Publications

Public Sector Fleet EV Procurement Examples: A Case Study of Three All-Electric Vehicle Procurements Conducted by the U.S. Navy, City of New Bedford, and City of Seattle

6/6/2017

The deployment of EVs helps fleets to reduce air pollution from vehicle emissions and lower operating costs associated with maintenance and fueling. However, EV procurement by fleets has been limited by the higher up-front purchase costs and lack of availability of EVs compared to their gasoline counterparts, as well as the availability of charging infrastructure. Despite the existing barriers, many state and local public fleets have successfully integrated EVs to their fleets, and have used innovative procurement strategies to reduce the acquisition costs of EVs. This case study explores EV procurements conducted by the U.S. Navy, the City of New Bedford in Massachusetts, and the City of Seattle in Washington State—examples of public fleet procurements that captured financial incentives to reduce the vehicles’ upfront cost.

Authors: Nigro, N.

Challenges and Opportunities of Grid Modernization and Electric Transportation

6/1/2017

This white paper addresses the importance of the interaction between transportation electrification and the electric power grid. Grid investments that support plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) deployments as a part of planned modernization efforts can enable a more efficient and cost-effective transition to electric transportation and allow investor-owned electric companies and public power companies to realize new revenue resources in times of flat or declining loads. This paper discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with an increase in PEV adoption and how working together both sectors stand to benefit from closer integration.

Authors: Graham, R.L.; Francis, J.; Bogacz, R.J.

Massachusetts Fuel Cell Bus Project: Demonstrating a Total Transit Solution for Fuel Cell Electric Buses in Boston

5/22/2017

The Federal Transit Administration's National Fuel Cell Bus Program focuses on developing commercially viable fuel cell bus technologies. Nuvera is leading the Massachusetts Fuel Cell Bus project to demonstrate a complete transit solution for fuel cell electric buses that includes one bus and an on-site hydrogen generation station for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). A team consisting of ElDorado National, BAE Systems, and Ballard Power Systems built the fuel cell electric bus, and Nuvera is providing its PowerTap on-site hydrogen generator to provide fuel for the bus.

Authors: Eudy, L.

American Fuel Cell Bus Project Evaluation: Third Report

5/22/2017

This report presents results of the American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) Project, a demonstration of fuel cell electric buses operating in the Coachella Valley area of California. The prototype AFCB, which was developed as part of the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) National Fuel Cell Bus Program, was delivered to SunLine in November 2011 and was put in revenue service in mid-December 2011. Two new AFCBs with an upgraded design were delivered in June/July of 2014 and a third new AFCB was delivered in February 2015. FTA and the AFCB project team are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory to evaluate the buses in revenue service. This report covers the performance of the AFCBs from July 2015 through December 2016.

Authors: Eudy, L.; Post, M.; Jeffers, M.

King County Metro Battery Electric Bus Demonstration: Preliminary Project Results

5/22/2017

The U.S. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds a variety of research projects that support the commercialization of zero-emission bus technology. To evaluate projects funded through these programs, FTA has enlisted the help of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to conduct third-party evaluations of the technologies deployed under the FTA programs. NREL works with the selected agencies to evaluate the performance of the zero-emission buses compared to baseline conventional buses in similar service. The evaluation effort will advance the knowledge base of zero-emission technologies in transit bus applications and provide 'lessons learned' to aid other fleets in incrementally introducing next generation zero-emission buses into their operations. This report provides preliminary results from a fleet of 3 BEBs operated by King County Metro in Seattle, Washington.

Authors: Eudy, L.; Jeffers, M.

Autonomy-Enabled Fuel Savings for Military Vehicles: Report on 2016 Aberdeen Test Center Testing

5/18/2017

Fuel savings have never been the primary focus for autonomy-enabled military vehicles. However, studies have estimated that autonomy in passenger and commercial vehicles could improve fuel economy by as much as 22%-33% over various drive cycles. If even a fraction of this saving could be realized in military vehicles, significant cost savings could be realized each year through reduced fuel transport missions, reduced fuel purchases, less maintenance, fewer required personnel, and increased vehicle range. Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory installed advanced data logging equipment and instrumentation on two autonomy-enabled convoy vehicles configured with Lockheed Martin's Autonomous Mobility Applique System to determine system performance and improve on the overall vehicle control strategies of the vehicles. Initial test results from testing conducted at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds are included in this report. Lessons learned from in-use testing and performance results have been provided to the project partners for continued system refinement.

Authors: Ragatz, A.; Prohaska, R.; Gonder, J.

Guideline for Determining the Modifications Required for Natural Gas Vehicle Maintenance Facilities

5/17/2017

The growth of natural gas vehicle (NGV) fleets in recent years has increased the need for additional gaseous fuel maintenance facilities across the country. The guidelines describe the modifications necessary for existing liquid fuel maintenance facilities to service compressed and liquefied NGVs. Additionally, the document outlines the basic national codes and the rationale and assumptions used to develop these codes.

Authors: Bowerson, D.

Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, April 2017

5/17/2017

The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for April 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 April 1, 2017 and April 17, 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 6 cents from $2.32 to $2.38; diesel decreased 3 cents from $2.58 to $2.55; CNG price increased 4 cents from $2.11 to $2.15; ethanol (E85) increased 7 cents from $2.04 to $2.11; propane increased 3 cents from $2.80 to $2.83; and biodiesel (B20) has decreased 8 cents from $2.57 to 2.49.

According to Table 3, CNG is $.23 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is $0.36 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.

Authors: Bourbon, E.

Capturing the Federal EV Tax Credit for Public Fleets: A Case Study of Multi-Jurisdictional EV Fleet Procurement in Alameda County, California

4/26/2017

Alameda County, California, led a collective purchase of 90 EVs for ten county and municipal public fleets. The aggregate procurement resulted in the purchase of 64 Ford Focus EV sedans and 23 Nissan LEAF EV sedans. The jurisdictions also conducted aggregate procurements for EV charging stations and charging station installations. This publication provides an overview of the procurement process and details how it was successful in attracting bids from local vendors for the purchase of EVs, while reducing vehicle purchase administrative costs for participating fleets.

Authors: Nigro, N.

The Business Case for Fuel Cells: Delivering Sustainable Value

4/25/2017

The report provides an overview of recent private sector fuel cell installations at U.S. businesses as of December 31, 2016.

Authors: Curtin, S.; Gangi, J.

Implementing Workplace Charging within Federal Agencies

4/19/2017

This case study, prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office, draws from available information and lessons learned from federal agencies that have piloted plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) workplace charging programs. It can be challenging for organizations to involve all the key stakeholders needed to develop a charging program, but engaging them at an early stage can simplify the process of setting an adequate plan for the workplace. Key stakeholders may include workplace charging managers, facilities managers, parking managers, employee PEV drivers, legal counsel, employee benefits managers, and union representatives.

Multiple PEV charging stations are available on the GSA schedule. Agencies will need to select the charging station type and design that is most appropriate for each specific worksite - Level 1, Level 2, or DC Fast Charging. In addition, the GSA Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) can help reduce upfront costs, which will help keep the reimbursement fees within the threshold of what employees are willing to pay.

Authors: Smith, M.

Model Year 2017: Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles

4/18/2017

The fact sheet details the model, vehicle type, emission class, transmission type/speeds, engine size, and fuel economy of a variety of flexible fuel vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, all-electric, and extended range electric vehicles, as well as CNG and propane vehicles.

EVgo Fleet and Tariff Analysis; Phase I: California

4/4/2017

Public direct current (DC) fast chargers are anticipated to play an important role in accelerating plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) adoption and mitigating emissions. This project analyzed charging session data in 2016 from all 230 EVgo DCFC stations in California to determine the key factors that contribute to the electricity costs and alternatives that may be available to reduce those costs, and to provide guidance for future rate design discussions.

Authors: Fitzgerald, G.; Nelder, C.

Work Truck Idling Reduction

3/9/2017

Hybrid utility trucks, with auxiliary power sources for on-board equipment, significantly reduce unnecessary idling resulting in fuel costs savings, less engine wear, and reduction in noise and emissions.

Hydrogen Storage

3/7/2017

This fact sheet, produced by the Fuel Cell Technologies Office, describes hydrogen storage, including near-term hydrogen storage solutions and research needs and long-term research directions.