National Academies Report Released: Review of the Research Program of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership: Fourth Report

Recently, the National Academies Press (NAP) released report produced by the Committee on Review of the U.S. DRIVE Research Program, Phase 4; Board on Energy and Environmental Systems; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; and the National Research Council titled, Review of the Research Program of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership: Fourth Report (2013). The 185-page report (available free with a one-time registration) discusses how,

Review of the Research Program of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership: Fourth Report follows on three previous NRC reviews of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership, which was the predecessor of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership (NRC, 2005, 2008a, 2010). The U.S. DRIVE (Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle Efficiency and Energy Sustainability) vision, according to the charter of the Partnership, is this: American consumers have a broad range of affordable personal transportation choices that reduce petroleum consumption and significantly reduce harmful emissions from the transportation sector. Its mission is as follows: accelerate the development of pre-competitive and innovative technologies to enable a full range of efficient and clean advanced light-duty vehicles (LDVs), as well as related energy infrastructure. The Partnership focuses on precompetitive research and development (R&D) that can help to accelerate the emergence of advanced technologies to be commercialization-feasible.

The guidance for the work of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership as well as the priority setting and targets for needed research are provided by joint industry/government technical teams. This structure has been demonstrated to be an effective means of identifying high-priority, long-term precompetitive research needs for each technology with which the Partnership is involved. Technical areas in which research and development as well as technology validation programs have been pursued include the following: internal combustion engines (ICEs) potentially operating on conventional and various alternative fuels, automotive fuel cell power systems, hydrogen storage systems (especially onboard vehicles), batteries and other forms of electrochemical energy storage, electric propulsion systems, hydrogen production and delivery, and materials leading to vehicle weight reductions.

One Million Electric Vehicles By 2015 -- DOE

This report from the Department of Energy dated February 2011 finds that President Obama’s goal of putting one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015 represents a key milestone toward dramatically reducing dependence on oil and ensuring that America leads in the growing electric vehicle manufacturing industry. Although the
goal is ambitious, key steps already taken and further steps proposed indicate the goal is achievable. Indeed, leading vehicle manufacturers already have plans for cumulative U.S. production capacity of more than 1.2 million electric vehicles by 2015, according to public announcements and news reports.

While it appears that the goal is within reach in terms of production capacity, initial costs and lack of familiarity with the technology could be barriers. For that reason, President Obama has proposed steps to accelerate America’s leadership in electric vehicle deployment, including improvements to existing consumer tax credits, programs to help cities prepare for growing demand for electric vehicles and strong support for research and development.

EPA and NHTSA Propose First-Ever Program to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improve Fuel Efficiency of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Regulatory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are announcing a first-ever program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve fuel efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, such as the largest pickup trucks and vans, semi trucks, and all types and sizes of work trucks and buses in between. These vehicles make up the transportation segment’s second largest contributor to oil consumption and GHG emissions.

See also: Heavy-Duty Regulations

Federal Energy and Fleet Management: Plug-in Vehicles Offer Potential Benefits, but High Costs and Limited Information Could Hinder Integration...

This Government Accountability Office Report dated June 2009 (GAO-09-493) finds that Plug-ins will be expensive relative to other vehicles until battery costs come down and challenges such as achieving economies of scale are met. These high upfront costs will prevent agencies from including plug-ins in large numbers in their fleets without additional funding. Furthermore, agencies will also be hindered from incorporating plug-ins because of uncertainties regarding their performance, the maintenance and reliability associated with the vehicles’ batteries, and the resale value of the vehicles. Exploring the option of leasing the vehicles directly from manufacturers could help mitigate these risks and allow agencies to experiment with how well the vehicles perform within their fleet.

2009 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program and Vehicle Technologies Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting

The 2009 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program and Vehicle Technologies Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting will be held May 18–22 in Arlington, Virginia.

Following an opening plenary session, principal investigators will present the results of their work and future plans to panels of independent experts for review, providing an opportunity for industry, academia, government, and others to offer formal feedback to DOE on its activities.

Projects will be reviewed in the following areas of the Hydrogen Program: production and delivery, storage, fuel cells, systems analysis, manufacturing, and basic energy sciences. Projects will be reviewed in the following areas of the Vehicle Technologies Program: advanced combustion; advanced power electronics; energy storage; fuels technologies; light-weight materials; propulsion materials; technology validation; vehicle systems and simulations; safety, codes and standards; technology integration; and education.

More than 1,500 participants are expected from industry, small businesses, universities, research institutions, government, and other organizations. The meeting is open to the public and free of charge, but attendees must register to participate.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissionfrom Light-Duty Motor Vehicles

This Report prepared by Northeast States Center for a Clean Air Future (NESCCAF) dated September 2004 this study provides an assessment of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions that could be achieved in new, light-duty motor vehicles through the application of currently available and advanced motor vehicle technologies in the 2009-2015 time frame. Results were obtained from original cost and technology analyses conducted for this study, together with information obtained from other available reports. Relative to other sectors of the economy, motor vehicles account for a particularly large share – 20 to 25 percent – of total anthropogenic GHG emissions in the Northeast.

Because total vehicle miles traveled are predicted to rise steadily in coming decades, motor vehicles also represent the fastest growing portion of the region’s overall GHG inventory. As such, the Northeast states – all of which, individually or as a region, are committed to reducing emissions that contribute to the risk of future climate change – have a keen interest in addressing the emissions contribution of the light-duty vehicle fleet. Further impetus for this assessment comes from California’s recent action – as required by Assembly Bill 1493 – to develop regulations aimed at achieving maximum feasible and cost-effective reductions in GHG emissions from light-duty vehicles beginning in model year 2009.

In recent years, numerous technologies that could substantially reduce motor vehicle GHG emissions have been developed and brought into production. For the most part, however, recent technology advances have been used to boost vehicle performance rather than to reduce emissions. With more aggressive deployment of these technologies and greater emphasis on their application in ways that reduce emissions, this study finds that average GHG emissions from new vehicles could be substantially reduced over the next decade.

2007 Progress Report: Vehicle and Engine Compliance Activities

This Environmental Protection Agency Report provides a reference resource for the environmental data we generate about “mobile sources,” or moving sources of air pollution. These sources include vehicles, engines, and motorized equipment that produce exhaust and evaporative emissions. The report summarizes vehicle and engine compliance program data we collected in 2007 including test results from model year 2007 certification activities plus other types of compliance reports and test results produced during calendar year 2007. National emissions inventory
data are presented for 2006.