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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.
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.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, April 2019
5/30/2019
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for April 2019 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, 2019 and April 15, 2019, 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 49 cents from $2.27 to $2.76; diesel increased 11 cents from $2.98 to $3.09; CNG increased 3 cents from $2.19 to $2.22; ethanol (E85) increased 32 cents from $1.99 to $2.31; propane decreased 1 cent from $2.91 to $2.90; and biodiesel (B20) increased 8 cents from $2.80 to $2.88.
According to Table 3, CNG is $.54 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is $0.24 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Bourbon, E.
Foothill Transit Agency Battery Electric Bus Progress Report, Data Period Focus: Jul. 2018 through Dec. 2018
5/28/2019
This report summarizes results of a battery electric bus (BEB) evaluation at Foothill Transit, located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles. Foothill Transit is collaborating with the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the buses in revenue service. The focus of this evaluation is to compare the performance and the operating costs of the BEBs to that of conventional technology buses and to track progress over time. Previous reports documented results from April 2014 through June 2018. This report extends the data analysis through the end of 2018. The data period focus of this report is July 2018-December 2018. NREL plans to publish progress reports on the Foothill Transit fleet every 6 months through 2020.
Authors: Eudy, L.; Jeffers, M.
Impact of Time-Varying Passenger Loading on Conventional and Electrified Transit Bus Energy Consumption
5/24/2019
Transit bus passenger loading changes significantly over the course of a workday. Therefore, time-varying vehicle mass as a result of passenger load becomes an important factor in instantaneous energy consumption. Battery-powered electric transit buses have restricted range and longer 'fueling' time compared with conventional diesel-powered buses; thus, it is critical to know how much energy they require. Our previous work has shown that instantaneous transit bus mass can be obtained by measuring the pressure in the vehicle's airbag suspension system. This paper leverages this novel technique to determine the impact of time-varying mass on energy consumption. Sixty-five days of velocity and mass data were collected from in-use transit buses operating on routes in the Twin Cities, MN metropolitan area. The simulation tool Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator was modified to allow both velocity and mass as time-dependent inputs. This tool was then used to model an electrified and conventional bus on the same routes and determine the energy use of each bus. Results showed that the kinetic intensity varied from 0.27 to 4.69 mi-1 and passenger loading ranged from 2 to 21 passengers. Simulation results showed that energy consumption for both buses increased with increasing vehicle mass. The simulation also indicated that passenger loading has a greater impact on energy consumption for conventional buses than for electric buses owing to the electric bus's ability to recapture energy. This work shows that measuring and analyzing real-time passenger loading is advantageous for determining the energy used by electric and conventional diesel buses.
Authors: Liu; L.; Kotz, A.; Salapaka, A.; Miller, E.; Northrop, W.F.
Preparing Our Communities for EVs: Facilitating Deployment of DC Fast Chargers
5/23/2019
To close the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) gap and keep pace with increasing demand, states identified streamlining permitting for EVSE as a high priority in the Multi-State Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan and the Northeast Corridor Regional Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. Because local municipal and county governments are the authorities having jurisdiction over permitting charging stations, the purpose of this document is to present information about plug-in electric vehicles, EVSE, and common issues that arise when permitting direct current fast charging stations.
Authors: O'Grady, E.; Way, J.
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.
Utilities and Electric Vehicles: The Case for Managed Charging
5/9/2019
Electric vehicles (EVs) are quickly becoming one of the largest flexible loads on the grid in certain parts of the United States. While most industry analysts see EVs as a boon for utilities, load management risks could be an issue. Managed charging allows a utility or third-party to remotely control vehicle charging by turning it up, down, or even off to better correspond to the needs of the grid, much like traditional demand response programs. This research report provides a wide-lens overview of the managed charging ecosystem, including examples of utility programs, a list of vehicle-grid integration and connected-car platform providers, a list of compatible electric vehicle supply equipment, and examples of automotive industry activities.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed through Smart Electric Power Alliance's website.
Integrating Shared Mobility into Multimodal Transportation Planning: Metropolitan Area Case Studies
5/1/2019
New shared mobility services have become increasingly common and transportation agencies are beginning to integrate them into regional planning processes. This report provides three case studies of how metropolitan planning organizations and their regional partners are integrating shared mobility into regional multimodal transportation planning. The Boston, Massachusetts, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and San Francisco Bay metropolitan areas are featured.
Authors: McCoy, Kevin; Glynn, Russell; Lyons, William; Andrew, James
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.
Energy Implications of Current Travel and the Adoption of Automated Vehicles
4/29/2019
Current travel patterns and energy usage could be dramatically disrupted by new vehicle technologies, specifically in the case of automated vehicle (AV) technology. AV adoption could have a wide range of potential energy implications, depending on their usage and the efficiency of the AVs. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory conducted a survey to better understand which groups of people will likely adopt AV technology first, how respondents currently travel, and how respondents may change their travel patterns if AVs are widely adopted. Findings from this study are intended to provide an additional resource for model projections used by researchers to understand how transportation innovations may affect travel behaviors in the coming decades.
Authors: Fleming, K.; Singer, M.
Electricity Rates for Electric Vehicle Direct Current Fast Charging in the United States
4/26/2019
This report assesses the electricity cost for different scenarios of direct current (DC) fast charger station size and use, based on over 7,500 commercial and industrial electricity rates available for 2017 across the United States. Results show that the cost of electricity for DC fast chargers varies dramatically, ranging from less than $0.10 to over $2 per kilowatt-hour, depending on station design and high uncertainty in use. It explores the cost drivers for low- and high-utilization stations.
Authors: Muratori, M.; Kontou, E.; Eichman, J.
Notes: This Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews article (Vol. 113 (October 2019): pp. 415-426) is copyrighted by Elsevier B.V. and only available by accessing it through Science Direct.
Feasibility Analysis of Taxi Fleet Electrification using 4.9 Million Miles of Real-World Driving Data; SAE Paper No. 2019-01-0392
4/2/2019
Ride hailing activity is rapidly increasing, largely due to the growth of transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft. However, traditional taxi companies continue to represent an important mobility option for travelers. Columbus Yellow Cab, a taxi company in Columbus, Ohio, offers traditional line-of-sight hailing as well as digital hailing through a mobile app. Data from Columbus Yellow Cab was provided to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to analyze the potential for taxi electrification. Columbus Yellow Cab data contained information describing both global positioning system trajectories and taxi meter information. The data spanned a period of 13 months, containing approximately 70 million global system positioning system points, 840 thousand trips, and 170 unique vehicles. A variety of scenarios were evaluated using Columbus Yellow Cab data and the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projection Tool (EVI-Pro) to understand challenges and opportunities associated with operating an electrified taxi fleet. Two main factors-access to home charging and vehicle specifications-are shown to be major variables affecting successful electric fleet operation. The analysis indicates that 95.7% of taxi travel days can be successfully completed by a 250-mile-range electric vehicle assuming access to overnight and public charging infrastructure. However, when no overnight access is available to fleet vehicles, only 39.9% of taxi travel days are possible with 250-mile range electric vehicles. An additional scenario, reducing the vehicle range from 250 miles to 100 miles (while controlling for infrastructure access and permitting overnight charging) resulted in only 34.4% of taxi travel days being completed.
Authors: Moniot, M.; Rames, C.; Burrell, E.
Screening of Potential Biomass-Derived Streams as Fuel Blendstocks for Mixing Controlled Compression Ignition Combustion; SAE Technical Paper No. 2019-01-0570
4/2/2019
Mixing controlled compression ignition, i.e., diesel engines are efficient and are likely to continue to be the primary means for movement of goods for many years. Low-net-carbon biofuels have the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of diesel combustion and could have advantageous properties for combustion, such as high cetane number and reduced engine-out particle and NOx emissions. We developed a list of over 400 potential biomass-derived diesel blendstocks and populated a database with the properties and characteristics of these materials. Fuel properties were determined by measurement, model prediction, or literature review. Screening criteria were developed to determine if a blendstock met the basic requirements for handling in the diesel distribution system and use as a blend with conventional diesel. Criteria included cetane number =40, flashpoint =52 degrees C, and boiling point or T90 =338 degrees C. Blendstocks needed to be soluble in diesel fuel, have a toxicity no worse than conventional diesel, not be corrosive, and be compatible with fuel system elastomers. Additionally, cloud point or freezing point below 0 degrees C was required. Screening based on blendstock properties produced a list of 12 that were available as fuels or reagent chemicals or could be synthesized by biofuels production researchers. This group included alkanes, alcohols, esters, and ethers. These candidates were further examined for their impact fuel properties upon blending with a conventional diesel fuel. Blend properties included cetane number, lubricity, conductivity, oxidation stability, and viscosity. Results indicate that all 12 candidates can meet the basic requirements for diesel fuel blending, although in some cases would require additive treatment to meet requirements for lubricity, conductivity, and oxidation stability.
Authors: Fioroni, G.; Fouts, L.; Luecke, J.; Vardon, D.; Huq, N.; Christensen, E.; Huo, X.; Alleman, T.; McCormick, R.; Kass, M.; Polikarpov, E.; Kukkadapu, G.; Whitesides, R.A.
Update on electric vehicle costs in the United States through 2030
4/1/2019
This working paper assesses battery electric vehicle (EV) costs from 2020 through 2030, collecting the best battery pack and EV component cost data available through 2018. The assessment also analyzes the anticipated timing for price parity for representative EVs, crossovers, and sport utility vehicles compared to their conventional gasoline counterparts in the U.S. light-duty vehicle market.
Authors: Lutsey, N.; Nicholas, M.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be downloaded from the International Council on clean Transportation website.
