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GoAuto has a report on plans to build an electric version of the Holden Commodore (its just a pilot at this stage though) - Fleet boost for electro-Commodore.

A FULL-SIZE factory-built Holden Commodore that consumes no petrol, delivers at least 160km of all-electric motoring, comes with a switchable battery leased from Better Place and costs no more than the model on which it is based will be available to all Australian within a few years.

That is the ambitious plan that took one step closer to reality today with the announcement that Australia’s largest fleet car buyer has joined forces with a consortium that will produce a Commodore EV initially for fleet consumption prior to its full-scale public release.

Melbourne-based start-up company EV Engineering (EVE), a consortium of five leading Australian automotive suppliers with global connections, revealed its $26 million project to produce an Australian-built rear-drive large electric car based on Australia’s top-selling model in February.

It now says it is on target to produce the first two concept vehicles by the end of this year, and to have a fleet of seven all-electric ‘proof-of-concept’ Commodores ready for real-world testing by mid-2012.

None of the vehicles will be ready to unveil at this week’s Melbourne motor show, but EVE today announced a significant boost to the project by announcing it has been joined by GE – the parent company of Australia’s largest company vehicle provider, Custom Fleet.

GE will join automotive component suppliers Futuris and its partner Air International, Bosch and Continental, and EV charging network company Better Place Australia, in the EVE consortium, which is funded partly by a $3.5 million grant from the federal government’s now defunct Green Car Innovation Fund (GCIF).

EVE and GE would not reveal financial details of the deal, but each existing consortium partner will supply both financial and technical support to the project, with GM Holden and the CSIRO to provide technical expertise.

Holden’s only involvement at this stage is the initial supply of vehicles, data for those vehicles and the use of its proving ground at Lang Lang, but EVE today indicated it was likely Holden would manufacture the Commodore EV.

“Clearly we will be working with them on the project and updating them on our progress and yes we’ll be happy to review plans for mass production as we get further down the track with the car," said EVE CEO and former senior Holden executive Ian McCleave.

The SMH has a report on interest by General Electric in processing polluted waste water from coal seam gas extraction to produce chemicals and usable water - Penrice Soda strikes coal seam gas deal.

Penrice Soda Holdings Ltd has struck a deal with US giant General Electric to provide the coal seam gas (CSG) industry in Australia with a process to remove brine from its wastewater. In doing so, the process produces saleable chemicals and wastewater thats clean enough to be returned to the environment, Penrice says. ...

Drilling coal seam gas involves "fracking", or hydraulic fracturing, using an array of chemicals, which has raised concerns in the broader community about the potential for toxic rock to contaminate surrounding water supply. ...

Penrice makes soda ash, which is used in glass and washing powder, and sodium bicarbonate, and says it would diversity its chemicals business by using the brine Penrice managing director Guy Roberts said the technology would mean treated CSG water would be clean enough to be returned to the environment, used for agriculture or as potable water.