Recharge Wrap-up: Audi to get LG batteries, EU considers change to emissions program

LG Chem says it has won a bid to supply batteries for Audi. LG says the deal, worth "hundreds of millions of dollars," has them providing batteries for plug-in hybrid and micro hybrid electric vehicles. The group says it also expects to be picked for battery deals for Volkswagen Group in the future. Read more at Reuters.

The EU is considering including road transport in its Emissions Trading System (ETS), which would likely lead to heated debate between environmental groups and big business. Automakers would welcome the cost reductions involved with the inclusions, while environmental groups feel it would give car companies leverage to compel lawmakers to weaken restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. Analysts believe that including transport in the ETS would have little effect on carbon prices, as lawmakers would likely raise the emissions cap to accommodate the sector, which is Europe's largest source of greenhouse gases after power. Read more at Automotive News Europe.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands will be at the opening of a new ethanol refinery in Iowa on September 3. The Project Liberty plant in Emmetsburg, which is partially owned by Holland-based biotech firm Royal DSM, will produce 25 million gallons of ethanol per year. Rather than using corn grain to produce fuel, the factory will make cellulosic ethanol from plant fibers in the stalks, cobs, leaves and the like. Read more at Omaha.com.

Dundee, Scotland could see more EVs on its roads as part of an expansion to its Co-wheels car club. The funds for the vehicles and related infrastructure would come from the Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (Tactran) and Transport Scotland. The nonprofit carsharing club aims to grow to 500 members in three years, and the addition of the EVs to the 24-hour fleet could help make it happen. Learn more at The Courier.