Vehicle and Infrastructure Cash-Flow Evaluation Model

The Vehicle and Infrastructure Cash-Flow Evaluation (VICE) models are financial tools developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to help fleet managers assess the financial soundness of converting vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG) or battery electric buses (BEB). The VICE CNG model applies to fleets with a variety of vehicle applications, and the VICE BEB model applies to fleets of transit buses. Both models have numerous default inputs, but accuracy increases as fleet managers adjust the inputs based on their specific fleet data. Outputs include net present value and the payback period for investing in alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure.