Loading...
Techno-Economic, Feasibility, and Life Cycle Analysis of Renewable Propane: Final Report
10/1/2022
The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) has engaged with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop information that is critical to understanding the current and future landscape for renewable propane (RP) and the value proposition for recovery of RP from existing and planned HEFA biorefineries. In summary the following outcomes are identified from this study: (1) production of incremental RP by increasing the severity of the hydroisomerization step is insignificant to the overall propane yield from a HEFA biorefinery, however production of renewable butane (or LPG2) is quite significant thus suggesting alternate strategies for valorizing these fractions; (2) the value proposition for recovering RP and renewable LPG is quite strong, with capital recovery payback periods of 14 months for a small biorefinery producing 3.5 million gallons per year RP to as short as 2 months for a large biorefinery producing 87 million gallons per year RP. Paybacks for renewable LPG are as much as 50% shorter; and (3) current and projected expansions of renewable diesel will greatly expand the potential availability of RP as a by-product. Several promising new pathways are under development but will not significantly increase production of RP for the next decade.
Authors: Robert M. Baldwin, Mark R. Nimlos, and Yimin Zhang
2022 Annual Evaluation of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Deployment and Hydrogen Fuel Station Network Development
9/1/2022
California's Assembly Bill 8 requires the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to assess the size of the current and future fuel cell electric vehicle fleet annually, based on vehicle registrations with the Department of Motor Vehicles, auto manufacturer responses to ARB surveys of projected future sales, and current and future hydrogen fuel station locations and capacity. This information informs the state’s decisions for future funding of hydrogen fuel stations, including the number and location of stations as well as minimum technical requirements for those stations.
U.S. DRIVE 2021 Highlights of Technical Accomplishments
5/16/2022
The U.S. DRIVE (Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability) 2021 Highlights of Technical Accomplishments report summarizes key technical accomplishments in the development of advanced automotive and related energy infrastructure technologies achieved in 2021 by the U.S. DRIVE partnership. Each one-page summary represents what Partnership experts collectively consider to be significant progress in the development of advanced automotive and infrastructure technologies.
H2@Scale Program Multi-Party Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: California Hydrogen Infrastructure Research Consortium Task
5/2/2022
Many stakeholders are working on hydrogen and fuel cell products, markets, requirements, mandates, and policies. California has been leading the way for hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell electric vehicle deployment. The advancements in California have identified many lessons learned for hydrogen infrastructure development, deployment, and operation. Other interested states and countries are using California’s experience as a model case, making success in California paramount to enabling market acceleration and uptake in the United States. To assist California in decisions and evaluations, as well as to verify solutions to problems impacting the industry, a hydrogen research consortium of California agency partners and national laboratories was organized. This report describes the work performed as part of this consortium between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and California agency partners and the task outcomes. The tasks included hydrogen station data analysis, insights into medium and heavy-duty vehicles running on hydrogen, hydrogen contaminant detectors for use at hydrogen refueling stations, hydrogen nozzle freeze lock evaluation, hydrogen topics for integration into the California energy management strategy, and a technical assistance project that analyzed liquid hydrogen modeling for a hydrogen station capacity tool.
Authors: Sprik, S.; Buttner, W.; Koleva, M.; Onorato, S.; Peters, M.; Saur, G.
2021 Zero Emission Vehicle Market Study: Volume 2: Intra-California Regions Defined by Air Districts
4/14/2022
California set a goal to transition new light-duty vehicle sales to 100% zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035. To assist California and the other ZEV states to monitor and manage the success of policies promoting ZEVs and ZEV fueling infrastructure deployment, this research assesses car-owning households’ responses to these new technology vehicles and new fueling behaviors. This report assesses the readiness of household consumers in California to support state goals, i.e., as goals become more ambitious and requirements on manufacturers increase, are more car-owning households poised to become ZEV buyers? The analysis explores differences within California, based on boundaries of air quality districts. This study question is addressed via comparison of two large sample surveys of car-owning households. These surveys were completed in first calendar quarters of 2019 and 2021. Both questionnaires measure consumer awareness, knowledge, assessments, and consideration of ZEVs. Note:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the eScholarship website.
Authors: Kurani, K.
Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 40
2/1/2022
The Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 40 is a statistical compendium prepared and published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office. Designed for use as a desk-top reference, the Data Book represents an assembly and display of statistics and information that characterize transportation activity, and presents data on other factors that influence transportation energy use. The purpose of this document is to present relevant statistical data in the form of tables and graphs. The latest edition of the Data Book is available via the Internet (tedb.ornl.gov).
Authors: Davis, S.C.; Boundy, R.G.
A Meta-Study of Purchase Costs for Zero-Emission Trucks
2/1/2022
This study reviews recent literature on current and projected battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell tractor truck costs. In addition, this study provides information about the costs of key components for zero-emission trucks, including the battery pack, motor, and energy storage systems. Note: This copyrighted publication can be accessed through the International Council on Clean Transportation website.
Authors: Sharpe, B.; Basma, H.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the International Council on Clean Transportation's website.
Transit Vehicle Innovation Deployment Centers Advisory Panel Overview and Conclusions
1/3/2022
The Transit Vehicle Innovation Deployment Centers (TVIDC) program was funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration to research the advancement, production, and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies and infrastructure within the public transportation sector. The TVIDC program assembled the Transit Vehicle Innovation Deployment Advisory Panel to meet and develop suggested solutions to the challenges of continued innovation, development, and adoption of zero-emission transit technologies. This report is a summary of the panel’s suggested solutions and activities.
Clean Cities Coalitions 2020 Activity Report
12/29/2021
Clean Cities coalition activities resulted in an EUI of nearly 1 billion GGE, comprised of net alternative fuels used and energy savings from efficiency projects, in 2020. Clean Cities coalition and stakeholder participation in vehicle and infrastructure development projects remained strong, although transportation activity and resulting EUI decreased in 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Coalition-reported activities prevented nearly 5 million carbon dioxide-equivalent tons of emissions (only GHG emissions are reported here; criteria pollutants and other emissions are not included in this report). The GHG benefits increased in 2020 despite a decrease in EUI because coalitions focused more on technologies with higher GHG benefits per GGE reduced and because the lifecycle of many alternative fuels such as electricity or biofuels is becoming less carbon intense. Coalitions were successful in securing project grant awards from numerous outside (non-DOE) sources. The 90 project grant awards in 2020 generated $151 million in funds from coalition members and project partners in addition to $12.8 million in DOE grant funds. Coalitions also collected $1.1 million in stakeholder dues and $3.1 million in operational funds from host organizations. In macro terms, this non-DOE supplemental funding represents a 4:1 leveraging of the $38 million that was included in the VTO Technology Integration budget in 2020. Clean Cities coordinators spent nearly 135,700 hours pursuing their coalitions’ goals in 2020. The average coordinator is quite experienced and has held the coordinator position for nearly eight years. Coordinators logged more than 3,290 outreach, education, and training activities in 2020, which reached an estimated 31 million people. Activities that reached underserved communities were tracked for the first time in 2020 and accounted for 17% of all activities.
Authors: Singer, M.; Johnson, C.
Hydrogen Station Network Self-Sufficiency Analysis per Assembly Bill 8
10/1/2021
Assembly Bill 8, 2013, asks the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission to evaluate hydrogen fueling station development and operation against a standard of financial self-sufficiency. A self-sufficient network demonstrates the ability to continue operations and growth without further state financial support. This self-sufficiency study evaluates the economics of potential future scenarios for growth in California’s network of hydrogen fueling stations, assesses the amount of state support that could maintain network growth and operation until the network demonstrates self-sufficiency, and estimates the timing to achieve self-sufficiency.
Spatial and Temporal Analysis of the Total Cost of Ownership for Class 8 Tractors and Class 4 Parcel Delivery Trucks
9/1/2021
The medium- and heavy-duty transportation sector is experiencing rapid changes in powertrain technology innovation, with recent announcements of battery electric and fuel cell electric trucks being offered. The economics of these alternative powertrain vehicles are uncertain and difficult to compare directly. This report evaluates the total cost of ownership of six different truck powertrain technologies (diesel, diesel hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, compressed natural gas, battery electric, and fuel cell electric) for three different truck vocations (Class 8 long haul, Class 8 short haul, and Class 4 parcel delivery, for three different time frames (2018, 2025, and 2050).
Authors: Hunter, C.; Penev, M.; Reznicek, E.; Lustbader, J.; Birky, A.; Zhang, C.
Annual Evaluation of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Deployment & Hydrogen Fuel Station Network Development
9/1/2021
California's Assembly Bill 8 requires the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to assess the size of the current and future fuel cell electric vehicle fleet annually, based on vehicle registrations with the Department of Motor Vehicles, auto manufacturer responses to ARB surveys of projected future sales, and current and future hydrogen fuel station locations and capacity. This information informs the state’s decisions for future funding of hydrogen fuel stations, including the number and location of stations as well as minimum technical requirements for those stations.
