Publications

A Framework to Analyze the Requirements of a Multiport Megawatt-Level Charging Station for Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles

5/21/2022

Widespread adoption of heavy-duty (HD) electric vehicles (EVs) will soon necessitate the use of megawatt (MW)-scale charging stations to charge the high capacity HD EV battery packs. While higher throughput will maximize revenue-generating operations, at high rates of charging, the station design needs to anticipate possible station traffic, average and peak power demand, and charging/waiting time targets to meet. High-voltage direct current fast charging (DCFC) is an attractive candidate for MW-scale charging stations at the time of this study but there are no precedents for such station design. We present a modeling and data analysis framework to elucidate the dependencies of a MW-scale station operation on vehicle traffic data and station design parameters and how that impacts vehicle electrification. This framework integrates an agent-based charging station model with vehicle schedules obtained through real-world, long-haul vehicle telemetry data analysis to explore the station design and operation space. We present a case study showing the application of this framework to: (i) choose optimal locations for charging infrastructure to enable vehicle electrification, (ii) simulate vehicle charging behavior to create charge demand schedules for MW-scale charging locations, (iii) analyze power/energy requirements for these stations, and (iv) optimize station design and control to increase vehicle throughput. Real-world vehicle travel data is used to generate distributions of vehicle arrival time and state of the charge (SOC) for hypothetical MW-scale charging stations. Monte Carlo simulation is used to explore various design considerations associated with MW-scale charging stations and electric vehicle battery technologies.

Authors: Mishra, P.; Miller, E.; Santhanagopalan, S.; Bennion, K.; Meintz, A.

Electric Vehicles for Fleets

5/17/2022

Electric vehicles can fulfill many daily driving needs, making them a great solution for fleets. They offer several benefits and can fill roles in light-duty, medium-/heavy-duty (MD/HD), and even off-road applications. The unique fleet environment presents considerations beyond those that consumers must address before going electric. For example, fleet managers must understand the impacts of charging multiple vehicles while maintaining fleet operations. Larger MD/HD vehicles bring additional factors to consider.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator: Fourth Quarter 2021

5/4/2022

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator contains information on public and private nonresidential 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 fourth calendar quarter of 2021 (Q4). 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 two different 2030 infrastructure requirement scenarios. This information is intended to help transportation planners, policymakers, researchers, infrastructure developers, and others understand the rapidly changing landscape of EV charging infrastructure. This is the eighth report in a series.

Authors: Brown, A.; Schayowitz, A.; White, E.

Charting the Course for Early Truck Electrification

5/2/2022

Trucks in the United States produce 25% of transportation greenhouse gas emissions even though they only make up 10% of vehicles on the road. Across the United States, fleets have already committed to deploying over 140,000 electric vehicles. Although this trend is enabled by technology, regulation is also encouraging electric truck adoption. California now requires truck builders to sell an increasing percentage of electric trucks in the state. And 15 additional states signed a joint memorandum of understanding to follow California’s path. This report uses real-world observed trucking telematics data from Geotab to investigate which trucks in California and New York can electrify the fastest based on currently available electric truck models. The report also examines the amount of energy and charging infrastructure that these early electrifiable trucks need, in addition to emissions from the grid under various charging schedules.

Authors: Lund, J.; Mullaney, D.; Porter, E.; Schroeder, J.

Notes:

This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the Rocky Mountain Institute website.

United States EV Market Summary: Q3 and Q4 2021

5/2/2022

Atlas Public Policy presents its first market summary report for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities network. This report summarizes major developments in transportation electrification in the United States with a focus on activities during the third and fourth quarters of 2021.

Authors: Lepre, N.; Taylor, T.

How to Support EV Adoption: Tradeoffs Between Charging Infrastructure Investments and Vehicle Subsidies in California

4/1/2022

Promoting electric vehicle (EV) adoption is a priority for governments worldwide due to EVs’ ability to address pressing climate change and air quality challenges. Two policy mechanisms, public charging infrastructure investments and vehicle subsidies, are widely used to support EV adoption. This report estimates tradeoffs between lowered vehicle purchase price (subsidies) or expanded public charging infrastructure and their impacts on consumer demand for EVs. These two policies are evaluated using two criteria: promoting additional EV sales and reducing CO2 emissions.

Authors: Ledna, C; Muratori, M; Brooker, A; Wood, E; Greene, D

Electrifying New York City Ride-Hailing Fleets: An Examination of the Need for Public Fast Charging

3/28/2022

Ride-hailing electrification has gained momentum in recent years as regulators have set aggressive targets for fleet electrification. This report assesses the scale of public fast charging needed to electrify approximately 20,000 vehicles across the yellow cab and for-hire segments in New York City. The analysis considers real-world trip data in conjunction with driver home locations, overnight charging access rates, driver schedules, and more.

Authors: Moniot, M.; Borlaug, B.; Ge, Y.; Wood, E.; Zimbler, J.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator: Third Quarter 2021

3/10/2022

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 third calendar quarter of 2021. 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.; Schayowitz, A.; Klotz, E.

Electric Trucks Have Arrived: The Use Case for Terminal Tractors

3/1/2022

This report documents the three terminal tractors that participated in the Run on Less - Electric demonstration by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, which was conducted in September of 2021. It provides data from the demonstration, research and interviews with fleets, vehicle manufacturers, and other industry experts about this market segment. The report shares key findings for electrifying terminal tractors.

Notes:

This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the North American Council for Freight Efficiency website.

Evaluation of Policies for EV Charging Infrastructure Deployment

2/1/2022

To help guide federal, state, and local policymakers in the development of policies and programs focused on electric vehicle (EV) charging station deployment, this study evaluates the effectiveness of various policy approaches in contributing to deployments and broader EV charging market development. Using both statistical analysis and interviews of policymakers and business leaders across key states, this study aims to identify the major existing U.S. policies adopted between 2016 and 2020, to evaluate the effectiveness of these policies, to evaluate the relationship between policies and the development of the broader EV charging market, and to identify opportunities for future policy formulation.

Notes:

This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the Fuels Institute website.

Supporting Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Deployment

2/1/2022

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) helps federal agencies electrify their fleets and support the deployment of charging infrastructure. To assist agencies with the switch to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), FEMP offers technical guidance on electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installations and site-specific planning through on-site and virtual EVSE Tiger Teams.

Identifying Electric Vehicles to Best Serve University Fleet Needs and Support Sustainability Goals

2/1/2022

University fleets represent an enticing opportunity to explore the near-term feasibility of energy-efficient transportation options. In many instances, universities operate much like a small, self-contained ecosystem with all the same transportation needs as a larger municipality, but with a smaller geographic footprint. Their fleets often include a wide variety of vehicle types serving the campus, including low-speed vehicles (e.g., golf carts), light-duty sedans, SUVs, and pickups, as well as medium-duty trucks and delivery vehicles. The mix of vehicle and operational needs combined with broader activities related to energy-efficient campuses makes universities and colleges unique microcosms to determine the feasibility of and path to achieving energy-efficient fleets. As the availability of electric drivetrains expands beyond light-duty sedans, fleets need to understand when it will be operationally and financially appropriate to start adding electric drivetrains to their fleets. To better understand these opportunities, NREL contracted Sawatch Labs to analyze the role electric vehicles (EVs) can have in helping universities meet energy and environmental goals they have instituted.

Authors: Booth, S.; Bennett, J.; Helm, M.; Arnold, D.; Baker, B.; Clay, R.; Till, M.; Sears, T.

Impacts of Increasing Electrification on State Fleet Operations and Charging Demand

2/1/2022

State fleets represent an enticing opportunity to explore the near-term feasibility of fleet electrification. In many instances, state fleet operations encompass a wide geographic area with fleet locations for many vehicles. Serving these wide areas will require a significant amount of energy and, in the case of electric vehicles (EVs), a significant level of charging power. The peak demand as a result of this charging demand is of interest for fleets, with impacts on both utility bills and installation costs ranking among some of the greatest concerns. The combination of a wide operational area and multiple fleet locations positions state fleets as ideal candidates to understand the impacts of vehicle charging on fleet operations. As the availability of electric drivetrains expands beyond light-duty sedans, fleets need to understand when it will be appropriate operationally and financially to start adding electric drivetrains to their fleets. Throughout this process, it will also be important to understand the charging implications of fleet electrification and the resulting impacts to facility electrical systems. To better understand these considerations, NREL contracted Sawatch Labs to analyze the role that increasing state fleet electrification may have on the charging demand at fleet parking facilities.

Authors: Booth,S.; Bennett, J.; Helm, M., Arnold, D.; Baker, B.; Clay, R.; Till, M.; Sears, T.

Charging Forward: A Toolkit for Planning and Funding Rural Electric Mobility Infrastructure

2/1/2022

This toolkit is meant to be a one-stop resource to help rural communities scope, plan, and fund EV charging infrastructure for light-duty electric passenger vehicles. Rural stakeholders, including states, local communities, tribes, transportation providers, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals, can use the toolkit to identify key partners for a project, take advantage of relevant planning tools, and identify available funding or financing to help make that project a reality. Armed with the resources in this toolkit, rural communities will have the tools and information they need to start planning and implementing EV infrastructure projects and ultimately realize the benefits of electric mobility.

The ABCs of Ohio EVs: A Policy Guide to Electrify Ohio

1/18/2022

In this report, the Citizens Utility Board of Ohio examines key issues related to transportation electrification to capture the potential of electric vehicle (EV) growth and use it to optimize the state’s electric system. It includes guidelines for policy development and specific measures to help propel this emerging market transformation and ensure that everybody will benefit from EVs, whether or not they drive one. It identifies factors affecting EV market growth, assesses its ramifications for the electric grid and for consumers, advances principles to protect the interests of electricity customers, and recommends responsive state actions.