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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 zero-emission technology in the coming years.
Authors: Mulholland, E.
EV Charging at Multi-Family Dwellings
1/3/2022
Approximately 30% of U.S. households are multi-family dwellings (MFDs), such as apartments and condos, and almost 75% of MFD households have at least one vehicle. Therefore, it is essential for electric vehicle (EV) charging to be available to MFD residents in order to make EVs an option for a large portion of the population. This paper draws on case studies, other research, and charging use data from the Columbus, Ohio area and New York state to summarize the key drivers and barriers for MFD building managers to install EV charging.
Authors: Lepre, N.
Transit Vehicle Innovation Deployment Centers Advisory Panel Overview and Conclusions
1/3/2022
The Transit Vehicle Innovation Deployment Centers (TVIDC) program was funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration to research the advancement, production, and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies and infrastructure within the public transportation sector. The TVIDC program assembled the Transit Vehicle Innovation Deployment Advisory Panel to meet and develop suggested solutions to the challenges of continued innovation, development, and adoption of zero-emission transit technologies. This report is a summary of the panel’s suggested solutions and activities.
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. Coalition-reported activities prevented nearly 5 million carbon dioxide-equivalent tons of emissions (only GHG emissions are reported here; criteria pollutants and other emissions are not included in this report). The GHG benefits increased in 2020 despite a decrease in EUI because coalitions focused more on technologies with higher GHG 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.
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator: Second Quarter 2021
12/16/2021
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator contains information on public and private non-residential alternative fueling stations in the United States and Canada and currently tracks ethanol (E85), biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, and propane stations. Of these fuels, EV charging continues to experience rapidly changing technology and growing infrastructure. This report provides a snapshot of the state of EV charging infrastructure in the United States in the second calendar quarter of 2021. Using data from the Station Locator, this report breaks down the growth of public and private charging infrastructure by charging level, network, and location. Additionally, this report measures the current state of charging infrastructure compared with the amount projected to meet charging demand by 2030. This information is intended to help transportation planners, policymakers, researchers, infrastructure developers, and others understand the rapidly changing landscape for EV charging.
Authors: Brown, A.; Levene, J.; Schayowitz, A.; Klotz, E.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, October 2021
12/15/2021
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for October 2021 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 October 1, 2021 and October 15, 2021, 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 16 cents from $3.09 to $3.25; diesel increased 22 cents from $3.26 to $3.48; CNG increased 11 cents from $2.22 to $2.33; ethanol (E85) increased 11 cents from $2.62 to $2.73; propane increased 19 cents from $2.98 to $3.17; and biodiesel (B20) increased 24 cents from $3.05 to $3.29.
According to Table 3, CNG is 92 cents less than gasoline on an energy- equivalent basis and E85 is 30 cents more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Bourbon, E.
Ethanol Production in the United States: The Roles of Policy, Price, and Demand
11/26/2021
Assessments of the impact of the U.S. renewable fuel standard (RFS) should inform consideration of future biofuels policy. Conventional wisdom suggests the RFS played a major role in stimulating the ten-fold expansion in ethanol production and consumption in the United States from 2002 to 2019, but evidence increasingly suggests the RFS may have had a smaller effect than previously assumed. Price competitiveness, federal and state policies such as reformulated gasoline requirements, and octane content in ethanol also affect market attractiveness. This study explores the roles of policy and economic factors by comparing historical data with results from scenarios simulated in a system dynamics model.
Authors: Newes, E.; Clark, C.; Vimmerstedt, L.; Peterson, S.; Burkholder, D.; Korotney, D.; Inman, 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.
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.
Electric Ride-Hailing Charging Infrastructure: Needs Assessment and Equitable Siting in Houston
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 emissions. 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 equity and access in the city, with a focus on city-owned properties. The paper also summarizes best practices in equitable clean mobility investments and discusses the policies and actions that can facilitate ride-hailing electrification and contribute to equitable outcomes.
Authors: Hsu C.; Slowik, P.
Notes: This copyrighted publication can be accessed on the International Council on Clean Transportation website.
Future-Proofing Convenience Stores for EV Charging
10/12/2021
Direct current fast charging is the optimal technology for electric vehicle (EV) charging at convenience stores. This document helps convenience retailers plan for EV charging infrastructure at new liquid fueling sites. With careful planning and efficient site design, ground-up facilities can be constructed to keep fuels convenient and safe for store personnel and the public.
