Publications

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

1/9/2025

A hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is two to three times more efficient than a comparable vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine running on gasoline. Because of their efficient operation, FCEVs can travel long distances with less fueling. A FCEV also produces clean tailpipe exhaust, emitting only water vapor and warm air. FCEVs have driving ranges of more than 300 miles per tank of hydrogen. Drivers can fuel their FCEVs in less than five minutes at a dispenser that looks and feels similar to gasoline dispensers except for the high-pressure gaseous connection. In addition, FCEVs are propelled by an electric motor, so they are very quiet, have very few moving parts and fewer fluids to change, and have minimal maintenance requirements overall.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Blending and Logistics

11/25/2024

Decarbonizing aviation requires a multipronged approach in both alternative fuel use and efficiency to meet emissions reductions and sustainability requirements and goals. In 2022, aviation accounted for 2.1% of human-induced carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions and 12% of transportation CO2 emissions (ATAG 2024). About 80% of aviation emissions are from flights longer than about 930 miles (ATAG 2024). Aviation was also responsible for 9% of domestic transportation greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 (EPA 2022). The United States has a significant commercial aviation sector accounting for nearly 28% of global jet fuel use (IATA 2024b, EIA 2024g).

Authors: Moriarty, K.; McCormick, R.

Electric Vehicle Standards – Grid Service Capabilities: Evaluation of IEEE 2030.13, SAE J3072, ISO 15118-2, ISO 15118-20, OCPP, IEC 61850-7-420, IEEE 2030.5, and OpenADR

7/14/2024

This report assesses various vehicle-grid-integration standards and evaluates each standard on its support for electric vehicles (EVs) to provide for or participate in distributed energy resource grid services. The report highlights challenges associated with the deployment of standards and offers context for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies and distributed energy resource (DER) strategies for EVs.

Authors: Francis K. Tuffner

Clean Cities and Communities Overview

4/26/2024

Clean Cities and Communities is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) partnership to advance clean transportation nationwide. More than 75 DOE-designated Clean Cities and Communities coalitions work locally in urban, suburban, and rural communities to strengthen the nation's environment, energy security, and economic prosperity. As partners with DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office, coalitions work to deploy affordable, efficient, and clean transportation; energy efficient mobility systems; and fuel-saving technologies and practices.

The Role of Biofuels and Biomass Feedstocks for Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050

4/11/2024

Bioenergy holds significant potential to transform the transportation sector, helping to eliminate hard-to-abate sources of emissions, such as aviation, that lack viable electrification alternatives. Further, integrating more biomass-based electrification pathways will diversify the country’s electrical grid, increasing its stability in the future. This study uses process-based analyses of biomass resources and pathways to demonstrate the decarbonization potential and cost-efficiency of scaling bioenergy in the United States.

High-Power Electric Vehicle Charging Hub Integration Platform (eCHIP): Design Guidelines and Specifications for DC Distribution-Based Charging Hub

4/1/2024

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded EVs@Scale Consortium aims to expand direct current (DC), distribution-based, high-power charging systems through eCHIP. Further, the eCHIP program seeks to develop affordable, efficient, and interoperable DC-coupled charging hubs (“DC hub”). This report provides a step-by-step analysis of the DC hub platform, including design, development, and implementation. The report also offers metrics and considerations for DC hub system design, using results from a preliminary eCHIP experiment as benchmarking.

Authors: Mithat John Kisacikoglu; Jason D. Harper; Rajendra Prasad Kandula; Alastair P. Thurlbeck; Akram Syed Ali

Advance Local Mobility Through Energy Efficient Mobility Systems Technologies

3/25/2024

Everyone deserves reliable, affordable, and safe transportation to connect people to jobs, healthcare, education, and recreation. Our transportation systems are interconnected, multimodal networks working together to move people and goods. These systems are dynamic and are being reshaped by factors such as population trends, new technologies, shifting labor models, economic forces, and changing climate. Energy efficient mobility systems (EEMS) technologies can help transportation planners ensure changes in our transportation systems are sustainable by improving energy efficiency, travel time, and affordability, as well as overall access to mobility. Transportation planners and decision makers can use the following EEMS tools and strategies to advance local mobility.

Authors: Reichelt, L.

Multi-State Transportation Electrification Impact Study

3/1/2024

This study was conducted to help answer technical and deployment questions about whether the electric grid can accommodate increasing demands from transportation electrification, particularly if it can accommodate the anticipated impact of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rulemakings if finalized as proposed on greenhouse gas emission standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty on-road vehicles The study analyzes charging infrastructure and distribution grid upgrade needs for California, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, which are indicative of a variety of transportation demand and utility distribution infrastructure in the United States.

Refueling Infrastructure Deployment in Low-Income and Non-Urban Communities

3/1/2024

Following the need for increased investment in infrastructure that supports low- and zero-emission vehicles in low-income and overburdened communities identified in the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization and the eligibility criteria in the alternative fuel infrastructure tax credit that encourages investment in underserved communities, this report quantifies how many fueling amenities are currently located in census tracts that qualify for the tax credit, as well as the percent of the U.S. population and the percentage of current vehicle registrations that are located in the eligible census tracts.

Authors: Gohlke, D; Zhou, Y; Wu, X

Simulation-Based Assessment of Energy Consumption of Alternative Powertrains in Agricultural Tractors

2/27/2024

This report developed simulation models for conventional, parallel hybrid electric, series hybrid electric, fuel cell hybrid, and battery electric powertrain technologies for agricultural tractors, analyzing the potential energy efficiency and emissions benefits as well as technical challenges for implementing the vehicles. The study showed that both the battery electric and fuel cell hybrid tractors have higher potential to reduce energy consumption and emissions, but currently have inherent technical challenges, while the parallel hybrid and series hybrid powertrain tractors have varying energy efficiency benefits depending on the tractor size and operating cycle conditions.

Authors: Lajunen, A; Kivekas, K; Freyermuth, V; Vijayagopal, R; Kim, N

Adoption of Plug-in Electric Vehicles: Local Fuel Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Across the U.S

2/1/2024

This report aims to fill a research gap in the local effects of the benefits of electric vehicle (EV) adoption. The report estimates the fuel cost savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions at the state and local zip code levels, considering local fuel prices, vehicle class preferences, vehicle model years, fuel efficiencies, and driving intensities. The report found that EV adoption can result in annual savings up to $2,200. Additionally, the report found that in over 99% of U.S. zip codes, EVs result in overall savings in fuel use and GHG emissions.

Authors: Wu, X; Zhou, Y; Gohlke, D

Recommendations for Minimum Required Error Codes for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

9/13/2023

This report proposes a set of Minimum Required Error Codes (MRECs) for electric vehicle (EV) chargers and recommends that the industry implement these uniformly across the North American EV charging ecosystem to streamline error reporting, interpretability, and diagnostics. The purpose of this document is to simplify the troubleshooting process and increase charging reliability for all EV users. This report serves as a recommendation for industry stakeholders, encouraging a unified methodology to define and classify a minimum required set of error codes.

Electric Vehicle Basics

8/29/2023

Electric vehicles use electricity as their primary fuel or to improve the efficiency of conventional vehicle designs. These vehicles can be divided into two categories: All-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Together, EVs and PHEVs can also be referred to as electric vehicles (EVs). Access this publication in Spanish and in French.

At A Glance: Electric Vehicles

8/29/2023

Electric-drive vehicles use electricity as their primary fuel or to improve the efficiency of conventional vehicle designs. With the range of styles and options available, there is likely one to meet your needs. Electric vehicles (EVs) include all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Access this publication in Spanish here and French here.

Notes: This document is intended to be printed double-sided on an 8-1/2 X 11 piece of paper, then folded in half once to present as a brochure.

Multi-Unit Dwelling Plug-in EV Charging Innovation Pilots

7/1/2023

Nearly one-third of residences in the U.S. are multi-unit dwellings (MUDs), e.g., apartments and condominiums, and multi-family housing buildings with five or more units account for approximately 45% of rental households. While 80% of electric vehicle (EV) charging takes place at home, less than 5% of home charging takes place at multi-family housing buildings. With public EV charging still underdeveloped, lack of access to reliable home charging is a major barrier to EV adoption for multi-family housing residents. Project partners led a three-year project to address barriers to EV charging at MUDs by developing an online toolkit geared toward residents, homeowner associations (HOAs), and property managers. The project engaged stakeholders across the country to identify real and perceived barriers to EV charging at multi-family housing buildings and explored innovative technologies that attempt to alleviate the identified barriers, which are discussed in this report.

Authors: Teebay, R