Electric Ground Support Equipment at Airports
12/12/2017
Airport ground support equipment (GSE) is used to service airplanes between flights. Services include refueling, towing airplanes or luggage/freight carts, loading luggage/freight, transporting passengers, loading potable water, removing sewage, loading food, de-icing airplanes, and fire-fighting. Deploying new GSE technologies is a promising opportunity in part because the purchasers are generally large, technologically sophisticated airlines, contractors, or airports with centralized procurement and maintenance departments. Airlines could particularly benefit from fuel diversification since they are highly exposed to petroleum price volatility. GSE can be particularly well-suited for electrification because it benefits from low-end torque and has frequent idle time and short required ranges.
Authors: Johnson, C.
Overcoming Barriers to Electric Vehicle Charging in Multi-unit Dwellings: A Westside Cities Case Study
12/1/2017
The purpose of this case study is to explore barriers to plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) adoption for residents of multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) within the Westside Cities subregion of Los Angeles County and then identify MUDs within the study region that may exhibit high PEV demand and demand for low-cost electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installation. This report also reviews the costs associated with EVSE installation at MUD sites, which are highly variable across properties. The report closes with a discussion of policy tools for scaling up charging infrastructure at MUD sites across the Westside Cities subregion.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, October 2017
11/29/2017
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for October 2017 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 October 1, 2017 and October 16, 2017, 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 23 cents from $2.26 to $2.49; diesel increased 29 cents from $2.47 to $2.76; CNG price increased 2 cents from $2.15 to $2.17; ethanol (E85) increased 11 cents from $1.99 to $2.10; propane decreased 6 cents from $2.84 to $2.78; and biodiesel (B20) has increased 19 cents from 2.49 to $2.68.
According to Table 3, CNG is $.32 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is $0.24 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Bourbon, E.
Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2017
11/21/2017
This report, published annually, summarizes the progress of fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) development in the United States and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The report provides a summary of results from evaluations performed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This annual status report combines results from all FCEB demonstrations, tracks the progress of the FCEB industry toward meeting technical targets, documents the lessons learned, and discusses the path forward for commercial viability of fuel cell technology for transit buses. These data and analyses help provide needed information to guide future early-stage research and development. The 2017 summary results primarily focus on the most recent year for each demonstration, from August 2016 through July 2017. The primary results presented in the report are from five demonstrations of two different fuel-cell-dominant bus designs: Zero Emission Bay Area Demonstration Group led by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in California; American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) Project at SunLine Transit Agency in California; AFCB Project at the University of California at Irvine; AFCB Project at Orange County Transportation Authority; and AFCB Project at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
Authors: Eudy, L.; Post, M.
Utility Investment in Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: Key Regulatory Considerations
11/13/2017
The report provides an overview of the accelerating electrification of the transportation sector and explores the role of state utility regulators in evaluating potential investments by electric utilities in plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging infrastructure. The report identifies key considerations for regulators, including the amount of charging infrastructure needed to support PEVs, ways that regulators can help ensure equitable access to charging infrastructure, and opportunities to maximize the benefits of utility investment in charging infrastructure.
Authors: Allen, P.; Van Horn, G.; Goetz, M.; Bradbury, J.; Zyla, K.
The Barriers to Acceptance of Plug-in Electric Vehicles: 2017 Update
11/9/2017
Vehicle manufacturers, government agencies, universities, private researchers, and organizations worldwide are pursuing advanced vehicle technologies that aim to reduce the consumption of petroleum in the forms of gasoline and diesel. Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are one such technology. This report, an update to the previous version published in December 2016, details findings from a study in February 2017 of broad American public sentiments toward issues that surround PEVs. This report is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office in alignment with its mission to develop and deploy these technologies to improve energy security, enhance mobility flexibility, reduce transportation costs, and increase environmental sustainability.
Authors: Singer, M.
What Fleets Need to Know About Alternative Fuel Vehicle Conversions, Retrofits, and Repowers
10/17/2017
Many fleet managers have opted to incorporate alternative fuels and advanced vehicles into their lineup. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) offer a variety of choices, and there are additional options offered by aftermarket companies. There are also a myriad of ways that existing vehicles can be modified to utilize alternative fuels and other advanced technologies. Vehicle conversions and retrofit packages, along with engine repower options, can offer an ideal way to lower vehicle operating costs. This can result in long term return on investment, in addition to helping fleet managers achieve emissions and environmental goals. This report summarizes the various factors to consider when pursuing a conversion, retrofit, or repower option.
Authors: Kelly, K.; Gonzales, J.
Enabling Fast Charging - A Battery Technology Gap Assessment
10/13/2017
The battery technology literature is reviewed, with an emphasis on key elements that limit extreme fast charging. Key gaps in existing elements of the technology are presented as well as developmental needs. Among these needs are advanced models and methods to detect and prevent lithium plating; new positive-electrode materials which are less prone to stress-induced failure; better electrode designs to accommodate very rapid diffusion in and out of the electrode; measure temperature distributions during fast charge to enable/validate models; and develop thermal management and pack designs to accommodate the higher operating voltage.
Authors: Ahmed, S.; Bloom, I.; Jansen, A.N.; Tanim, T.; Dufek, E.J.; Pesaran, A.; Burnham, A.; Carlson, R.B.; Dias, F.; Hardy, K.; Keyser, M.; Kreuzer, C.; Markel, A.; Meintz, A.; Michelbacher, C.; Mohanpurkar, M.; Nelson, P.A.; Robertson, D.C.; Scoffield, D.; Shirk, M.; Stephens, T.; Vijayagopal, R.; Zhang. J.
Notes: This Journal of Power Sources article (Vol. 367 (2017): pp. 250-262) is copyrighted by Elsevier B.V. and only available by accessing it through Science Direct.
Enabling Fast Charging - Introduction and Overview
10/13/2017
Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with guidance from VTO, initiated this study to understand the technical, cost, infrastructure, and implementation barriers associated with high rate charging up to 350 kW.
Authors: Michelbacher, C.; Ahmed, S.; Bloom, I.; Burnham. A.; Carlson, B.; Dias, F.; Dufek, E.J.; Jansen, A.N.; Keyser, M.; Markel, A.; Meintz, A. Mohanpurkar, M.; Pesaran, A.; Scoffield, D.; Shirk, M.; Stephens, T.; Tanim, T.; Vijayagopal, R.; Zhang, J.
Notes: This Journal of Power Sources article (Vol. 367 (2017): pp. 214-215) is copyrighted by Elsevier B.V. and only available by accessing it through Science Direct.
Enabling Fast Charging - Battery Thermal Considerations
10/11/2017
Battery thermal barriers are reviewed with regards to extreme fast charging. Present-day thermal management systems for battery electric vehicles are inadequate in limiting the maximum temperature rise of the battery during extreme fast charging. If the battery thermal management system is not designed correctly, the temperature of the cells could reach abuse temperatures and potentially send the cells into thermal runaway. Furthermore, the cell and battery interconnect design needs to be improved to meet the lifetime expectations of the consumer. Each of these aspects is explored and addressed as well as outlining where the heat is generated in a cell, the efficiencies of power and energy cells, and what type of battery thermal management solutions are available in today's market. Thermal management is not a limiting condition with regard to extreme fast charging, but many factors need to be addressed especially for future high specific energy density cells to meet U.S. Department of Energy cost and volume goals.
Authors: Keyser, M.; Pesaran, A.; Li, Q.; Santhanagopalan, S.; Smith, K.; Wood, E.; Ahmed, S.; Bloom, I.; Dufek, E.; Shirk, M.; Meintz, A.; Kreuzer, C.; Michelbacher, C.; Burnham, A.; Stephens, T.; Francfort, J.; Carlson, B.; Zhang, J.; Vijayagopal, R.; Hardy, K.; Dias, F.; Mohanpurkar, M.; Scoffield, D. Jansen, A.N.; Tanim, T.; Anthony Markel. A.
Notes: This Journal of Power Sources article (Vol. 367 (2017): pp. 228-236) is copyrighted by Elsevier B.V. and only available by accessing it through Science Direct.
Enabling Fast Charging - Vehicle Considerations
10/11/2017
To achieve a successful increase in the plug-in battery electric vehicle (BEV) market, it is anticipated that a significant improvement in battery performance is required to increase the range that BEVs can travel and the rate at which they can be recharged. While the range that BEVs can travel on a single recharge is improving, the recharge rate is still much slower than the refueling rate of conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. To achieve comparable recharge times, we explore the vehicle considerations of charge rates of at least 400 kW. Faster recharge is expected to significantly mitigate the perceived deficiencies for long-distance transportation, to provide alternative charging in densely populated areas where overnight charging at home may not be possible, and to reduce range anxiety for travel within a city when unplanned charging may be required. This substantial increase in charging rate is expected to create technical issues in the design of the battery system and the vehicle's electrical architecture that must be resolved. This work focuses on vehicle system design and total recharge time to meet the goals of implementing improved charge rates and the impacts of these expected increases on system voltage and vehicle components.
Authors: Meintz, A.; Zhang, J.; Vijayagopal, R.; Kreutzer, C.; Ahmed, S.; Bloom, I.; Burnham, A.; Carlson, R.B.; Dias, F.; Dufek, E.J.; Francfort, J.; Hardy, K.; Jansen, A.N.; Keyser, M.; Markel, A.; Michelbacher, C.; Mohanpurkar, M.; Pesaran, A.; Scoffield, D.; Shirk, M.; Stephens, T.; Tanim, T.
Notes: This Journal of Power Sources article (Vol. 367 (2017): pp. 216-227) is copyrighted by Elsevier B.V. and only available by accessing it through Science Direct.
Enabling Fast Charging - Infrastructure and Economic Considerations
10/10/2017
The ability to charge battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on a time scale that is on par with the time to fuel an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) would remove a significant barrier to the adoption of BEVs. However, for viability, fast charging at this time scale needs to also occur at a price that is acceptable to consumers. Therefore, the cost drivers for both BEV owners and charging station providers are analyzed. In addition, key infrastructure considerations are examined, including grid stability and delivery of power, the design of fast charging stations and the design and use of electric vehicle service equipment. Each of these aspects have technical barriers that need to be addressed, and are directly linked to economic impacts to use and implementation. This discussion focuses on both the economic and infrastructure issues which exist and need to be addressed for the effective implementation of fast charging at 400 kW and above. extreme fast charging (XFC); electric vehicle infrastructure; battery electric vehicles; demand charges; total cost of ownership, economicsIn so doing, it has been found that there is a distinct need to effectively manage the intermittent, high power demand of fast charging, strategically plan infrastructure corridors, and to further understand the cost of operation of charging infrastructure and BEVs.
Authors: Burnham, A.; Dufek, E.J.; Stephens, T.; Francfort, J.; Michelbacher, C.; Carlson, R.B.; Zhang, J.; Vijayagopal, R.; Dias, F.; Mohanpurkar, M.; Scoffield, D.; Hardy, K.; Shirk, M.; Hovsapian, R.; Ahmed, S.; Bloom, I.; Jansen, A.N.; Keyser, M.; Kreuzer, C.; Markel, A.; Meintz, A.; Pesaran, A.; Tanim, T.R.
Notes: This Journal of Power Sources article (Vol. 367 (2017): pp. 237-249) is copyrighted by Elsevier B.V. and only available by accessing it through Science Direct.
From Gas to Grid: Building Charging Infrastructure to Power Electric Vehicle Demand
10/3/2017
This report identifies the key hurdles that have inhibited the growth of charging infrastructure, and explains how they might be overcome, along with the best practices for siting chargers and designing electricity tariffs for EV charging stations.
Authors: Fitzgerald, G.; Nelder, C.
Notes: This copyrighted publication is available on the Rocky Mountain Institute website.
Enabling Fast Charging: A Technology Gap Assessment
10/1/2017
In this report, researchers at Idaho National Laboratory teamed with Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to identify technical gaps to implementing an extreme fast charging network in the United States. This report highlights technical gaps at the battery, vehicle, and infrastructure levels.
Authors: Howell, D.; Boyd, S.; Cunningham, B.; Gillard, S.; Slezak, L.; Ahmed, S.; Bloom, I.; Burnham, A.; Hardy, K.; Jansen, A.N.; Nelson, P.A.; Robertson, D.C.; Stephens, T.; Vijayagopal, R.; Carlson, R.B.; Dias, F.; Dufek, E.J.; Michelbacher, C.J.; Mohanpurkar, M.; Scoffield, D.; Shirk, M.; Tanim, T.; Keyser, M.; Kreuzer, C.; Li, O.; Markel, A.; Meintz, A.; Pesaran, A.; Santhanagopalan, S.; Smith, K.; Wood, E.; Zhang, J.
Biodiesel Basics
9/29/2017
This fact sheet (updated for 2017) provides a brief introduction to biodiesel, including a discussion of biodiesel blends, which blends are best for which vehicles, where to buy biodiesel, how biodiesel compares to diesel fuel in terms of performance, the difference between biodiesel and renewable diesel, how biodiesel performs in cold weather, whether biodiesel use will plug vehicle filters, how long-term biodiesel use may affect engines, biodiesel fuel standards, and whether biodiesel burns cleaner than diesel fuel. The fact sheet also dismisses the use of vegetable oil as a motor fuel.