use in its 2002 and later emissions-compliant ISX, ISM, ISL, ISC and ISB engines. This includes the recently released 2007 products.

Cummins is able to upgrade its previous position on the use of biodiesel fuel, which limited the use to B5 blends only, up to B20 for three key reasons. First, the American Society of Testing Materials specification ASTM D6751 now includes an important stability specification for B100 biodiesel. Second, the availability of quality fuels from BQ-9000 Certified Marketers and Accredited Producers is growing rapidly; and third, Cummins has completed the necessary testing and evaluations to ensure that customers can reliably operate their equipment with confidence using B20 fuel.

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From just-auto.com (subscription required)

Delphi Product & Service Solutions offers vehicle electronics, consumer electronics, service technologies and diesel products in Europe, North America, South America and Asia-Pacific. Last month, Matthew Beecham talked to Frank A Ordoñez, President, Product & Service Solutions, Delphi Corp and Mike Rayne, Managing Director, Diesel Aftermarket, Delphi Diesel Systems Ltd, about how Delphi’s aftermarket business has developed over the past few years and extended its reach into new geographic markets.

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A new material developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Nanoscience Center could replace a costly process in the manufacture of biodiesel that consumes chemicals, water and energy and also reduces the yield of the final product.

During production, catalysts must be applied to transform biodiesel from a thick and sticky substance into a fluid form that can easily be pumped into vehicles. Following this process, these corrosive catalysts must be neutralized and washed from the fuel.

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