Publications

Needs Assessment for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Training in California

12/1/2013

This report details the availability of safety and technical training in alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) for emergency personnel and transportation fleet staff in California and provides recommendations to improve it. AFVs, such as hybrid, electric, natural gas and biofuel vehicles, offer air quality benefits and fuel cost savings, but also present safety and technical issues unique to their technologies. Federal, state and local government energy and environmental policies have lead California to be at the forefront of AFV deployment, so it is imperative that first responders and fleet technicians know how to handle fuels, fueling and emergencies without harm. Projections of AFV deployment in California show dramatic growth. Safety and technical training for AFV fleet staff and emergency personnel is essential as this transportation market grows in California.

Best Practices for Workplace Charging

9/1/2013

This document is a resource for employers and employees interested in launching a workplace charging program at their place of business.

Notes: This publication is copyrighted by Calstart and is accessed at on the Calstart publications page.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Handbook for Workplace Charging Hosts

8/1/2013

Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) have immense potential for increasing the country's energy, economic, and environmental security, and they will play a key role in the future of U.S. transportation. By providing PEV charging at the workplace, employers are perfectly positioned to contribute to and benefit from the electrification of transportation. This handbook answers basic questions about PEVs and charging equipment, helps employers assess whether to offer workplace charging for employees, and outlines important steps for implementation.

Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Different Light-Duty Vehicle and Fuel Pathways: A Synthesis of Recent Research

7/19/2013

Adopting a fleet of advanced vehicles powered by electricity, hydrogen, and advanced biofuels or petroleum products can yield a significant reduction in pollution and petroleum consumption. A meaningful assessment of the comparative merits of these alternate fuel pathways requires a solid understanding of their technological potential. Available studies evaluating full lifecycle pollution rely on various assumptions of that potential and yield a wide range of results. This brief summarizes and synthesizes the results of several recent studies and presents the full range of pollution estimates for each type of advanced vehicle and fuel. It also explains the reasons these estimates vary so widely and identifies opportunities for future analyses that use a consistent set of scenarios with transparent assumptions in order to compare the impacts of fuel and vehicle pathways.

Authors: Nigro, N.; Jiang, S.

A Tale of Renewed Cities: A Policy Guide on How to Transform Cities by Improving Energy Efficiency in Urban Transport Systems

7/9/2013

This report is part of the IEA Policy Pathway series and highlights lessons learned and examples of good practice from countries with experience implementing a wide range of measures to improve energy efficiency in urban transport systems.

Notes: This publication is copyrighted by the International Energy Agency and is accessed at www.iea.org.

Transportation Energy Futures Series: Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Expansion: Costs, Resources, Production Capacity, and Retail Availability for Low-Carbon Scenarios.

4/1/2013

This study examines expanding transportation fuel infrastructure to achieve pollution reductions, with an emphasis on fuel production facilities and retail components serving light-duty vehicles. Three distinct fuel supply scenarios are examined: Portfolio: Successful deployment of a range of advanced vehicle and fuel technologies; Combustion: Market dominance by hybridized internal combustion engine vehicles fueled by advanced biofuels and natural gas; Electrification: Market dominance by electric drive vehicles in the LDV sector, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles, that are fueled by electricity and hydrogen. A range of possible fuel demand outcomes are explored in terms of the scale and scope of infrastructure expansion requirements and evaluated based on fuel costs, energy resource utilization, fuel production infrastructure expansion, and retail infrastructure expansion for LDVs. This is one of a series of reports produced as a result of the Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) project, a Department of Energy-sponsored multi-agency project initiated to pinpoint underexplored transportation-related strategies.

Authors: Melaina, M. W.; Heath, G.; Sandor, D.; Steward, D.; Vimmerstedt, L.; Warner, E.; Webster, K. W.

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 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 pollution 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.

Transportation Energy Futures Series: Effects of the Built Environment on Transportation

3/1/2013

Planning initiatives in many regions and communities aim to reduce transportation energy use, improve air quality, and achieve related environmental benefits by changing land use. This report reviews and summarizes findings from existing literature on the relationship between the built environment and transportation energy use, identifying results trends as well as potential future actions. The indirect influence of federal transportation and housing policies, as well as the direct impact of municipal regulation on land use are examined for their effect on transportation patterns and energy use. The report concludes that policy-driven changes to the built environment could reduce transportation energy from less than 1% to as much as 10% by 2050, the equivalent of 16%-18% of present-day urban light-duty-vehicle travel. This is one of a series of reports produced as a result of the Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) project, a Department of Energy-sponsored multi-agency project initiated to pinpoint underexplored strategies for improving air quality and reducing petroleum dependence related to transportation.

Authors: Porter, C. D.; Brown, A.; Dunphy, R. T.; Vimmerstedt, L.

Transportation Energy Futures Series: Potential for Energy Efficiency Improvement Beyond the Light-Duty-Vehicle Sector

2/1/2013

Considerable research has focused on energy efficiency and fuel substitution options for light-duty vehicles, while much less attention has been given to medium- and heavy-duty trucks, buses, aircraft, marine vessels, trains, pipeline, and off-road equipment. This report brings together the salient findings from an extensive review of literature on future energy efficiency options for these non-light-duty modes. Projected activity increases to 2050 are combined with forecasts of overall fuel efficiency improvement potential to estimate the future total petroleum and pollution relative to current levels. This is one of a series of reports produced as a result of the Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) project, a Department of Energy-sponsored multi-agency project initiated to pinpoint underexplored strategies for abating pollution and reducing petroleum dependence related to transportation.

Authors: Vyas, A. D.; Patel, D. M.; Bertram, K. M.

Plug-in Electric Vehicle Action Tool

1/1/2013

The Plug-in Electric Vehicle Action Tool is the synthesis of 2 workshops as well as research conducted by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). The PEV Action Tool helps state departments of transportation determine their goals for plug-in electric vehicle deployment and to chart out a path for reaching those goals. The PEV Action Tool is also a resource for learning about plug-in electric vehicles and best practices from other state agencies. Although state departments of transportation are the primary audience, many of the suggested actions and resources in the tool are applicable to other public entities such as local governments and other state agencies.

Authors: Zhu, C.; Nigro, N.

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

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 are driving interest in alternatives. This report assesses the potential for reducing petroleum consumption and pollution 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), funding, or regulations will be necessary to overcome barriers such as cost and consumer choice.

Clean Cities 2011 Annual Metrics Report

12/1/2012

This annual report details the petroleum savings and vehicle pollution 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.