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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.
Propane Autogas Repair & Maintenance Facility Requirements
7/23/2019
This guide discusses specific facility requirements for propane, beyond those required for gasoline and diesel vehicle repair and maintenance. It explains the general design, safety, and code guidelines for constructing or modifying repair and maintenance garages for propane-powered vehicles including passenger cars, vans, buses, and trucks.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the Propane Education and Research Council's Propane website.
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.
Effects of Buy America on Transportation Infrastructure and U.S. Manufacturing
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.
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.
Renewable Fuel Standard: Information on Likely Program Effects on Gasoline Prices and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
6/3/2019
This report examines what is known about the effect the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has had to date on retail gasoline prices in the United States, the RFS’s effect on greenhouse gas emissions, and whether the RFS will meet its goals for reducing those emissions. The report also details how renewable identification numbers (RINs) are used to show compliance with the RFS, historical RIN prices, how RINs affect retail fuel prices, and steps the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken to improve the RIN market.
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.
Clean Cities Coalitions 2017 Activity Report
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.
Metals Analysis of Biodiesel Blends
5/1/2019
The goal of this study was to compare metals analysis methods for biodiesel blends. Thirty-five B20 samples were collected from public stations and private fleets throughout the United States. All samples were analyzed for blend content and critical properties under the ASTM D7467 specification. Although not part of the specification, metals content, specifically Na, K, Ca, Mg, and P, is becoming an increasingly larger concern for industry. This study compared the metals content of the B20 samples using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES) methods. All three techniques showed improvements over the current detection limits of 1 ppm for Na, K, Ca, and Mg, and 5 ppm for P. Some differences were found between methods, but agreement was generally acceptable at the very low levels present in these samples. The MP-AES technique showed good promise for future development for this type of analysis.
Authors: Alleman, T.L.; Fouts, L.; Christensen, E.D.
Fleet Compliance Annual Report: Model Year 2017, Fiscal Year 2018
3/27/2019
This annual report of the Alternative Fuel Transportation Program, which ensures compliance with DOE regulations covering state government and alternative fuel provider fleets pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), as amended, provides fleet compliance results for manufacturing year 2017 / fiscal year 2018.
Fleet Compliance Annual Report: Model Year 2016, Fiscal Year 2017
3/27/2019
This annual report of the Alternative Fuel Transportation Program, which ensures compliance with DOE regulations covering state government and alternative fuel provider fleets pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), as amended, provides fleet compliance results for manufacturing year 2016 / fiscal year 2017.
Assessing Ride-Hailing Company Commitments to Electrification
2/7/2019
This briefing assesses electric vehicle adoption among five of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies. It discusses company-specific electric vehicle adoption, examines plans for future growth, and catalogs the unique actions that companies are exploring to promote electric ride-hailing on their platforms.
Authors: Slowik, P.; Fedirko, L.; Lutsey, N.
The Plug-In Electric Vehicle Tax Credit
11/7/2018
Buyers of qualifying plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) may be able to claim a federal income tax credit of up to $7,500. This fact sheet provides an overview of the PEV tax credit and briefly discusses relevant economic policy considerations.
Authors: Sherlock, M.F.
Clean Cities Coalitions 2016 Activity Report
10/10/2018
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.
