A Culture of Corporate Stewardship: Global Leader Encourages Sustainability
3/1/2013
From energy efficiency to longer-lasting materials and products, Pentair, a global leader in pool and spa innovation, is seeking new directions in corporate environmental stewardship. The company has adopted a sustainability culture supporting innovative solutions to today's environmental challenges. When approached by employees at Pentair's manufacturing facility in Sanford, N.C. with the idea of providing plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging stations for employee use, Pentair embraced the idea and demonstrated that employees, even those with longer-than-average commutes, could contribute to emissions reductions and decreased petroleum use through use of electric fuel.
Leadership in Technology and Research: Supporting Alternative Energy in an Academic Setting
3/1/2013
With petroleum prices maintaining historic heights and a growing emphasis for more fuel/energy efficient vehicles, the transportation industry is in need of new ideas and innovation. On North Carolina State University's Centennial Campus, where academia and research blend to foster future technology advances and change, plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are dynamically launching a new research platform as part of a living laboratory.
Consumer Convenience and the Availability of Retail Stations as a Market Barrier for Alternative Fuel Vehicles, Preprint
1/1/2013
The availability of retail stations can be a significant barrier to the adoption of alternative fuel light-duty vehicles in household markets. This is especially the case during early market growth when retail stations are likely to be sparse and when vehicles are dedicated in the sense that they can only be fuelled with a new alternative fuel. For some bi-fuel vehicles, which can also fuel with conventional gasoline or diesel, limited availability will not necessarily limit vehicle sales but can limit fuel use. The impact of limited availability on vehicle purchase decisions is largely a function of geographic coverage and consumer perception. In this paper we review previous attempts to quantify the value of availability and present results from two studies that rely upon distinct methodologies. The first study relies upon stated preference data from a discrete choice survey and the second relies upon a station clustering algorithm and a rational actor value of time framework. Results from the two studies provide an estimate of the discrepancy between stated preference cost penalties and a lower bound on potential revealed cost penalties.
Authors: Melaina, M. Bremson, J., Solo, K
Notes: Presented at the 31st USAEE/IAEE North American Conference, Austin, Texas, November 4-7, 2012
Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels
1/1/2013
For a century, almost all light-duty vehicles (LDVs) have been powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs) operating on petroleum fuels. Energy security concerns over petroleum imports and the effect of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions on global climate are driving interest in alternatives. This report assesses the potential for reducing petroleum consumption and GHG emissions by 80% across the U.S. LDV fleet by 2050, relative to 2005. It examines the current capability and estimated future performance and costs for each vehicle type and non-petroleum-based fuel technology as options that could significantly contribute to these goals. By analyzing scenarios that combine various fuel and vehicle pathways, the report also identifies barriers to implementation of these technologies and suggests policies to achieve the desired reductions. Several scenarios are promising, but strong, effective, and sustained but adaptive policies such as research and development (R&D), subsidies, energy taxes, or regulations will be necessary to overcome barriers such as cost and consumer choice.
Overcoming Barriers to Electric-Vehicle Deployment: Interim Report (2013)
1/1/2013
This interim report by the Committee on Overcoming Barriers to Electric-Vehicle Deployment, was commissioned by the Department of Energy at the request of Congress to address market barriers to adoption of electric vehicles. The report focuses on near-term options, and specifically addresses infrastructure needs for electric vehicles; barriers to deploying the infrastructure; and possible roles of the federal government in overcoming the barriers. It also begins an initial discussion of the pros and cons of the possible roles.
Notes: This document is copyrighted by The National Academies Press. It can be located on their website
Model Year 2013: Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles
12/13/2012
The fact sheet details the model, vehicle type, emission class, transmission type/speeds, engine size, and fuel economy of a variety of flexible fuel vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, all-electric, and extended range electric vehicles, as well as CNG vehicles.
Clean Cities 2011 Annual Metrics Report
12/1/2012
This annual report details the petroleum savings and vehicle emissions reductions achieved by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program in 2011. The report also details other performance metrics, including the number of stakeholders in Clean Cities coalitions, outreach activities by coalitions and national laboratories, and alternative fuel vehicles deployed.
Authors: Johnson, C.
Harmonization of Road Signs for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
11/1/2012
This report details the state-of-play for international road signage for EVs, including the background and status of the creation of international on-road signage for electric vehicle charging stations at the United Nations where international legal recognition of signage is regulated.
The Car of the Future, Today
11/1/2012
Plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) have the potential to be a cleaner, more sustainable option for personal travel than conventional vehicles. But market penetration will take time.
Over the next few years, nearly all major automakers plan to put PEVs on the road. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates PEV production levels to be more than 1.2 million total through 2015. However, actual production and market penetration depend on many variables, including improvements in PEV battery technology, vehicle cost, the price of conventional fuels, and consumer behavior. This article discusses these challenges and what is being done at the Federal and State levels to overcome them.
Authors: Turchetta, D.
Notes: This article appears in the Federal Highway Administration's bimonthly magazine: Public Roads, November/December 2012, Vol. 76, No. 3
Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States' Gasoline Price Vulnerability and Solutions For Change
11/1/2012
This is the sixth edition of this report, updating the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 research by David Gardiner & Associates (DGA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) identifying the states whose citizens feel the greatest economic pain from gasoline prices--and the states that are doing the most to break their addiction to oil.
Authors: Grossman, D.; Lovaas, D.
Notes: This copyrighted publication is available on the Natural Resources Defense Council's website.
Clean Cities 2010 Annual Metrics Report
10/1/2012
Each year, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) asks Clean Cities coordinators to submit an annual report of their activities and accomplishments for the previous calendar year. Data and information are submitted to an online database that is maintained as part of the Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Coordinators submit a range of data that characterizes 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 initiatives, fuel economy activities, and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). NREL analyzes the data and translates them into gasoline use reduction impacts, which are summarized in this report.
Authors: Johnson, C.
Plug-In Electric Vehicle Deployment in the Northeast; A Market Overview and Literature Review
9/1/2012
Electric vehicles have the potential to decrease our nation's dependence on oil and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. In an effort to stimulate economic growth, decrease the United States' dependence on oil, and lessen the operating cost of personal transportation, the federal government issued a final rule in 2012 requiring new cars to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. This goal is ambitious and will be difficult to accomplish without significant numbers of alternative fuel vehicles. Several alternative fuels are currently available, but electric vehicles (EVs) are emerging as the predominant alternative for passenger vehicles. While EVs are hitting the market and offer numerous advantages, such as zero tailpipe emissions, lower fuel costs, and the convenience of filling up at home, a number of barriers stand in the way of wide-scale EV deployment.
This literature review, prepared by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, provides an overview of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) deployment in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. The report assesses current electric vehicle and electric vehicle charging station technology, looks at the state of PEV markets, reviews the benefits of PEV deployment, and identifies the barriers and challenges to PEVs in gaining market acceptance. The literature review is intended to serve as a resource for consumers and policy makers who seek to better understand the nature of electric vehicle deployment in this region and related challenges.
Authors: Zhu, C.; Nigro, N.
California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Owner Survey
8/1/2012
In the first half of 2012, the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), in coordination with the California Air Resources Board (ARB), conducted the largest plug-in electric vehicle owner survey in the state's history. Reaching out to more than 2,500 California plug-in electric vehicle owners, CCSE received data from 1,419 unique respondents who provided information on vehicle use, charging behavior, access to public and residential charging infrastructure, fueling costs and household demographics. The data collected by CCSE, in support of the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project highlights California's commitment to promoting clean transportation solutions that improve urban air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer the state's consumers viable alternatives to conventional gasoline vehicles. The results of the statewide CCSE and ARB survey confirm the early market success as well as the considerable consumer and environmental benefits of electrified vehicles.
Coca-Cola Refreshments Class 8 Diesel Electric Hybrid Tractor Evaluation: 13-Month Final Report.
8/1/2012
This 13-month evaluation used five Kenworth T370 hybrid tractors and five Freightliner M2106 standard diesel tractors at a Coca Cola Refreshments facility in Miami, Florida. The primary objective was to evaluate the fuel economy, emissions, and operational field performance of hybrid electric vehicles when compared to similar-use conventional diesel vehicles. A random dispatch system ensures the vehicles are used in a similar manner. GPS logging, fueling, and maintenance records and laboratory dynamometer testing are used to evaluate the performance of these hybrid tractors. Both groups drive similar duty cycles with similar kinetic intensity (0.95 vs. 0.69), average speed (20.6 vs. 24.3 mph), and stops per mile (1.9 vs. 1.5). The study demonstrated the hybrid group had a 13.7% fuel economy improvement over the diesel group. Laboratory fuel economy and field fuel economy study showed similar trends along the range of KI and stops per mile. Hybrid maintenance costs were 51% lower per mile; hybrid fuel costs per mile were 12% less than for the diesels; and hybrid vehicle total cost of operation per mile was 24% less than the cost of operation for the diesel group.
Authors: Walkowicz, K.; Lammert, M.; Curran, P.