California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Owner Survey
8/1/2012
In the first half of 2012, the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), in coordination with the California Air Resources Board (ARB), conducted the largest plug-in electric vehicle owner survey in the state's history. Reaching out to more than 2,500 California plug-in electric vehicle owners, CCSE received data from 1,419 unique respondents who provided information on vehicle use, charging behavior, access to public and residential charging infrastructure, fueling costs and household demographics. The data collected by CCSE, in support of the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project highlights California's commitment to promoting clean transportation solutions that improve urban air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer the state's consumers viable alternatives to conventional gasoline vehicles. The results of the statewide CCSE and ARB survey confirm the early market success as well as the considerable consumer and environmental benefits of electrified vehicles.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, July, 2012
8/1/2012
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for July 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 July 13, 2012 and July 27, 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 dropped 37 cents from $3.89 to $3.52; diesel has dropped 37 cents from $$4.12 to $3.75; CNG price has dropped 3 cents from $2.08 to $2.05; ethanol (E85) has dropped 23 cents from $3.47 to $3.24; propane has dropped 27 cents from $2.91 to $2.64; and biodiesel (B20) has dropped 35 cents from $4.18 to $3.83.
According to Table 2, CNG is about $1.47 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about $1.06 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Babcock, S.
EPA Announces Final Rulemaking for Clean Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Engine Conversions
8/1/2012
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adopting changes to the regulations found in 40 CFR part 85 subpart F for clean alternative fuel conversion manufacturers. This action affects regulations applicable to manufacturers of light-duty vehicle and heavy-duty highway vehicle and engine clean alternative fuel conversion systems. The revisions will streamline the compliance process while maintaining environmentally protective controls.
Coca-Cola Refreshments Class 8 Diesel Electric Hybrid Tractor Evaluation: 13-Month Final Report.
8/1/2012
This 13-month evaluation used five Kenworth T370 hybrid tractors and five Freightliner M2106 standard diesel tractors at a Coca Cola Refreshments facility in Miami, Florida. The primary objective was to evaluate the fuel economy, emissions, and operational field performance of hybrid electric vehicles when compared to similar-use conventional diesel vehicles. A random dispatch system ensures the vehicles are used in a similar manner. GPS logging, fueling, and maintenance records and laboratory dynamometer testing are used to evaluate the performance of these hybrid tractors. Both groups drive similar duty cycles with similar kinetic intensity (0.95 vs. 0.69), average speed (20.6 vs. 24.3 mph), and stops per mile (1.9 vs. 1.5). The study demonstrated the hybrid group had a 13.7% fuel economy improvement over the diesel group. Laboratory fuel economy and field fuel economy study showed similar trends along the range of KI and stops per mile. Hybrid maintenance costs were 51% lower per mile; hybrid fuel costs per mile were 12% less than for the diesels; and hybrid vehicle total cost of operation per mile was 24% less than the cost of operation for the diesel group.
Authors: Walkowicz, K.; Lammert, M.; Curran, P.
National Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Learning Demonstration Final Report
7/1/2012
This report discusses key analysis results based on data from early 2005 through September 2011 from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Validation and Demonstration Project, also referred to as the National Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Learning Demonstration. This report serves as one of many mechanisms to help transfer knowledge and lessons learned within various parts of DOE's Fuel Cell Technologies Program, as well as externally to other stakeholders. It is the fifth and final such report in a series, with previous reports being published in July 2007, November 2007, April 2008, and September 2010.
Authors: Wipke, K.; Sprik, S.; Kurtz, J.; Ramsden, T.; Ainscough, C.; Saur, G.
Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Fuel Cell Bus Demonstration: Second Results Report
7/1/2012
This report presents results of a demonstration of 12 new fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) operating in Oakland, California. The 12 FCEBs operate as a part of the Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Demonstration, which also includes two new hydrogen fueling stations. This effort is the largest FCEB demonstration in the United States and involves five participating transit agencies. The ZEBA partnersare collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the buses in revenue service. The first results report was published in August 2011, describing operation of these new FCEBs from September 2010 through May 2011. New results in this report provide an update through April 2012.
Authors: Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.
What is FuelEconomy.gov?
7/1/2012
FuelEconomy.gov is an Internet resource that helps consumers make informed fuel economy choices when purchasing a vehicle and achieve the best fuel economy possible from the cars they own.
FuelEconomy.gov is maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy with data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The site helps fulfill DOE and EPA's responsibility under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to provide accurate miles per gallon (MPG) information to consumers.
Examining the Impacts of Methane Leakage on Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Shale and Conventional Natural Gas
6/1/2012
The development of large-scale shale gas production has been described as a game-changer for the U.S. energy market and has generated interest in expanding the usage of natural gas (NG) in sectors such as electricity generation and transportation. This development has been made possible by improvements in drilling technologies, specifically utilizing hydraulic fracturing in conjunction with horizontal drilling. However, the environmental implications of NG production and its use have been called into question. One of the major concerns is the amount methane (CH4) leakage from production activities and its impact on the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of NG.
Authors: Burnham, A.; Clark, C.
Notes: This article appears in the June 2012 issue of EM Magazine, a publication of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA; www.awma.org). To obtain copies and reprints, please contact A&WMA directly at 1-412-232-3444.
Converting Vehicles to Propane Autogas - Part 1: Installing Fuel Tanks and Fuel Lines
6/1/2012
This document is Part 1 of a four-part series of courses developed by the Propane Education & Research Council on retrofitting, servicing and fueling highway vehicles that run on propane autogas. The Part 1 course covers the installation of fuel tanks, transfer lines and fittings.
Notes: This publication is copyrighted by Propane Education and Research Council.
Annual Energy Outlook 2012; with Projections to 2035
6/1/2012
The projections in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) Annual Energy Outlook 2012 (AEO2012) focus on the factors that shape the U.S. energy system over the long term. Under the assumption that current laws and regulations remain unchanged throughout the projections, the AEO2012 Reference case provides the basis for examination and discussion of energy production, consumption, technology, and market trends and the direction they may take in the future. It also serves as a starting point for analysis of potential changes in energy policies. But AEO2012 is not limited to the Reference case. It also includes 29 alternative cases (see Appendix E, Table E1), which explore important areas of uncertainty for markets, technologies, and policies in the U.S. energy economy. Many of the implications of the alternative cases are discussed in the "Issues in focus" section of this report.
Key results highlighted in AEO2012 include continued modest growth in demand for energy over the next 25 years and increased domestic crude oil and natural gas production, largely driven by rising production from tight oil and shale resources. As a result, U.S. reliance on imported oil is reduced; domestic production of natural gas exceeds consumption, allowing for net exports; a growing share of U.S. electric power generation is met with natural gas and renewables; and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions remain below their 2005 level from 2010 to 2035, even in the absence of new Federal policies designed to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Converting Vehicles to Propane Autogas - Part 2: Installing Underhood Components
6/1/2012
This document is Part 2 of a four-part series of courses developed by the Propane Education & Research Council on retrofitting, servicing and fueling highway vehicles that run on propane autogas. The Part 2 course covers the installation of underhood fuel-system components.
Notes: This publication is copyrighted by Propane Education and Research Council.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, April 2012
5/1/2012
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for April 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 March 30, 2012 and April 13, 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 for regular gasoline has risen 52 cents per gallon from $3.37 per gallon to $3.89 per gallon; diesel has risen 26 cents per gallon from $3.86 to $4.12; CNG price has dropped 5 cents from $2.13 to $2.08; ethanol (E85) has risen 33 cents from $3.14 to $3.47 per gallon; propane has dropped 17 cents from $3.08 to $2.91; and biodiesel (B20) has risen 23 cents from $3.95 to $4.18 per gallon.
According to Table 2, CNG is about $1.81 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about $1.01 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Babcock, S.
Analyzing Vehicle Fuel Saving Opportunities through Intelligent Driver Feedback
4/16/2012
Driving style changes, e.g., improving driver efficiency and motivating driver behavior changes, could deliver significant petroleum savings. This project examines eliminating stop-and-go driving and unnecessary idling, and also adjusting acceleration rates and cruising speeds to ideal levels to quantify fuel savings. Such extreme adjustments can result in dramatic fuel savings of over 30%, but would in reality only be achievable through automated control of vehicles and traffic flow. In real-world driving, efficient driving behaviors could reduce fuel use by 20% on aggressively driven cycles and by 5-10% on more moderately driven trips. A literature survey was conducted of driver behavior influences, and pertinent factors from on-road experiments with different driving styles were observed. This effort highlighted important driver influences such as surrounding vehicle behavior, anxiety over trying to get somewhere quickly, and the power/torque available from the vehicle. Existing feedback approaches often deliver efficiency information and instruction. Three recommendations for maximizing fuel savings from potential drive cycle improvement are: 1) leveraging applications with enhanced incentives, 2) using an approach that is easy and widely deployable to motivate drivers, and 3) utilizing connected vehicle and automation technologies to achieve large and widespread efficiency improvements.
Authors: Gonder, J.; Earleywine, M.; and Sparks, W.
Notes: Posted with permission. Presented at the 2012 SAE World Congress and Exhibition, April 24-26, 2012, Detroit, Michigan.