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SMART Mobility Urban Science Capstone Report
7/23/2020
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Systems and Modeling for Accelerated Research in Transportation (SMART) Mobility Consortium is a multiyear, multi-laboratory collaborative, managed by the Energy Efficient Mobility Systems Program of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office, dedicated to further understanding the energy implications and opportunities of advanced mobility technologies and services. The first three-year research phase of SMART Mobility occurred from 2017 through 2019 and included five research pillars: Connected and Automated Vehicles, Mobility Decision Science, Multi-Modal Freight, Urban Science, and Advanced Fueling Infrastructure. A sixth research thrust integrated aspects of all five pillars to develop a SMART Mobility Modeling Workflow to evaluate new transportation technologies and services at scale.
This report summarizes the work of the Urban Science Pillar. The Urban Science Pillar focuses on maximum-mobility and minimum-energy opportunities associated with emerging transportation and transportation-related technologies specifically within the urban context. Such technologies, often referred to as automated, connected, efficient (or electrified), and shared, have the potential to greatly improve mobility and related quality of life in urban areas.
Authors: Sperling, J.; Duvall, A.; Beck, J.; Henao, A.; Garikapti, V.; Hou, Y.; Romero-Lankao, P.; Wenzel, T.; Waddell, P.; Aziz, H.; Wang, H.; Young, S.
SMART Mobility Advanced Fueling Infrastructure Capstone Report
7/22/2020
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Systems and Modeling for Accelerated Research in Transportation (SMART) Mobility Consortium is a multiyear, multi-laboratory collaborative, managed by the Energy Efficient Mobility Systems Program of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office, dedicated to further understanding the energy implications and opportunities of advanced mobility technologies and services. The first three-year research phase of SMART Mobility occurred from 2017 through 2019 and included five research pillars: Connected and Automated Vehicles, Mobility Decision Science, Multi-Modal Freight, Urban Science, and Advanced Fueling Infrastructure. A sixth research thrust integrated aspects of all five pillars to develop a SMART Mobility Modeling Workflow to evaluate new transportation technologies and services at scale.
This report summarizes the work of the Advanced Fueling Infrastructure Pillar. This Pillar investigated the charging infrastructure needs of electric ride-hailing and car-sharing vehicles, automated shuttle buses, and freight-delivery truck fleets.
Authors: Smart, J.; Bi, J.; Birky, A.; Borlaug, B.; Burrell, E.; Kontou, E.; Lee, D.; Lipman, T.; Meintz, A.; Miller, E.; Mohamed, A.; Moniot, M.; Moore, A.; Motoaki, Y.; Needell Z.; Onar, O.; Rames, C.; Reinicke, N.; Roni, M.; Salisbury, S.; Sheppard, C.; Toba, A.; Walker, V.; Weigl, D.; Wood, E.; Xie, F.; Yi, Z.; Zeng T.; Zhang, H.; Zhou, Y.; Zhou, Z.
SMART Mobility Connected and Automated Vehicles Capstone Report
7/22/2020
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Systems and Modeling for Accelerated Research in Transportation (SMART) Mobility Consortium is a multiyear, multi-laboratory collaborative, managed by the Energy Efficient Mobility Systems Program of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office, dedicated to further understanding the energy implications and opportunities of advanced mobility technologies and services. The first three-year research phase of SMART Mobility occurred from 2017 through 2019 and included five research pillars: Connected and Automated Vehicles, Mobility Decision Science, Multi-Modal Freight, Urban Science, and Advanced Fueling Infrastructure. A sixth research thrust integrated aspects of all five pillars to develop a SMART Mobility Modeling Workflow to evaluate new transportation technologies and services at scale.
This report summarizes the work of the Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) Pillar. This Pillar investigated the energy, technology, and usage implications of vehicle connectivity and automation and identified efficient CAV solutions.
Authors: Rask,E.; Auld, J.; Bush, B.; Chen,Y.; Freyermuth, V.; Gohlke, D.; Gonder, J.; Greenblatt, J.; Han, J.; Holden, J.; Islam, E.; Javanmardi, M.; Jeong, J.; Karbowski, D.; Kim, N.; Lammert, M.; Leiby, P.; Lin, Z.; Lu, X.; Mohammadian, K.; Parsa, A.; Rios-Torres, J.; Rousseau, A.; Shabanpour, R.; Shladover, S.; Shen, D.; Shirk, M.; Stephens, T.; Sun, B.; Verbas, O.; Zhang, C.
Levelized Cost of Charging Electric Vehicles in the United States
7/15/2020
The cost to charge an electric vehicle (EV) varies depending on the price of electricity at different charging sites (home, workplace, or public), vehicle use, region, and time of day, and for different charging power levels and equipment and installation costs. This paper provides a detailed assessment of the 2019 levelized cost of light-duty PEV charging in the United States, considering the purchase and installation costs of charging equipment and electricity prices from real-world utility tariffs.
Authors: Borlaug, B.; Salisbury, S.; Gerdes, M.; Muratori, M.
Notes:
This Joule article (Vol. 4, Issue 7, (July 2020): pp. 1470-1485) is copyrighted by Elsevier Inc. and can be accessed through Science Direct.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, July 2020
7/14/2020
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for July 2020 is a quarterly report on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue describes prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between July 1, 2020 and July 15, 2020, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 2 reports that the nationwide average price (all amounts are per gallon) for regular gasoline has increased 31 cents from $1.91 to $2.22; diesel decreased 13 cents from $2.61 to $2.48; CNG decreased 4 cents from $2.19 to $2.15; ethanol (E85) increased 24 cents from $1.75 to $1.99; propane increased 1 cent from $2.73 to $2.74; and biodiesel (B20) decreased 1 cent from $2.36 to $2.35.
According to Table 3, CNG is $0.07 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is $0.36 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Bourbon, E.
Plug-In Electric Vehicle Showcases: Consumer Experience and Acceptance
7/2/2020
In 2016 the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) announced three awardees to hold plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) showcases to demonstrate available technologies and provide a hands-on consumer experience at conveniently located, brand-neutral settings. The events varied in style from long term stationary storefront settings to weekend events at a variety of regional venues. Attendees could interact with the technology through ride-and-drives and longer-term test drives. The events began in the spring of 2017 and continued through 2019.
Authors: Singer, M.
An Overview of Renewable Natural Gas from Biogas
7/1/2020
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed this document to provide biogas stakeholders and other interested parties with a resource to promote and potentially assist in the development of renewable natural gas (RNG) projects. This document summarizes existing RNG operational projects in the United States and the potential for growth from the main sources of biogas feedstock. This document provides technical information on how raw biogas is upgraded into RNG and ultimately delivered and used by consumers. The document also addresses barriers, policies and incentives related to RNG project development.
Electric Vehicles at Scale - Phase I Analysis: High Electric Vehicle Adoption Impacts on the Western U.S. Power Grid
7/1/2020
The use of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in the United States has grown significantly during the last decade. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory performed a study on how PEVs at scale affect the electric grid as an aggregated new load. The Phase I study focused on the bulk power electricity impacts on the Western grid. This analysis addresses the following two key questions: 1) Are there sufficient resources in the U.S. bulk power grid to provide the electricity for charging a growing PEV fleet? and 2) What are the likely operational changes necessary to accommodate a growing PEV fleet?
Authors: Kintner-Meyer, M.; Davis, S.; Sridhar, S.; Bhatnagar, D.; Mahserejian, S.; Ghosal, M.
Financial Analysis of Battery Electric Transit Buses
6/10/2020
A baseline bus fleet and battery electric bus investment scenario was developed based on the average or common parameters of existing battery electric bus (BEB) fleets. A discounted cashflow analysis was done that found the baseline fleet to have a net present value of $785,000 and simple payback of 3.3 years. The 33 main parameters were then swung ±50% to determine their relative influence on NPV and were ranked accordingly. Then parameter volatility was estimated by dividing the range of observed values by the baseline value. The parameters that are most influential and volatile were highlighted as the ones fleet managers should focus on when determining if BEBs are a good investment option for them. These top parameters are 1) BEB purchase price, 2) purchase price of foregone diesel bus, 3) grant amount, 4) maintenance costs of foregone diesel bus, 5) annual vehicle miles traveled.
Authors: Johnson, C.; Nobler, E.; Eudy, L.; Jeffers, M.
West Coast Clean Transit Corridor Initiative
6/1/2020
Electric utility companies in the West Coast states of California, Oregon, and Washington have conducted the West Coast Clean Transit Corridor Initiative (WCCTCI) study to assess the charging infrastructure medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks will need as they travel along the approximately 1,300-mile-long Interstate 5 (I-5) corridor and interconnecting highways. This report documents the study findings, and provides background information on regulations, policies, and programs pertaining to vehicle electrification efforts, trends in the electric truck market, and truck traffic volumes and trucking facilities along I-5. The lessons learned from the WCCTCI can be applied to other regions and routes across the rest of the nation.
The Automated Mobility District Implementation Catalog – Insights from Ten Early-Stage Deployments
6/1/2020
Major disruptive technologies are set to redefine the way in which people view travel, particularly in dense urban areas. Already, ride-hailing services have redefined mobility expectations of a new generation of urban dwellers in some places around the country. Over the next few decades, the proliferation of automated vehicles1 (AVs), will be enhanced by the next generation of shared mobility. This combination of AV operations with on-demand service will provide convenience of mobility similar to that being exhibited in today’s transportation networking companies (TNCs). Shared, automated, public mobility resulting from the cross- hybridization of AVs with on-demand mobility service will bring economic and system efficiencies. Economic efficiencies may be realized by less vehicle ownership and more vehicle “usership.” Many companies are already exploring avenues for shared automated mobility through fleet operations as the wave of the future.
Authors: Young, S.; Lott J. S.
Assessment of Light-Duty Plug-In Electric Vehicles in the United States, 2010-2019
6/1/2020
This report examines properties of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) sold in the United States from 2010 to 2019, exploring vehicle sales, miles driven, electricity consumption, petroleum reduction, vehicle manufacturing, and battery production, among other factors. Over 1.4 million PEVs have been sold, driving over 37 billion miles on electricity since 2010, thereby reducing national gasoline consumption by 0.34% in 2019 and 1.4 billion gallons cumulatively through 2019. In 2019, PEVs used 4.1 terawatt-hours of electricity to drive 12.7 billion miles, offsetting 470 million gallons of gasoline. Since 2010, 69% of all PEVs have been assembled in the United States, and over 60 gigawatt-hours of lithium-ion batteries have been installed in vehicles to date.
Authors: Gohlke, D.; Zhou, Y.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, April 2020
5/27/2020
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for April 2020 is a quarterly report on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue describes prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between April 1, 2020 and April 15, 2020, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 2 reports that the nationwide average price (all amounts are per gallon) for regular gasoline has decreased 68 cents from $2.59 to $1.91; diesel decreased 44 cents from $3.05 to $2.61; CNG increased 1 cent from $2.18 to $2.19; ethanol (E85) decreased 53 cents from $2.28 to $1.75; propane decreased 6 cents from $2.79 to $2.73; and biodiesel (B20) decreased 53 cents from $2.89 to $2.36.
According to Table 3, CNG is $0.28 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is $0.37 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Bourbon, E.
Jamaican Domestic Ethanol Fuel Feasibility and Benefits Analysis
5/21/2020
The Government of Jamaica asked the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to determine if the use of domestically produced ethanol motor fuel could help them achieve their goals to develop its economy and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The first step was to determine how much ethanol could be used by Jamaican vehicles in blends of 10% (E10- current blend level), 15% (E15), or 25% (E25). All blend levels are feasible and are being used or pursued in multiple countries. Building on projections made by the Johnson et al. (2019) business as usual scenario, the quantity of ethanol to be used in 2030 ranges from 84 million liters in E10 to 209 million liters in E25. All blend levels are assumed to achieve the same volumetric fuel economy because of verified efficiency improvements enabled by increased octane levels.The next step of the analysis was a resource assessment, which found sugarcane to be the most viable source of domestic ethanol for the 2030 timeframe. A theoretical maximum was set at 288 million L/year of sugarcane ethanol under a scenario where the amount of land devoted to sugarcane is returned to its 1960s levels of 60,000 ha and productivity is maximized at 4,800L/ha/yr. Numerous scenarios were run that achieved the needed quantities of ethanol by increasing the hectarage of sugarcane production or the yield from current levels. This theoretical maximum allows for all goal quantities of ethanol to be achieved. Scenarios were laid out whereby required ethanol is produced by hectares of land and yield that Jamaica has achieved in previous years and domestic sugar needs are still met. A GHG impact assessment was then performed for utilizing domestic cane ethanol at the prescribed blend levels. To do this, the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model was used to perform a lifecycle assessment.
Authors: Johnson, C.; Milbrandt, A.; Zhang, Y.; Hardison, R.; Sharpe, A.
