Loading...
A Low Carbon Fuel Standard: In Brief
7/7/2021
As part of the congressional deliberations on addressing climate change, Congress may consider policy options for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector. One policy option Congress may examine is a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). An LCFS is a policy that requires transportation fuels to meet a certain energy-related GHG target (e.g., a specific carbon intensity) within a specified jurisdiction and timeframe. This report provides a brief overview of an LCFS, congressional interest in an LCFS, the connection between the Renewable Fuel Standard and an LCFS, and considerations for policymakers.
Authors: Bracmort, K.
Clean Cities Coalitions 2019 Activity Report
5/6/2021
Clean Cities coalition activities resulted in an energy use impact (EUI) of over 1 billion gasoline-gallons equivalent (GGE), comprised of net alternative fuels used and energy savings from efficiency projects, in 2019. Participation in vehicle and infrastructure development projects remained strong, as did alternative fuel use and resulting overall EUI. Clean Cities coalition activities reduce emissions as they impact energy use. Coalition-reported activities prevented nearly 5 million carbon dioxide-equivalent tons of emissions (only greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions are reported here; criteria pollutants and other emissions are not included in this report). Coalitions were successful in securing project grant awards from numerous (non-DOE) outside sources. For other Federal, State, and local agencies and private sector foundations, see funding section on page 24. The 82 project grant awards in 2019 generated $225 million in funds from coalition members and project partners along with $9.5 million in DOE grant funds. Coalitions also collected $1.2 million in stakeholder dues and $1.6 million in operational funds from host organizations. In macro terms, this supplemental funding represents nearly a 6:1 leveraging of the $38 million that was included in the VTO Technology Integration budget in Fiscal Year 2019. Clean Cities coordinators spent nearly 136,000 hours pursuing their coalitions' goals in 2019. The average coordinator is quite experienced and has held his or her position for at least eight years. Coordinators logged more than 3,525 outreach, education, and training activities in 2019, which reached an estimated 23 million people.
Authors: Singer, M.; Johnson, C.
Comprehensive Total Cost of Ownership Quantification for Vehicles with Different Size Classes and Powertrains
4/1/2021
In order to accurately compare the costs of two vehicles, the total cost of ownership (TCO) should consist of all costs related to both purchasing and operating the vehicle. This TCO analysis builds on previous work to provide a comprehensive perspective of all relevant vehicle costs of ownership. This study considers vehicle cost and depreciation, financing, fuel costs, insurance costs, maintenance and repair costs, taxes and fees, and other operational costs to formulate a holistic total cost of ownership and operation of light- and heavy-duty vehicles. For each of the cost parameters, researchers performed extensive literature review and data analysis to find representative values to build a holistic TCO for vehicles of all size classes.
Authors: Burnham, A.; Gohlke, D.; Rush, L.; Stephens, T.; Zhou, Y.; Delucchi, M.; Birky, A.; Hunter, C.; Lin, Z.; Ou, S.; Xie, F.; Proctor, C,; Wiryadinata, S.; Liu, N.; Boloor, M.
Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2020
3/1/2021
This report, published annually, summarizes the progress of fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) development in the United States and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The report provides a summary of results from evaluations performed by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This annual status report combines results from all FCEB demonstrations, tracks the progress of the FCEB industry toward meeting technical targets, documents the lessons learned, and discusses the path forward for commercial viability of fuel cell technology for transit buses. The data from these early FCEB deployments funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, state agencies, and the private sector help to guide future early-stage research and development. The 2020 summary results primarily focus on the most recent year from January 2020 through July 2020.
Authors: Eudy, L.; Post, M.
Making Sense of Heavy-Duty Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tractors
12/1/2020
Hydrogen fuel cells are proposed as a viable zero-emission alternative to today’s diesel engines. The technology is evolving rapidly for heavy-duty tractors hauling freight in dry van and refrigerated trailers. A handful of prototypes are in testing today in North America, while limited production units are entering commercial service in Europe. This report provides an unbiased view of the potential for hydrogen fuel cell tractors, identifying where and why they make sense in the mix of future zero-emission solutions.
Notes:
This copyrighted publication can be accessed through North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s website.
Assessing the Potential for Low-Carbon Fuel Standards as a Mode of EV Support
12/1/2020
Low-carbon fuel standards (LCFS), which regulate the carbon intensity of fuels supplied to transportation, can provide long-term, durable funding for plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) infrastructure and PEV purchasing incentives as other policies such as rebates expire or are phased-down. This study assesses the role that a national LCFS program can play in accelerating the rate of light-duty passenger PEV and charging infrastructure deployment.
Authors: Kelly, C.: Pavlenko, N.
Federal Best Practices: Core Principles of Sustainable Fleet Management
11/2/2020
This document is designed to help agency fleet managers understand and implement optimal petroleum reduction strategies for each fleet location by evaluating the most appropriate combination of the four core principles of sustainable fleet management: right-sizing the fleet to agency mission by implementing a vehicle allocation methodology study; minimizing vehicle miles traveled; increasing fleet fuel efficiency by replacing inefficient vehicles with more fuel-efficient vehicles, maintaining vehicles, driving more efficiently, and avoiding excessive idling; and optimizing cost-effective alternative fuel use, including maximizing use of existing alternative fuel infrastructure, installing alternative fuel infrastructure where practical (including electric vehicle charging stations), and aligning deployment of alternative fuel vehicles with fueling infrastructure.
Authors: Bentley, J.; Hodge, C.
Hydrogen Station Permitting Guidebook
9/1/2020
This guidebook is comprised of six parts and is intended to help station developers and local jurisdictions navigate and streamline the infrastructure development process. It reflects the latest best practices collected from stations developers and local jurisdictions with experience in the hydrogen stations development process.
Authors: Brazil Vacin, G.; Eckerle, T.; Kashuba, M.
2019 Fuel Cell Technologies Market Report
9/1/2020
This report examines global fuel cell and hydrogen trends during 2019, covering business and financial activities, federal programs, and aspects of the various market sectors for fuel cells which include transportation. The report also covers 2019 activities related to hydrogen production, power-to-gas, energy storage, and components used by fuel cell and hydrogen technologies.
Authors: Dolan, C.; Gangi, J.; Homann, Q.; Fink, V.; Kopasz, J.
2019 Fuel Cell Technologies Market Report
9/1/2020
This report provides an update on the status of the hydrogen and fuel cell industry, including deployments and demonstrations of various applications, as well as a snapshot of the business and governmental landscape for the year 2019. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, it follows the format of prior market reports and provides a factual, unbiased view of the technology and market status.
Authors: Dolan, C.; Gangi, J.; Homann, Q.; Fink, V.; Kopasz, J.
Evolution of Plug-In Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in the United States
8/1/2020
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) has tracked alternative fueling and electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the United States since 1991. This paper explores the history of the AFDC Station Locator, which was launched in 1999, and discusses the growth of electric vehicle supply equipment. It also looks at how electric vehicle drivers access public charging, and evaluates challenges, gaps, and opportunities facing both electric vehicle drivers and the industry as a whole.
Authors: Brown, A.; Lommele, S.; Eger, R.; Schayowitz, A.
Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses
4/1/2020
The zero‐emission bus market, including electric buses and fuel cell electric buses, has seen significant growth in recent years. Zero-emission buses do not rely on fossil fuels for operation and have zero harmful tailpipe emissions, improving local air quality. The increase in market interest has also helped decrease product pricing. This guidebook is designed to provide transit agencies with information on current best practices for zero-emission bus deployments and lessons learned from previous deployments, industry experts, and available industry resources.
Authors: Linscott, M.; Posner, A.
Notes: This report is copyrighted and can be accessed through the National Academy of Sciences website.
