Publications

Run On Less - Electric Report

1/19/2022

This report documents the Run on Less - Electric demonstration by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, which was conducted in September of 2021. It shares the methods used to select the participating fleets, routes, and equipment, and metrics that measured the 13 participating pairs of fleets and original equipment manufacturers. The demonstrations showed that for four market segments — vans and step vans, medium-duty box trucks, terminal tractors, and heavy-duty regional haul tractors — commercial battery electric vehicles are a viable option for fleets.

Notes:

This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s website.

The ABCs of Ohio EVs: A Policy Guide to Electrify Ohio

1/18/2022

In this report, the Citizens Utility Board of Ohio examines key issues related to transportation electrification to capture the potential of electric vehicle (EV) growth and use it to optimize the state’s electric system. It includes guidelines for policy development and specific measures to help propel this emerging market transformation and ensure that everybody will benefit from EVs, whether or not they drive one. It identifies factors affecting EV market growth, assesses its ramifications for the electric grid and for consumers, advances principles to protect the interests of electricity customers, and recommends responsive state actions.

Cost of Electric Commercial Vans and Pickup Trucks in the United States Through 2040

1/11/2022

This paper presents a total cost of ownership assessment of battery-electric Class 2b and 3 commercial vehicles between 2020 and 2040 benchmarked against the corresponding costs of gasoline and diesel powertrains. While electrification has been slow to emerge in this area, the relatively low daily driving range compared to other commercial vehicle classes makes this sector prime for a technology shift to alternative technology in the coming years.

Authors: Mulholland, E.

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. The pollutant benefits increased in 2020 despite a decrease in EUI because coalitions focused more on technologies with higher 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.

Straight Vegetable Oil as a Diesel Fuel?

12/20/2021

Biodiesel, a renewable fuel produced from animal fats or vegetable oils, is popular among many vehicle owners and fleet managers seeking to reduce emissions and support U.S. energy security. Questions sometimes arise about the viability of fueling vehicles with straight vegetable oil (SVO), or waste oils from cooking and other processes, without intermediate processing. But SVO and waste oils differ from biodiesel (and conventional diesel) in some important ways and are generally not considered acceptable vehicle fuels.

History of Ethanol Fuel Adoption in the United States: Policy, Economics, and Logistics

11/1/2021

Of all the alternative transportation fuels that have been researched, developed, and deployed in the United States, ethanol has achieved the greatest market share. There are multiple lessons to be learned from the history of ethanol adoption that can be applied to future fuels and products. This report documents the roughly 50 years it took for ethanol to achieve the market share it sees today.

Authors: Johnson, C.; Moriary, K.; Alleman, T.; Santini, D.

The State of Managed Charging in 2021

11/1/2021

With the increasing growth of the electric vehicle market and the resulting implications for the power system, managed charging programs are non-negotiable. Utilities are developing programs that will avoid distribution upgrade bottlenecks and mitigate unnecessary costs for utilities. This report provides an overview of how utilities can optimize managed charging programs and includes case studies and a guide to solution providers.

Notes:

This copyrighted publication can be accessed through Smart Electric Power Alliance's website.

Electric Ride-Hailing Charging Infrastructure

10/21/2021

The reach and use of ride-hailing services have greatly expanded in major urban areas in the United States and globally. As ride-hailing continues to grow as an important pillar of the mobility ecosystem, such fleets raise questions related to their environmental and mobility impacts, and electrification offers an opportunity to eliminate the vehicles’ local pollution. This paper quantifies the number of ride-hailing direct current fast chargers needed in Houston to support a growing electric ride-hailing fleet from 2021 through 2030. It identifies priority sites that expand infrastructure access in the city, with a focus on city-owned properties.

Authors: Hsu C.; Slowik, P.

Notes: This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the International Council on Clean Transportation website.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Sustainable Aviation Fuel Logistics and Production Study

10/1/2021

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) commitment is to meet the goals set by the Paris Agreement, with an interim pollution reduction target of 35% by 2025 and 80% by 2050. PANYNJ is seeking innovative solutions to reduce pollution for all public forms of transportation, including aviation. Similarly, the global aviation industry adopted the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), made from non-petroleum feedstocks, is a near-term alternative fuel that reduces pollution from air transportation. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a resource assessment and a techno-economic analysis to identify the potential for production in the port district. Although SAF could be sourced from other areas of the United States or imported, an evaluation of local production was conducted due to the potential positive impacts of converting local waste feedstocks into SAF for use at nearby airports. The study found that the highest volumes of feedstock nearby were municipal solid waste and woody biomass. SAF must be blended with Jet A up to certain percent determined by ASTM International fuel quality standards prior to use in aircraft. SAF from a stand-alone facility could be delivered by barge, rail, or truck to a Linden, New Jersey based terminal for blending with Jet A or it could be blended in the Gulf region and shipped via the Colonial pipeline to one of the terminals. The investment will take place at the terminal(s) to accommodate SAF/Jet A blends and it will be business as usual for the airports in how they receive fuel and distribute it to aircraft.

Authors: Moriarty, K.; Milbrandt, A.; Tao, L.

A Comparison of Nitrogen Oxide Emissions from Heavy-Duty Diesel, Natural Gas, and Electric Vehicles

9/21/2021

Diesel, natural gas, and electric heavy-duty vehicles can be designed and manufactured with the capability of complying with the ultra-low nitrogen oxide (NOx) limits envisioned in the next set of California and federal heavy-duty vehicle regulations. This briefing compares the capabilities of these three powertrain types in meeting an ultra-low NOx standard across four key areas: feasibility, cost, and health impacts.

Authors: Muncrief, R.

Notes:

This copyrighted publication can be accessed on The International Council on Clean Transportation's website.

Evaluating EV Market Growth Across U.S. Cities

9/14/2021

This briefing paper analyzes the development of the U.S. plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market in 2020 and the underlying state, city, and utility actions that were driving it. The paper evaluates state, local, and utility company actions to promote PEVs, and demonstrates that the states and cities with the greatest PEV market success continue to have the strongest and most comprehensive policy supports.

Authors: Bui, A.; Slowik, P.; Lutsey, N.

Notes:

This copyrighted publication can be accessed on The International Council on Clean Transportation's website.

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.

Need Help Planning for the Future of Electric Vehicles?

9/1/2021

This brochure helps states find tools to make informed decisions about implementing electric vehicles (EVs) and their charging infrastructure. To do so, many states will use funds from the Environmental Mitigation Trust Agreements from the Volkswagen Clean Air Act Settlement. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its national laboratories provide extensive information on EVs including both community planning and charging infrastructure. This information can help states implement EV and charging infrastructure projects using settlement funds. The tools in this brochure represent a sampling of key DOE resources available to states and other jurisdictions.

Electrifying Transportation in Municipalities: A Policy Toolkit for Electric Vehicle Deployment and Adoption at the Local Level

8/30/2021

This policy toolkit, designed for local governments, summarizes key policies that local agencies should consider when undergoing electric vehicle (EV) deployment projects at the city, town, and county level. The toolkit outlines policies within five categories of EV deployment: infrastructure, multi-sector, freight, fleets, and consumer. The report provides both a qualitative and quantitative summary of the policy’s impact on emissions, public health, jobs and the EV market, and details potential difficulties in policy implementation and potential costs.