Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, January, 2013
2/1/2013
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for January 2013 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 January 10, 2013 and January 25, 2013, 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 1 reports that the nationwide average price (all amounts are per gallon) for regular gasoline has decreased 53 cents from $3.82 to $3.29; diesel has decreased 17 cents from $4.13 to $3.96; CNG price has decreased 2 cents from $2.12 to $2.10; ethanol (E85) has decreased 30 cents from $3.47 to $3.17; propane has increased 12 cents from $2.56 to $2.68; and biodiesel (B20) has decreased 13 cents from $4.18 to $4.05.
According to Table 2, CNG is about $1.19 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about $1.19 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Babcock, S.
Clean Cities 2013 Vehicle Buyer's Guide
2/1/2013
The expanding availability of alternative fuels and advanced vehicles makes it easier than ever to reduce petroleum use, cut emissions, and save on fuel costs. The Clean Cities 2013 Vehicle Buyer's Guide features a comprehensive list of model year 2013 vehicles that can run on ethanol, biodiesel, electricity, propane or natural gas.
Consumer Convenience and the Availability of Retail Stations as a Market Barrier for Alternative Fuel Vehicles, Preprint
1/1/2013
The availability of retail stations can be a significant barrier to the adoption of alternative fuel light-duty vehicles in household markets. This is especially the case during early market growth when retail stations are likely to be sparse and when vehicles are dedicated in the sense that they can only be fuelled with a new alternative fuel. For some bi-fuel vehicles, which can also fuel with conventional gasoline or diesel, limited availability will not necessarily limit vehicle sales but can limit fuel use. The impact of limited availability on vehicle purchase decisions is largely a function of geographic coverage and consumer perception. In this paper we review previous attempts to quantify the value of availability and present results from two studies that rely upon distinct methodologies. The first study relies upon stated preference data from a discrete choice survey and the second relies upon a station clustering algorithm and a rational actor value of time framework. Results from the two studies provide an estimate of the discrepancy between stated preference cost penalties and a lower bound on potential revealed cost penalties.
Authors: Melaina, M. Bremson, J., Solo, K
Notes: Presented at the 31st USAEE/IAEE North American Conference, Austin, Texas, November 4-7, 2012
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
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.
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 and the effect of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions on global climate are driving interest in alternatives. This report assesses the potential for reducing petroleum consumption and GHG emissions 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), subsidies, energy taxes, or regulations will be necessary to overcome barriers such as cost and consumer choice.
Model Year 2013: Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles
12/13/2012
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 vehicles.
Clean Cities 2011 Annual Metrics Report
12/1/2012
This annual report details the petroleum savings and vehicle emissions 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.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, October, 2012
11/1/2012
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for October 2012 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 September 28, 2012 and October 12, 2012, 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 1 reports that the nationwide average price (all amounts are per gallon) for regular gasoline has increased 30 cents from $3.52 to $3.82; diesel has increased 38 cents from $$3.75 to $4.13; CNG price has increased 7 cents from $2.05 to $2.12; ethanol (E85) has increased 23 cents from $3.24 to $3.47; propane has dropped 8 cents from $2.64 to $2.56; and biodiesel (B20) has increased 35 cents from $3.83 to $4.18.
According to Table 2, CNG is about $1.70 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about $1.09 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Babcock, S.
Medium Truck Duty Cycle Data from Real-World Driving Environments: Project Final Report
11/1/2012
Since the early part of the 20th century, the US trucking industry has provided a safe and economical means of moving commodities across the country. At present, nearly 80% of US domestic freight movement involves the use of trucks. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is spearheading a number of research efforts to improve heavy vehicle fuel efficiencies. This includes research in engine technologies (including hybrid and fuel cell technologies), lightweight materials, advanced fuels, and parasitic loss reductions. In addition, DOE is developing advanced tools and models to support heavy vehicle research and is leading the 21st Century Truck Partnership and the SuperTruck development effort. Both of these efforts have the common goal of decreasing the fuel consumption of heavy vehicles. In the case of SuperTruck, a goal of improving the overall freight efficiency of a combination tractor-trailer has been established.
This Medium Truck Duty Cycle (MTDC) project is a critical element in DOE's vision for improved heavy vehicle energy efficiency; it is unique in that there is no other existing national database of characteristic duty cycles for medium trucks based on collecting data from Class 6 and 7 vehicles. It involves the collection of real-world data on medium trucks for various situational characteristics (e.g., rural/urban, freeway/arterial, congested/free-flowing, good/bad weather) and looks at the unique nature of medium trucks' drive cycles (stop-and-go delivery, power takeoff, idle time, short-radius trips). This research provides a rich source of data that can contribute to the development of new tools for FE and modeling, provide DOE a sound basis upon which to make technology investment decisions, and provide a national archive of real-world-based medium-truck operational data to support energy efficiency research. The MTDC project involved a two-part field operational test (FOT). For the Part-1 FOT, three vehicles each from two vocations (urban transit and dry-box delivery) were instrumented for the collection of one year of operational data. The Part-2 FOT involved the towing and recovery and utility vocations for a second year of data collection.
Authors: Lascurain, M.B., Franzese, O., Capps, G., Siekmann, A., Thomas, N., LaClair, T., Barker, A., Knee, H.
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.
Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States' Gasoline Price Vulnerability and Solutions For Change
11/1/2012
This is the sixth edition of this report, updating the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 research by David Gardiner & Associates (DGA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) identifying the states whose citizens feel the greatest economic pain from gasoline prices--and the states that are doing the most to break their addiction to oil.
Authors: Grossman, D.; Lovaas, D.
Notes: This copyrighted publication is available on the Natural Resources Defense Council's website.
The Car of the Future, Today
11/1/2012
Plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) have the potential to be a cleaner, more sustainable option for personal travel than conventional vehicles. But market penetration will take time.
Over the next few years, nearly all major automakers plan to put PEVs on the road. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates PEV production levels to be more than 1.2 million total through 2015. However, actual production and market penetration depend on many variables, including improvements in PEV battery technology, vehicle cost, the price of conventional fuels, and consumer behavior. This article discusses these challenges and what is being done at the Federal and State levels to overcome them.
Authors: Turchetta, D.
Notes: This article appears in the Federal Highway Administration's bimonthly magazine: Public Roads, November/December 2012, Vol. 76, No. 3
Fleet DNA Project
10/1/2012
The Fleet DNA Project - designed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory - aims to accelerate the evolution of advanced vehicle development and support the strategic deployment of market-ready technologies that reduce costs, fuel consumption, and emissions. At the heart of the Fleet DNA Project is a clearinghouse of medium- and heavy-duty commercial fleet transportation data for optimizing the design of advanced vehicle technologies or for selecting a given technology to invest in. An easy-to-access online database will help vehicle manufacturers and fleets understand the broad operational range for many of today's commercial vehicle vocations.