Loading...
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Tiger Team Site Assessment Findings from Army Facilities
10/31/2019
This report examines how the U.S. Army can cost-effectively install electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) to prepare for anticipated electric vehicle acquisitions, and summarizes results from 30 EVSE site visits completed at U.S. Army garrisons from 2016 to 2019. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Army, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory deployed Tiger Teams consisting of engineers and fleet experts to review garrison charging needs and develop recommendations for installing EVSE as well as compressed natural gas stations in certain locations.
Authors: Bennett, J.; Hodge, C.; Kurnik, C.; Kiatreungwattana, K.; Lynch, L.; Salasovich, J.
Foothill Transit Agency Battery Electric Bus Progress Report, Data Period Focus: Jan. 2019 through Jun. 2019
10/29/2019
This report summarizes results of a battery electric bus (BEB) evaluation at Foothill Transit, located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles. Foothill Transit is collaborating with the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the buses in revenue service. The focus of this evaluation is to compare the performance and the operating costs of the BEBs to that of conventional technology buses and to track progress over time. Previous reports documented results from April 2014 through December 2018. This report extends the data analysis through June 2019. The data period focus of this report is January 2019-June 2019. NREL plans to publish progress reports on the Foothill Transit fleet every 6 months through 2020.
Authors: Eudy, L.; Jeffers, M.
Mobility Data and Models Informing Smart Cities
10/14/2019
Using emerging data platforms, new mobility technologies, and travel demand models (TDMs), researchers, industry, and communities seek to improve the quality of transportation while maximizing the energy efficiency, equity, and safety of transportation services. As transportation may soon reach over 30% of U.S. energy consumption and with urban areas representing an increasing proportion of the U.S. population (>80% since 2010), a critical need exists to engage in urban data science-informed approaches to enhancing mobility. The objective of this study is to explore and document how aspiring Smart Cities are using data and models to inform mobility and energy initiatives within Smart City programs and in so doing identify gaps in knowledge and processes guiding Smart City mobility investment strategies, programs, projects, and pilots. A primary focus of the Smart Cities studied was the creation of an integrated data sharing environment approach. Most of these systems are being developed in parallel with multiple new data analysis tools, while regional metropolitan planning organizations continue to slowly evolve TDMs to take into account impacts of long-term strategies for emerging mobility technologies and services. Smart City initiatives in the United States have keen interests in leveraging knowledge and research on the mobility benefits and risks of automated, connected, efficient/electric, and shared on-demand mobility services; and understanding the related energy, environmental, economic, and societal impacts of these shifts. The results serve to identify key gaps in data, knowledge, and methods required to advance energy efficient urban mobility innovation, and to enable research and analysis collaboration between Smart Cities and the U.S. Department of Energy's efforts enabling new Systems and Modeling for Accelerated Research in Transportation (SMART) Mobility.
Authors: Sperling, J.; Young, S.; Garikapati, V.; Duvall, A.; Beck, J.M.
Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators
10/1/2019
Over the past few years, states across the country have seen increased consumer adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), thereby increasing electricity demand from the transportation sector. Electric utilities are at different stages of exploring their role in both building EV charging infrastructure and managing grid impacts, including through rate design and managed charging. As a result, many Public Utility Commissions (PUCs), the state agencies tasked with regulating utilities, are being asked to make decisions in this unfamiliar industry, sometimes without direct legislative guidance. This issue brief provides data about the trends in EV adoption, a synopsis of the types of decisions PUCs are facing, and examples of recent state regulatory approaches to EV questions.
Authors: Harper C.; McAndrews, G.; Sass Byrnett, D.
Transportation Electrification: States Rev Up
9/26/2019
States are pivotal to transitioning the transportation sector to electric drive vehicles. The transition necessitates decisions regarding a wide range of issues, including education and outreach efforts, vehicle and charging infrastructure incentives, the location and specifications of public charging infrastructure, electrification corridor designations and signage and, in some states, allowable vehicle emissions levels. This white paper explores state incentives and other policy tools to advance electrification.
Authors: Rogotzke, M.; Eucalitto, G.; Gander, S.
How Can Taxes and Fees on Ride-Hailing Fleets Steer Them to Electrify?
9/19/2019
The early transition to plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) continues in many markets. Likewise, the use of ride-hailing services continues to greatly expand. However, only a limited number of vehicles used for ride-hailing—about 1%—are electric, which is less than the global PEV sales share of new vehicles in 2018. This paper analyzes the economic opportunity for government taxes and fees to steer ride-hailing fleets toward electric.
Authors: Slowik, P.; Wappelhorst, S.; Lutsey, N.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed on The International Council on Clean Transportation's website.
Assessing the Business Case for Hosting Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in New York State
9/12/2019
As the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market grows, so does the demand for public charging stations. Public charging infrastructure expansion is limited by high upfront costs of equipment and installation, uncertain usage of charging services, and consumers’ willingness to pay for public charging. To date, public funding has been an important component of cost recovery and value maximization for station hosts. This white paper evaluates the business case of hosting a Level 2 charging station in New York State. In addition, the report explores scenarios that vary charging-use and revenue sources to better understand the key factors that drive profitability from hosting these stations. The goal of the report is to harness real-world experience to establish an understanding of current charging behavior and inform future efforts to expand the PEV market in New York.
Curb Enthusiasm: Report for On-Street Electric Vehicle Charging
8/15/2019
A critical barrier to the successful large-scale adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in metropolitan areas is the availability of public access charging infrastructure. Charging PEVs in areas with limited off-street parking, where charging equipment is typically installed, becomes a perceptual and logistical barrier for prospective PEV drivers who primarily park on-street. The targeted deployment of curbside Level 2 charging stations is one of the most cost-effective and catalytic ways that local government can support a shift toward PEVs in cities. Through original research, analysis, and case studies, this report seeks to define the potential for curbside Level 2 charging station implementation in New York City and to establish guidelines to ensure success. The report and its accompanying guidebook are intended to be a resource for New York City agencies as well as local governments looking to pilot curbside charging.
Telematics and Data Science: Informing Energy-Efficient Mobility
8/6/2019
Fleets exploring the possibility of adding plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) seek an efficient, data-driven means to estimate both expenditures for vehicle and charging infrastructure and the appropriate placement of them to help ensure the cost-effective adoption of these technologies. Exploring data collection and analytic methodologies across different telematics providers offers the opportunity to better understand the strengths, weaknesses, and possibilities for employing different methods of data collection, including smartphone-based telematics and more traditional telematics with hardware installed on a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics port. This report presents results of five pilot programs that collected data from the operation of conventional light-duty fleet vehicles to generate estimates for transitioning these fleet vehicles to PEVs, implementing charging infrastructure, and establishing management practices to maximize the benefits of these new fleet technologies.
Authors: Daley, R.; Helm, M.
Interoperability of Public EV Charging Infrastructure
8/1/2019
The electric vehicle (EV) market is rapidly accelerating, as is investment in the charging infrastructure needed to support this growing market. While the vast majority of EV charging now takes place at home and at work, widespread, open-access public charging infrastructure is essential to support EV drivers beyond early adopters. This paper identifies challenges, creates awareness, and provides perspective to achieve greater interoperability and open standards in the U.S. EV charging market.
Federal Vehicle Fleets: Agencies Have Continued to Incorporate AFVs into Fleets, but Challenges Remain
7/25/2019
Since 1988, a series of laws have been enacted and executive orders issued related to federal goals of reducing federal fleets’ petroleum use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For fiscal year 2017, federal agencies were required to: acquire certain types of vehicles, use more alternative fuel, and meet targets for reducing petroleum and per-mile GHG emissions. Federal agencies were also under a directive to increase acquisitions of zero emission (electric) vehicles. This report reviews federal agencies’ efforts related to these fiscal year 2017 requirements. It addresses how agencies reported meeting fleet energy requirements and how agencies efforts changed their fleets as well as challenges agencies face related to further meeting fleet energy goals.
Measuring Fundamental Improvements in Sustainable Urban Mobility: The Mobility-Energy Productivity Metric
7/9/2019
Recent technological advancements in mobility are creating many options for connecting citizens with employment, goods, and services, particularly in urban areas where modes such as bike and car shares, electric scooters, ridesourcing, and ridesharing are proliferating at a rapid pace. Analysis and tools for overall transportation planning are dominated by urban regional travel demand models whose roots in highway operations poorly reflect the system dynamics in denser areas where parking costs, convenience, and availability - not to mention sustainability concerns and quality of life - are driving people to an ever-greater spectrum of mobility services. In this paper, we present a new paradigm for evaluating mobility options within an urban area. First developed for the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficient Mobility System research program, this metric is termed the Mobility-Energy Productivity (MEP) metric. At its heart, the MEP metric measures accessibility and appropriately weights it with travel time, cost, and energy of modes that provide access to opportunities in any given location. The proposed metric is versatile in that it can be computed from readily available data sources or derived from outputs of regional travel demand models. End times associated with parking, curb access, cost, and reliability and frequency of service need to be carefully considered to obtain an appropriate and accurate perspective when computing the metric based on outputs from regional travel demand models. Ultimately, the MEP metric can be used to reflect the impacts of new mobility technologies (transportation network companies, electric scooters), business models (car shares and bike shares), and land-use practices (such as transit-oriented development) on sustainable urban mobility. This paper lays out the need, requirements, and framework for this new metric, and offers it, in collaboration with the American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE), as a foundational metric for Smart City assessment.
Authors: Garikapati, V.; Young, S.; Hou, Y.
Get Your Building Ready for Electric Vehicles
7/3/2019
By the year 2030, there may be as many as 19 million plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) on the road in the United States, representing a market share of 10%. With effective PEV charging implementation, commercial building owners and managers can add value to properties, increase the convenience and affordability of driving PEVs for tenants and employees, and show leadership in adopting advanced, sustainable technologies. This fact sheet provides recommendations for building owners to make commercial buildings and new construction PEV-ready.
Analytical White Paper: Overcoming Barriers to Expanding Fast Charging Infrastructure in the Midcontinent Region
7/1/2019
This white paper highlights the main considerations in designing a demand charge tariff structure that is suitable for encouraging direct current fast charger investment, highlights approaches taken by some utilities, and presents information for utilities and regulators to consider as they are seeking their own solutions to this problem. Note: This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the Great Plains Institute website.
Authors: McFarlane, D.; Prorok, M.; Jordan, B.; Kemabonta, T.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the Great Plains Institute website.
Summary of Best Practices in Electric Vehicle Ordinances
6/18/2019
This document is a summary guide to electric vehicle (EV) and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) ordinances in the United States. The guide is sorted into best practice categories and provides a summary of typical provisions used by cities for each category. Each category includes a table with key points and text examples from actual ordinances, as well as recommendations from model codes for that topic, drawn from one of several model ordinances or ordinance guidance documents that have been developed to inform cities on developing EV-ready zoning standards. This summary is provided as a reference to cities seeking to develop EV zoning standards or development regulations.
Authors: Cooke, C.; Ross, B.
