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California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projections: 2017-2025 - Future Infrastructure Needs for Reaching the State's Zero Emission-Vehicle Deployment Goals
3/27/2018
This report analyzes plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) infrastructure needs in California from 2017 to 2025 in a scenario where the State's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) deployment goals are achieved by household vehicles. The statewide infrastructure needs are evaluated by using the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projection tool, which incorporates representative statewide travel data from the 2012 California Household Travel Survey. The infrastructure solution presented in this assessment addresses two primary objectives: (1) enabling travel for battery electric vehicles and (2) maximizing the electric vehicle-miles traveled for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The analysis is performed at the county-level for each year between 2017 and 2025 while considering potential technology improvements. The results from this study present an infrastructure solution that can facilitate market growth for PEVs to reach the State's ZEV goals by 2025. The overall results show a need for 99k-130k destination chargers, including workplaces and public locations, and 9k-25k fast chargers. The results also show a need for dedicated or shared residential charging solutions at multi-family dwellings, which are expected to host about 120k PEVs by 2025. An improvement to the scientific literature, this analysis presents the significance of infrastructure reliability and accessibility on the quantification of charger demand.
Authors: Bedir, A.; Crisostomo, N.; Allen, J.; Wood, E.; Rames, C.
Charging Electric Vehicles in Smart Cities: An EVI-Pro Analysis of Columbus, Ohio
2/7/2018
With the support of the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) worked with the City of Columbus, Ohio, to develop a plan for the expansion of the region's network of charging stations to support increased adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in the local market. NREL's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projection (EVI-Pro) model was used to generate scenarios of regional charging infrastructure to support consumer PEV adoption. Results indicate that approximately 400 Level 2 plugs at multi-unit dwellings and 350 Level 2 plugs at non-residential locations are required to support Columbus' primary PEV goal of 5,300 PEVs on the road by the end of 2019. This analysis finds that while consumer demand for fast charging is expected to remain low (due to modest anticipated adoption of short-range battery electric vehicles), a minimum level of fast charging coverage across the city is required to ease consumer range anxiety concerns by providing a safety net for unexpected charging events. Sensitivity analyses around some key assumptions have also been performed; of these, consumer preference for PHEV versus BEV and for their electric driving range, ambient conditions, and availability of residential charging at multi-unit dwellings were identified as key determinants of the non-residential PEV charging infrastructure required to support PEV adoption. The results discussed in this report can be leveraged by similar U.S. cities as part of a strategy to accelerate PEV adoption in the light-duty vehicle market.
Authors: Wood, E.; Rames, C.; Muratori, M.; Raghavan, S.; Young, S.
Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle Maintenance Facility Modification Handbook
9/28/2017
To ensure the safety of personnel and facilities, vehicle maintenance facilities are required by law and by guidelines of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Fire Code (IFC) to exhibit certain design features. They are also required to be fitted with certain fire protection equipment and devices because of the potential for fire or explosion in the event of fuel leakage or spills. All fuels have an explosion or fire potential if specific conditions are present.
This handbook covers the primary elements that must be considered when developing a CNG vehicle maintenance facility design that will protect against the ignition of natural gas releases. It also discusses specific protocols and training needed to ensure safety.
Authors: Kelly, K.; Melendez, M.; Gonzales, J.; Lynch, L.; Boale, B.; Kohout, J.
Designing a Successful Transportation Project: Lessons Learned from the Clean Cities American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Projects
9/27/2017
The largest source of funding for alternative fuel vehicle and infrastructure projects in the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program's history came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). In 2009, the 25 cost-share projects totaled nearly $300 million in federal government investment. This effort included the involvement of 50 Clean Cities coalitions and their nearly 700 stakeholder partners who provided an additional $500 million in matching funds to support projects in their local communities. In total, those 25 projects established 1,380 alternative fueling stations and put more than 9,000 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles on the road. Together, these projects displaced 154 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) of petroleum and averted 254,000 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while supporting U.S. energy independence and contributing to regional economic development. During post-project interviews, project leaders consistently cited a number of key components - ranging from technical and logistical factors, to administrative capabilities - for accomplishing an effective and impactful project. This report summarizes the high-level project design and administrative considerations for conducting a successful transportation project.
Authors: Kelly, K.; Singer, M.
Analysis of the Effect of ZEV Policies: State Level Incentives and the California Zero-Emission Vehicle Regulations
9/7/2017
This report assesses the effect of state-level policies on the sales of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Two analysis approaches are applied. The first approach assesses the potential effect of state-level incentives through quantification of the monetary value of ZEV and PHEV incentives and comparison of these values to state-level sales of these vehicles. The second approach focuses on the effect of California ZEV regulations on sales in California and in the nine other states that have adopted these regulations. ZEV and PHEV sales in these ten states are projected through 2025 under a variety of scenarios based on the regulations and associated historic trends in sales and credit balances earned under these regulations.
Cow Power: A Case Study of Renewable Compressed Natural Gas as a Transportation Fuel
8/1/2017
This case study explores the production and use of R-CNG--derived from dairy farm manure--to fuel heavy-duty milk tanker trucks operating in Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, and Kentucky. It describes the joint endeavor of Fair Oaks Farms, an Indiana-based large dairy cooperative, and ampCNG, a provider of natural gas refueling infrastructure.
Authors: Tomich, M.; Mintz, M.
Considerations for Corridor and Community DC Fast Charging Complex System Design
6/15/2017
This report focuses on direct current fast charger (DCFC) systems and how they can be deployed to provide convenient charging for plug-in electric vehicle drivers. First, the report shares lessons learned from previous DCFC deployment and data collection activities. Second, it establishes considerations and criteria for designing and upgrading DCFC complexes. Third, it provides cost estimates for hypothetical high-power DCFC complexes that meet simplified design requirements. Finally, it presents results for a business case analysis that shed light on the financial challenges associated with DCFCs.
Authors: Francfort, J.; Salisbury, S.; Smart, J.; Garetson, T.; Karner, D.
Public Sector Fleet EV Procurement Examples: A Case Study of Three All-Electric Vehicle Procurements Conducted by the U.S. Navy, City of New Bedford, and City of Seattle
6/6/2017
The deployment of EVs helps fleets to reduce air pollution from vehicle emissions and lower operating costs associated with maintenance and fueling. However, EV procurement by fleets has been limited by the higher up-front purchase costs and lack of availability of EVs compared to their gasoline counterparts, as well as the availability of charging infrastructure. Despite the existing barriers, many state and local public fleets have successfully integrated EVs to their fleets, and have used innovative procurement strategies to reduce the acquisition costs of EVs. This case study explores EV procurements conducted by the U.S. Navy, the City of New Bedford in Massachusetts, and the City of Seattle in Washington State—examples of public fleet procurements that captured financial incentives to reduce the vehicles’ upfront cost.
Authors: Nigro, N.
Capturing the Federal EV Tax Credit for Public Fleets: A Case Study of Multi-Jurisdictional EV Fleet Procurement in Alameda County, California
4/26/2017
Alameda County, California, led a collective purchase of 90 EVs for ten county and municipal public fleets. The aggregate procurement resulted in the purchase of 64 Ford Focus EV sedans and 23 Nissan LEAF EV sedans. The jurisdictions also conducted aggregate procurements for EV charging stations and charging station installations. This publication provides an overview of the procurement process and details how it was successful in attracting bids from local vendors for the purchase of EVs, while reducing vehicle purchase administrative costs for participating fleets.
Authors: Nigro, N.
Clean Cities 2015 Annual Metrics Report
12/28/2016
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Clean Cities program advances the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local actions to cut petroleum use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in transportation. A national network of nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions, whose territory covers 80% of the U.S. population, brings together stakeholders in the public and private sectors to deploy alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction (IR) measures, fuel economy improvements, and new transportation technologies as they emerge. Each year, DOE asks Clean Cities coordinators to submit annual reports of their activities and accomplishments for the previous calendar year. Progress reports and information are submitted online as a function of the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Coordinators report a range of information that characterizes the membership, funding, projects, and activities of their coalitions. They also document activities in their region related to the development of refueling/charging infrastructure, sales of alternative fuels; deployment of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs); idle reduction initiatives; fuel economy improvement activities; and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). NREL analyzes the data and translates them into petroleum-use and GHG emission reduction impacts, which are summarized in this report.
Authors: Johnson, C.; Singer, M.
PEV Workplace Charging Costs and Employee Use Fees
3/1/2016
On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Section 1413(c), which authorizes the General Services Administration to install, construct, operate, and maintain on a reimbursable basis, plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Energy requested that Idaho National Laboratory perform an analysis to estimate charging infrastructure and electricity costs that the federal government would incur. This analysis uses five different PEV charging infrastructure scenarios to provide 10-year total costs, cost per charge event, and cost per kilowatt hour to install and operate PEV charging infrastructure. The five charging infrastructure scenarios provide alternating current (AC) 110-Volt (V), AC 220-V, or direct current (DC) 440-V power from the grid to PEVs. While every electric vehicle charger installation is unique, the costs shown and discussed in this report, as well as the energy used and charge frequencies, are based on the largest research sample of charging infrastructure use in the United States.
Authors: Francfort, J.
Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Standards for 2014, 2015, and 2016 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2017; Final Rule
2/12/2016
Under section 211 of the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to set renewable fuel percentage standards every year. This action establishes the annual percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel that apply to all motor vehicle gasoline and diesel produced or imported in the years 2014, 2015, and 2016. The EPA is establishing a cellulosic biofuel volume for all three years that is below the applicable volume specified in the Act, and is also rescinding the cellulosic biofuel standard for 2011. Relying on statutory waiver authorities, the EPA is adjusting the applicable volumes of advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel for all three years. The 2016 standards are expected to spur further progress in overcoming current constraints in renewable fuel distribution infrastructure, which in turn is expected to lead to substantial growth over time in the production and use of renewable fuels. In this action, EPA is also establishing the applicable volume of biomass-based diesel for 2017. Finally, EPA is setting the compliance and attest reporting deadlines for the years 2013, 2014, and 2015, as well as finalizing regulatory amendments to clarify the scope of the existing algal biofuel pathway. This final rule is effective on February 12, 2016.
Clean Cities 2014 Annual Metrics Report
12/22/2015
Each year, the U.S. Department of Energy asks its Clean Cities program coordinators to submit annual reports of their activities and accomplishments for the previous calendar year. Data and information are submitted via an online database 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, deployment of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), idle-reduction (IR) initiatives, fuel economy activities, and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). NREL analyzes the data and translates them into petroleum-use reduction impacts, which are summarized in this 2014 Annual Metrics Report.
Authors: Johnson, C.; Singer, M.
