Publications

Powering Seattle Fleets: A Charging Infrastructure Strategy for Battery-Electric Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles

5/1/2024

Within the Puget Sound region, transit agencies are positioned to lead in a surge of electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs). Seattle City Light (SCL), the municipal electric utility of Seattle, is responsible for both ensuring sufficient infrastructure and grid capacity to meet the future energy requirements of electrification of these vehicles. This report serves to inform development of the charging infrastructure strategy for the utility through analysis of projected charging infrastructure development and local vehicle data. The analysis resulted in seven broad recommendations for the utility, addressing en-route charging, depot charging, internal operations, and communications with fleets.

Authors: Steimer, H; Allcock, C; Minjares, R; Brito, J; Buysse, C

SiLVERS: St. Louis Vehicle Electrification Rides for Seniors Final Report

5/1/2024

Program-specific electric vehicle (EV) use cases can be particularly helpful towards nationwide EV adoption, as they prove EVs can perform as well, if not better, than their internal combustion counterparts. This case study highlights the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from a 3-and-a-half-year pilot program that employed EVs to deliver and transport senior citizens around the St. Louis area. The study demonstrates how electrifying social services not only maintains performance, but simultaneously reduces carbon emissions and saves on operating costs, the latter being a particularly significant factor for programs receiving little funding.

Authors: Connor Herman

Hot Weather Impacts on Battery-Electric Transit Buses

5/1/2024

This help sheet provides information about the impact of hot weather on battery electric buses (BEB) that transit fleets should consider when integrating BEBs into their fleets and a checklist of relative precautions that transit agencies can take during the deployment planning process to ensure optimal performance of BEBs in hot weather.

Clean Cities and Communities Overview

4/26/2024

Clean Cities and Communities is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) partnership to advance clean transportation nationwide. More than 75 DOE-designated Clean Cities and Communities coalitions work locally in urban, suburban, and rural communities to strengthen the nation's environment, energy security, and economic prosperity. As partners with DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office, coalitions work to deploy affordable, efficient, and clean transportation; energy efficient mobility systems; and fuel-saving technologies and practices.

High-Power Electric Vehicle Charging Hub Integration Platform (eCHIP): Design Guidelines and Specifications for DC Distribution-Based Charging Hub

4/1/2024

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded EVs@Scale Consortium aims to expand direct current (DC), distribution-based, high-power charging systems through eCHIP. Further, the eCHIP program seeks to develop affordable, efficient, and interoperable DC-coupled charging hubs (“DC hub”). This report provides a step-by-step analysis of the DC hub platform, including design, development, and implementation. The report also offers metrics and considerations for DC hub system design, using results from a preliminary eCHIP experiment as benchmarking.

Authors: Mithat John Kisacikoglu; Jason D. Harper; Rajendra Prasad Kandula; Alastair P. Thurlbeck; Akram Syed Ali

Study of Electric Vehicle Range Loss Associated with Replacement Tires

4/1/2024

This technical report from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) examines how replacement tires affect the range of EVs, with a goal of supplementing the EV information made available to consumers on the FuelEconomy.Gov website. The report analyzes the change in range from worn tires versus replacement tires, paying particular attention to how tire friction impacts range losses. The report also compares worn, replacement, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) tires across five EV models from different EV manufacturers. ORNL concludes that, compared to OEM tires, tire replacements reduce estimated EV range whereas worn tires increase estimated range.

Authors: C. Scott Sluder; Stacy C. Davis; Robert G. Boundy

Advance Local Mobility Through Energy Efficient Mobility Systems Technologies

3/25/2024

Everyone deserves reliable, affordable, and safe transportation to connect people to jobs, healthcare, education, and recreation. Our transportation systems are interconnected, multimodal networks working together to move people and goods. These systems are dynamic and are being reshaped by factors such as population trends, new technologies, shifting labor models, economic forces, and changing climate. Energy efficient mobility systems (EEMS) technologies can help transportation planners ensure changes in our transportation systems are sustainable by improving energy efficiency, travel time, and affordability, as well as overall access to mobility. Transportation planners and decision makers can use the following EEMS tools and strategies to advance local mobility.

Authors: Reichelt, L.

Multi-State Transportation Electrification Impact Study

3/1/2024

This study was conducted to help answer technical and deployment questions about whether the electric grid can accommodate increasing demands from transportation electrification, particularly if it can accommodate the anticipated impact of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rulemakings if finalized as proposed on greenhouse gas emission standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty on-road vehicles The study analyzes charging infrastructure and distribution grid upgrade needs for California, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, which are indicative of a variety of transportation demand and utility distribution infrastructure in the United States.

National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy

3/1/2024

This report details the United States strategy for accelerating the sustainable and scalable deployment of reliable zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (ZE-MHDV) infrastructure along national freight corridors and at truck depots within freight hubs through 2040. The strategy is designed to guide infrastructure deployment to meet market demands, catalyze investments, and support utility and regulatory planning. This document identifies current opportunities for the early introduction of ZE-MHDVs, evaluates deployment factors that target favorable investment areas, and demonstrates how infrastructure can be phased in around the country, emphasizing cross-sector collaboration and a multi-tier government approach.

Authors: Chu, K; Miller, K; Schroeder, A; Gilde, A; Laughlin, M

Refueling Infrastructure Deployment in Low-Income and Non-Urban Communities

3/1/2024

Following the need for increased investment in infrastructure that supports low- and zero-emission vehicles in low-income and overburdened communities identified in the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization and the eligibility criteria in the alternative fuel infrastructure tax credit that encourages investment in underserved communities, this report quantifies how many fueling amenities are currently located in census tracts that qualify for the tax credit, as well as the percent of the U.S. population and the percentage of current vehicle registrations that are located in the eligible census tracts.

Authors: Gohlke, D; Zhou, Y; Wu, X

Simulation-Based Assessment of Energy Consumption of Alternative Powertrains in Agricultural Tractors

2/27/2024

This report developed simulation models for conventional, parallel hybrid electric, series hybrid electric, fuel cell hybrid, and battery electric powertrain technologies for agricultural tractors, analyzing the potential energy efficiency and emissions benefits as well as technical challenges for implementing the vehicles. The study showed that both the battery electric and fuel cell hybrid tractors have higher potential to reduce energy consumption and emissions, but currently have inherent technical challenges, while the parallel hybrid and series hybrid powertrain tractors have varying energy efficiency benefits depending on the tractor size and operating cycle conditions.

Authors: Lajunen, A; Kivekas, K; Freyermuth, V; Vijayagopal, R; Kim, N

Electric Vehicle Fire Primer for Fleet Managers

2/16/2024

Despite heightened media attention, the risk of an EV fire is statistically very low. Fleet managers considering EVs can learn about the potential for EV fires and measures to help reduce fire risk.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator: Third Quarter 2023

2/1/2024

Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure continues to rapidly change and grow. Using data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator, this report provides a snapshot of the state of EV charging infrastructure in the United States in the third calendar quarter of 2023 by charging level, network, and location. Additionally, this report measures the current state of charging infrastructure compared with a federal infrastructure requirement scenario. This information is intended to help transportation planners, policymakers, researchers, infrastructure developers, and others understand the rapidly changing landscape of EV charging infrastructure. This is the fifteenth report in a series.

Authors: Brown, A.; Cappellucci, J.; Heinrich, A.; Cost, E.

Best Practices for Payment Systems at Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

2/1/2024

This report summarizes current electric vehicle (EV) charging payment challenges and proposes solutions, including issues with EV charging networks; integration, activation, and installation; robustness of hardware; customer experience; and maintenance.

Authors: Moriarty, K; Smart, J

National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI) Brief for State Public Utility Commissions (PUCs)

2/1/2024

State PUCs will play an important role in NEVI buildout as they oversee the utility investment in a new national EV charging network. This policy brief provides an explanation of the NEVI funding process and requirements for PUCs, describing potential PUC roles in the NEVI process and considerations for state PUCs as states undergo the NEVI process. The report also details how the implementation of the NEVI program may broadly impact the future technical requirements and standards for the EV charging industry and specifically for utilities.

Authors: Bennett, R