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Measuring Fundamental Improvements in Sustainable Urban Mobility: The Mobility-Energy Productivity Metric (PDF)
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 (PDF)
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.
Effects of Buy America on Transportation Infrastructure and U.S. Manufacturing (PDF)
7/2/2019
Buy America refers to several similar statutes and regulations that apply when federal funds are used to support projects involving highways, public transportation, aviation, and intercity passenger rail. Unless a nationwide or project-specific waiver is granted, Buy America requires the use of U.S.-made iron and steel and the domestic production and assembly of other manufactured goods, particularly the production of rolling stock (railcars and buses) used in federally funded public transportation. This report examines the effects of Buy America on iron and steel manufacturing, rolling stock manufacturing, and transportation.
Analytical White Paper: Overcoming Barriers to Expanding Fast Charging Infrastructure in the Midcontinent Region (PDF)
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 (PDF).
Summary of Best Practices in Electric Vehicle Ordinances (PDF)
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.
Vehicle Electrification: Federal and State Issues Affecting Deployment
6/3/2019
Motor vehicle electrification has emerged in the past decade as a potentially viable alternative to internal combustion engines. Although only a small proportion of the current motor vehicle fleet is electrified, interest in passenger vehicle electrification has accelerated in several major industrial countries, including the United States, parts of Europe, and China. Despite advances in technology, plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) continue to be significantly more expensive than similarly sized vehicles with internal combustion engines. For this reason, governments in many countries have adopted policies to promote development and sales of PEVs. This report discusses federal and state government policies in the United States to support electrification of light vehicles and transit buses, as well as proposals to reduce or eliminate such support.
Authors: Canis. B.; Clark, C.E.; Sherlock, M.F.
Foothill Transit Agency Battery Electric Bus Progress Report, Data Period Focus: Jul. 2018 through Dec. 2018 (PDF)
5/28/2019
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 June 2018. This report extends the data analysis through the end of 2018. The data period focus of this report is July 2018-December 2018. NREL plans to publish progress reports on the Foothill Transit fleet every 6 months through 2020.
Authors: Eudy, L.; Jeffers, M.
Impact of Time-Varying Passenger Loading on Conventional and Electrified Transit Bus Energy Consumption (PDF)
5/24/2019
Transit bus passenger loading changes significantly over the course of a workday. Therefore, time-varying vehicle mass as a result of passenger load becomes an important factor in instantaneous energy consumption. Battery-powered electric transit buses have restricted range and longer 'fueling' time compared with conventional diesel-powered buses; thus, it is critical to know how much energy they require. Our previous work has shown that instantaneous transit bus mass can be obtained by measuring the pressure in the vehicle's airbag suspension system. This paper leverages this novel technique to determine the impact of time-varying mass on energy consumption. Sixty-five days of velocity and mass data were collected from in-use transit buses operating on routes in the Twin Cities, MN metropolitan area. The simulation tool Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator was modified to allow both velocity and mass as time-dependent inputs. This tool was then used to model an electrified and conventional bus on the same routes and determine the energy use of each bus. Results showed that the kinetic intensity varied from 0.27 to 4.69 mi-1 and passenger loading ranged from 2 to 21 passengers. Simulation results showed that energy consumption for both buses increased with increasing vehicle mass. The simulation also indicated that passenger loading has a greater impact on energy consumption for conventional buses than for electric buses owing to the electric bus's ability to recapture energy. This work shows that measuring and analyzing real-time passenger loading is advantageous for determining the energy used by electric and conventional diesel buses.
Authors: Liu; L.; Kotz, A.; Salapaka, A.; Miller, E.; Northrop, W.F.
Preparing Our Communities for EVs: Facilitating Deployment of DC Fast Chargers (PDF)
5/23/2019
To close the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) gap and keep pace with increasing demand, states identified streamlining permitting for EVSE as a high priority in the Multi-State Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan and the Northeast Corridor Regional Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. Because local municipal and county governments are the authorities having jurisdiction over permitting charging stations, the purpose of this document is to present information about plug-in electric vehicles, EVSE, and common issues that arise when permitting direct current fast charging stations.
Authors: O'Grady, E.; Way, J.
Clean Cities Coalitions 2017 Activity Report (PDF)
5/14/2019
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) national network of Clean Cities Coalitions advance the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local actions to promote the use of domestic fuels within transportation. The nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions, whose territory covers 80% of the U.S. population, bring together stakeholders in the public and private sectors to use alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction (IR) measures, fuel economy improvements, and new transportation technologies as they emerge. To ensure success, coalitions leverage a robust set of expert resources and tools provided by national laboratories and DOE. Each year, Clean Cities coordinators submit annual reports of their activities and accomplishments for the previous calendar year. Data and information are submitted via an online tool that is maintained as part of the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Coordinators submit a range of data that characterize the membership, funding, projects, and activities of their coalitions. They also submit data about sales of alternative fuels; use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs); IR initiatives; fuel economy improvement activities; and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). NREL analyzes the submitted data to determine how broadly energy use in the U.S. has shifted due to coalition activities, which are summarized in this report.
Authors: Johnson, C.; Singer, M.
Utilities and Electric Vehicles: The Case for Managed Charging
5/9/2019
Electric vehicles (EVs) are quickly becoming one of the largest flexible loads on the grid in certain parts of the United States. While most industry analysts see EVs as a boon for utilities, load management risks could be an issue. Managed charging allows a utility or third-party to remotely control vehicle charging by turning it up, down, or even off to better correspond to the needs of the grid, much like traditional demand response programs. This research report provides a wide-lens overview of the managed charging ecosystem, including examples of utility programs, a list of vehicle-grid integration and connected-car platform providers, a list of compatible electric vehicle supply equipment, and examples of automotive industry activities.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed through Smart Electric Power Alliance's website.
Integrating Shared Mobility into Multimodal Transportation Planning: Metropolitan Area Case Studies (PDF)
5/1/2019
New shared mobility services have become increasingly common and transportation agencies are beginning to integrate them into regional planning processes. This report provides three case studies of how metropolitan planning organizations and their regional partners are integrating shared mobility into regional multimodal transportation planning. The Boston, Massachusetts, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and San Francisco Bay metropolitan areas are featured.
Authors: McCoy, Kevin; Glynn, Russell; Lyons, William; Andrew, James
Energy Implications of Current Travel and the Adoption of Automated Vehicles (PDF)
4/29/2019
Current travel patterns and energy usage could be dramatically disrupted by new vehicle technologies, specifically in the case of automated vehicle (AV) technology. AV adoption could have a wide range of potential energy implications, depending on their usage and the efficiency of the AVs. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory conducted a survey to better understand which groups of people will likely adopt AV technology first, how respondents currently travel, and how respondents may change their travel patterns if AVs are widely adopted. Findings from this study are intended to provide an additional resource for model projections used by researchers to understand how transportation innovations may affect travel behaviors in the coming decades.
Authors: Fleming, K.; Singer, M.
Electricity Rates for Electric Vehicle Direct Current Fast Charging in the United States
4/26/2019
This report assesses the electricity cost for different scenarios of direct current (DC) fast charger station size and use, based on over 7,500 commercial and industrial electricity rates available for 2017 across the United States. Results show that the cost of electricity for DC fast chargers varies dramatically, ranging from less than $0.10 to over $2 per kilowatt-hour, depending on station design and high uncertainty in use. It explores the cost drivers for low- and high-utilization stations.
Authors: Muratori, M.; Kontou, E.; Eichman, J.
Notes: This Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews article (Vol. 113 (October 2019): pp. 415-426) is copyrighted by Elsevier B.V. and only available by accessing it through Science Direct.
Feasibility Analysis of Taxi Fleet Electrification using 4.9 Million Miles of Real-World Driving Data; SAE Paper No. 2019-01-0392 (PDF)
4/2/2019
Ride hailing activity is rapidly increasing, largely due to the growth of transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft. However, traditional taxi companies continue to represent an important mobility option for travelers. Columbus Yellow Cab, a taxi company in Columbus, Ohio, offers traditional line-of-sight hailing as well as digital hailing through a mobile app. Data from Columbus Yellow Cab was provided to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to analyze the potential for taxi electrification. Columbus Yellow Cab data contained information describing both global positioning system trajectories and taxi meter information. The data spanned a period of 13 months, containing approximately 70 million global system positioning system points, 840 thousand trips, and 170 unique vehicles. A variety of scenarios were evaluated using Columbus Yellow Cab data and the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projection Tool (EVI-Pro) to understand challenges and opportunities associated with operating an electrified taxi fleet. Two main factors-access to home charging and vehicle specifications-are shown to be major variables affecting successful electric fleet operation. The analysis indicates that 95.7% of taxi travel days can be successfully completed by a 250-mile-range electric vehicle assuming access to overnight and public charging infrastructure. However, when no overnight access is available to fleet vehicles, only 39.9% of taxi travel days are possible with 250-mile range electric vehicles. An additional scenario, reducing the vehicle range from 250 miles to 100 miles (while controlling for infrastructure access and permitting overnight charging) resulted in only 34.4% of taxi travel days being completed.
Authors: Moniot, M.; Rames, C.; Burrell, E.
