Publications

Electric Vehicle Standards – Grid Service Capabilities: Evaluation of IEEE 2030.13, SAE J3072, ISO 15118-2, ISO 15118-20, OCPP, IEC 61850-7-420, IEEE 2030.5, and OpenADR

7/14/2024

This report assesses various vehicle-grid-integration standards and evaluates each standard on its support for electric vehicles (EVs) to provide for or participate in distributed energy resource grid services. The report highlights challenges associated with the deployment of standards and offers context for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies and distributed energy resource (DER) strategies for EVs.

Authors: Francis K. Tuffner

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator: Fourth Quarter 2023

7/1/2024

Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure continues to rapidly change and grow. Using data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator, this report provides a snapshot of the state of EV charging infrastructure in the United States in the fourth calendar quarter of 2023 by charging level, network, and location. Additionally, this report measures the current state of charging infrastructure compared with a federal infrastructure requirement scenario. This information is intended to help transportation planners, policymakers, researchers, infrastructure developers, and others understand the rapidly changing landscape of EV charging infrastructure. This is the sixteenth report in a series.

Authors: Brown, A.; Cappellucci, J.; Heinrich, A.; Cost, E.

Advancing NEVI: Recommendations from State NEVI Funding Applicants

7/1/2024

This report from the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) offers guidance to future applicants to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding program. NASEO uses information gleaned from candid, in-depth interviews of first-round NEVI awardees to offer seven key recommendations for future NEVI program leads. These recommendations focus on various aspects of the NEVI award process, including how to enhance proposal quality, streamline application reviews, and accelerate the deployment of NEVI-funded stations. The recommendations also come paired with action items to help applicants get their proposals off the ground.

Pollutant Emissions from Light-Duty Vehicles Across North America: A Comparative Analysis

7/1/2024

Drawing on remote sensing data from the Real Urban Emissions Initiatives as well as the Clean Air Strategic Alliance’s ROVER III campaign, this report provides up-to-date vehicle emissions data for several pollutants (hydrocarbons [HC], carbon monoxide [CO], and nitrogen oxide [NO]) in Colorado, Virginia, Mexico City, and Alberta, Canada. The report compares data by vehicle category (i.e., light-duty vehicles, personal vehicles, and taxis), vehicle manufacturer, vehicle acceleration, and more. By providing emissions measurement information, such as the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure during which measurements were taken, the report offers insights into how different climatic conditions may affect vehicle emissions.

Authors: Kira O’Hare; Michelle Meyer; Yoann Bernard

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) State-of-Industry Report: State of SAF Production Process

7/1/2024

Because of their compatibility with existing fuel infrastructure and vehicle technologies, biofuels will be a critical component of decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors in the U.S. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will similarly be a changemaker in the aviation industry. This study examines the various SAF production pathways, provides an overview of the current state of the industry, and addresses challenges and hurdles facing the industry in order to proactively mitigate their impact.

Authors: Oscar Rosales Calderon, Ling Tao, Zia Abdullah, Kristi Moriarty, Sharon Smolinski

Powering Progress: Advancing Transportation Electrification in Rural Southeastern Communities

7/1/2024

This report follows up on a 2022 Electrification Coalition report, Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Rural Communities, in addressing common roadblocks to transportation electrification in the rural, Southeast U.S. by providing case study examples of how communities have overcome these challenges. As rural communities are particularly susceptible to the effects of oil-dominated transportation systems, examples of successful electrification pathways are critical to wide-reaching EV deployment.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) State-of-Industry Report: Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids Pathway

7/1/2024

This technical report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) details the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production process, with a particular focus on the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) pathway, which is currently the only commercially deployed SAF production pathway to produce a significant volume of fuel. The report outlines and evaluates the HEFA supply chain and identifies obstacles that could hinder future commercial production. While specific to SAF, this report may offer information relevant to the production of other liquid transportation fuels due to the more widely applicable nature of producing hydrocarbon fuels.

Authors: Oscar Rosales Calderon, Ling Tao, Zia Abdullah, Michael Talmadge, Anelia Milbrandt

Customer-Focused Key Performance Indicators for Electric Vehicle Charging

6/18/2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a rapidly growing portion of the light-duty vehicle market, but their sustained success is closely linked to the reliability and ease-of-use of public EV chargers. To mitigate issues such as long wait times, difficulties starting charging sessions, and slow charging speeds, this report recommends two sets of numerically defined key performance indicators (KPIs) based on customer pain points that will help streamline the transition to clean vehicles. These KPIs target the following: charger access, starting and completing a charge, and charger-related safety and comfort.

Authors: Casey Quinn; Sarah Cardinali; Jason Clifford; Kaleb Houck; Kristi Moriarty

Best Practices for EV Carsharing Programs

6/1/2024

Carsharing programs are common throughout the U.S., but few so far have focused on electric vehicles (EVs). Over the past six years, Forth Mobility has developed and trialed several EV carshare programs to identify and better understand the best practices and roadblocks to implementing these programs in underserved areas, such as in low-income and rural communities. This paper shares lessons learned by analyzing the following subject areas: revenue planning; site host, technology platform, and vehicle type selection; educational outreach; marketing strategies; and community organization partnerships.

Authors: Connor Herman

Physical Safety and Security at Electric Vehicle Charging Sites

6/1/2024

As electric vehicle (EV) demand grows, so does the need for more robust EV charger safety and security. EV charger host sites must work to uplift driver and passenger confidence by incorporating design elements that promote greater safety and security. This help sheet outlines various best practices for public EV chargers. While the help sheet indicates the higher monetary costs attributed to greater safety and security measures, it also clarifies the greater repeat customers rates that result from these improvements.

Navigating Options for Transportation Electrification and Solar Charging: Steps and Lessons Learned in Montana Communities

6/1/2024

Drawing on analysis and outreach in three Montana communities (Missoula, Bozeman, and Whitefish), this report provides guidance and best practices for other towns and cities across the country on how to effectively implement electric vehicle (EV) transportation options into their communities. The report incorporates logistical considerations—vehicle types, chargers, electricity generation—and useful strategies—effective stakeholder engagement, coordinating EV charging and renewable energy generation, and more—to cover the technological, economic, and environmental aspects of the transition to EVs.

Authors: Andrew Valainis; Kyla Maki; Chase Jones; Natalie Meyer; Amy Cilimburg

Battery Energy Storage for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

6/1/2024

This help sheet from the Department of Energy Joint Office of Energy and Transportation provides information on how battery energy storage systems can benefit electric vehicle (EV) fast charging infrastructure across the U.S. Specifically, the help sheet provides an overview of battery-buffered fast charging, as well its benefits, risks, and relevant use cases. The help sheet also provides guidance on how to begin implementing battery-buffered fast charging.

Grid-Constrained Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Sites: Battery-Buffered Options

6/1/2024

America’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network is growing quickly, but many rural regions across the country experience electrical grid restraints that complicate the EV charger build-out. Government agencies must still devise strategies for deploying chargers in these locations where electrical grid capacity is more limited. This technical assistance case study provides guidance on battery-buffered options for EV charging sites with limited grid capacity, including infrastructure solutions, project economics, energy specification methods, technical considerations, and other relevant strategies.

Solar Power + Electric Vehicle Charging: Capturing Synergies in Minnesota

6/1/2024

A suite of aggressive climate action legislation, including a series of solar development commitments, has contributed to Minnesota reducing the carbon intensity of its power sector by 29% over 2013 levels. However, the carbon footprint of each sector has not dropped equally. In 2018, the transportation sector overtook power generation as the leading emissions producer statewide. The same focus on solar energy—combined with electric vehicle (EV) use—offers a vital opportunity for Minnesota to decrease transportation emissions. The analysis in this report examines the underdeveloped synthesis between solar production and EV charging, presenting seven key findings paired with relevant recommendations to transform the market and decrease transportation-based emissions.

Authors: Brian Ross; Katelyn Bocklund; Matthew Prorok; Dane McFarlane; Abby Finis

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office Multi-Year Program Plan

5/31/2024

The Multi-Year Program Plan sets forth the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office's (HFTO's) mission, goals, and strategic approach relative to broader clean energy priorities of the U.S. Department of Energy. Aligned with the priorities in the U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, the Multi-Year Program Plan identifies the challenges that must be overcome to realize the full potential of clean hydrogen and fuel cells and explains how HFTO's research, development, and demonstration activities will help to overcome those challenges in the near-, mid-, and longer-term.