Loading...
Essential Energy: 2021 Ethanol Industry Outlook
2/17/2021
RFA's Ethanol Industry Outlook is an annual publication for information on America's ethanol industry. It provides thoughtful analysis of current issues facing the industry, along with current facts and statistics about the production and use of fuel ethanol.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the Renewable Fuels Association website.
EV Charging Needs Assessment: Identifying Needs and Opportunities for EV Fast Charging in Rural and Underserved Areas of the Intermountain West
2/1/2021
Corridors of the West (CORWest) is a three-year initiative to support plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) infrastructure investment and educational opportunities in rural and underserved areas of the intermountain west. A key first step under the project is to understand barriers to PEV adoption and, more specifically, direct current (DC) fast charger station deployment in rural and underserved areas of the intermountain west, and identify potential pathways for addressing these barriers. To understand barriers to EV adoption and station deployment in rural and underserved areas, the CORWest project team developed a questionnaire that was disseminated to select stakeholder groups to gather feedback. This report provides a summary of trends and typical issues being faced in the region and offers recommendations for ways to address high-priority needs and support PEV deployment and DC fast charger investment.
Authors: Powers, C.
Evaluation of Safety Standards for Fuel System and Fuel Container Integrity of Alternative Fuel Vehicles
2/1/2021
In this report, NREL offers considerations to reflect minimum safety standards, current industry best practices and existing standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty CNG and propane vehicle fuel system container integrity, fuel container integrity, and fuel container fire tests. The considerations for fuel system and fuel container integrity requirements are justified by literature review, relevant research, and technical forum feedback. In addition, this report provides relevant research, where available, and identifies test procedures to evaluate compliance with the performance requirements.
Authors: Lynch, L.; Browning, L.; Snelling, A.
Final Technical Report-WestSmart EV: Western Smart Plug-in Electric Vehicle Community Partnership
1/19/2021
The WestSmartEV (WSEV) project has accelerated adoption of electric vehicles (EV) throughout the PacifiCorp/Rocky Mountain Power’s service territory in the intermountain west by developing a large-scale, sustainable EV charging infrastructure network with coordinated EV adoption programs. The project objectives have strategically deployed 79 direct current fast charging to create two primary electric interstate highway corridors along I-15 and I-80. Additionally, it has incentivized installation of Level 2 chargers at workplace locations, incentivized the purchase of EVs, provided all electric solutions for first- and last-mile trips, provided centralized data collection, analysis, modeling, and tool development to inform investment and policy decisions, and developed education outreach materials and conducted workshops across the WSEV region. This report summarizes the WSEV project efforts.
Authors: Campbell, James
EV Charging and Public/Private Partnerships: RFP Template
1/1/2021
An effective request for proposal (RFP) is often the critical first step towards transportation electrification. This RFP template from Forth Mobility provides essential guidance for cities seeking to expand their electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, especially for projects intended to be owned and operated by a partner vendor at low- or no-cost to the city. The RFP template will assist cities and EV charging infrastructure deployment partners in creating measurable project goals and having a better understanding of what is being asked of them. Further, Forth Mobility has designed the RFP template to support cities in collaborating with the private sector not only to expand EV infrastructure, but also to strengthen public-private partnerships through flexibility and goal fulfillment. Specifically, the RFP template offers cities and private-sector partners guidance on site ownership, payment models, and potential site locations.
Authors: Erin Galiger
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator: Second Quarter 2020
1/1/2021
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator contains information on public and private non-residential alternative fueling stations in the United States and Canada and currently tracks ethanol (E85), biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, and propane stations. Of these fuels, EV charging continues to experience rapidly changing technology and growing infrastructure. This report provides a snapshot of the state of EV charging infrastructure in the United States in the second calendar quarter of 2020. Using data from the Station Locator, this report breaks down the growth of public and private charging infrastructure by charging level, network, and location. Additionally, this report measures the current state of charging infrastructure compared with the amount projected to meet charging demand by 2030. This information is intended to help transportation planners, policymakers, researchers, infrastructure developers, and others understand the rapidly changing landscape for EV charging.
Authors: Brown, A.; Lommele, S.; Schayowitz, A.; Klotz, E.
Electrification Futures Study: Scenarios of Power System Evolution and Infrastructure Development for the United States
1/1/2021
This report is the fifth publication in a series of Electrification Futures Study (EFS) publications. The report presents scenarios of the U.S. electricity and energy systems through 2050. The scenarios encompass a wide range of future conditions, including the different electrification levels that were developed for the second EFS report. The scenario results include projected changes to the physical infrastructure of the U.S. power system, the utilization of that infrastructure, and estimates of other impacts of electrification to the power system and broader energy system.
Authors: Murphy, C.; Mai, T.; Sun, Y.; Jadun, P.; Muratori, M.; Nelson, B.; Jones, R.
Accelerating Ride-Hailing Electrification: Challenges, Benefits, and Options for State Action
12/2/2020
In the United States, use of ride-hailing services has grown at a steep rate over the last decade, and this trend is expected to continue. A rapid transition in ride-hailing fleets from internal combustion engine vehicles to plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) would reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants, increase consumer exposure to PEVs, deliver maintenance and fuel cost savings to drivers, and improve the business case for fast charging infrastructure by increasing utilization. This paper identifies the benefits and challenges associated with transitioning vehicles driving on transportation network company platforms to PEVs and recommends specific actions states can take to support and accelerate the transition.
Authors: Hunt, J.; McKearnan, S.
Florida Electric Vehicle Roadmap
12/1/2020
In May 2019, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Energy began working on a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) roadmap for the state of Florida. This roadmap provides a comprehensive investigation into the status and needs of PEV charging infrastructure in Florida for the following three to four years. This roadmap identifies PEV charging infrastructure impacts on the electric grid, solutions for any negative impacts, areas that lack PEV charging infrastructure, best practices for siting PEV charging stations, and technical or regulatory barriers to expansion of PEV charging infrastructure. It also provides recommendations that address permitting, emergency evacuation needs, and education.
Authors: Smith Burk, K.; Groover Combs, A.; Kettles, D.; Reed, K.
Assessing the Potential for Low-Carbon Fuel Standards as a Mode of EV Support
12/1/2020
Low-carbon fuel standards (LCFS), which regulate the carbon intensity of fuels supplied to transportation, can provide long-term, durable funding for plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) infrastructure and PEV purchasing incentives as other policies such as rebates expire or are phased-down. This study assesses the role that a national LCFS program can play in accelerating the rate of light-duty passenger PEV and charging infrastructure deployment.
Authors: Kelly, C.: Pavlenko, N.
Making Sense of Heavy-Duty Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tractors
12/1/2020
Hydrogen fuel cells are proposed as a viable zero-emission alternative to today’s diesel engines. The technology is evolving rapidly for heavy-duty tractors hauling freight in dry van and refrigerated trailers. A handful of prototypes are in testing today in North America, while limited production units are entering commercial service in Europe. This report provides an unbiased view of the potential for hydrogen fuel cell tractors, identifying where and why they make sense in the mix of future zero-emission solutions.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed through North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s website.
Electrification Assessment of Public Vehicles in Washington
11/30/2020
Washington State is positioned to cost effectively electrify nearly all public vehicles by the year 2035. With near-term policy action and targeted investments in infrastructure, the state can accelerate ongoing efforts to advance electric vehicles (EVs) and solidify its leadership position in the EV market in the United States. This assessment evaluates the electrification potential for all publicly owned vehicles in the State of Washington. It provides Washington with comprehensive, vehicle-specific electrification cost estimates both today and in the future along with actionable information on how to efficiently move forward with fleet electrification.
Authors: Satterfield, C.; Nigro, N.; Wood, E.; Jensen, J.; Smith, C.; Desai, R.; Lepre, N.; Ge, Y.