Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels


Book Description

For a century, almost all light-duty vehicles (LDVs) have been powered by internal combustion engines operating on petroleum fuels. Energy security concerns about petroleum imports and the effect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on global climate are driving interest in alternatives. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels assesses the potential for reducing petroleum consumption and GHG emissions by 80 percent across the U.S. LDV fleet by 2050, relative to 2005. This report examines the current capability and estimated future performance and costs for each vehicle type and non-petroleum-based fuel technology as options that could significantly contribute to these goals. By analyzing scenarios that combine various fuel and vehicle pathways, the report also identifies barriers to implementation of these technologies and suggests policies to achieve the desired reductions. Several scenarios are promising, but strong, and effective policies such as research and development, subsidies, energy taxes, or regulations will be necessary to overcome barriers, such as cost and consumer choice.




Analyzing the Range Barrier to Electric Vehicle Adoption


Book Description

Although electric vehicles (EVs) are theoretically capable of emissions-free driving, their market penetration is still pending, which is reflected in their low sales numbers. This is mainly due to three major barriers to the widespread adoption of these vehicles, with one of them being their limited average driving distance. Although the limited range of these cars would theoretically be sufficient to match the usage patterns of most drivers, they are generally unwilling to accept it. In this regard, users often report serious concerns about not reaching their planned destinations due to battery depletion, which is commonly referred to as range anxiety. Within this cumulative dissertation, four research questions were derived, aiming to investigate measures that mitigate range anxiety and thus positively affect the attitude toward using EVs. To answer these research questions, six studies were conducted. The insights gained from analyzing the data provide researchers with an in-depth knowledge for investigating the influence of information systems on range anxiety. In addition, practitioners find decision support for addressing the phenomenon of range anxiety in implementing and designing information systems.




Transitions to Alternative Transportation Technologies


Book Description

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) could alleviate the nation's dependence on oil and reduce U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas. Industry-and government-sponsored research programs have made very impressive technical progress over the past several years, and several companies are currently introducing pre-commercial vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations in limited markets. However, to achieve wide hydrogen vehicle penetration, further technological advances are required for commercial viability, and vehicle manufacturer and hydrogen supplier activities must be coordinated. In particular, costs must be reduced, new automotive manufacturing technologies commercialized, and adequate supplies of hydrogen produced and made available to motorists. These efforts will require considerable resources, especially federal and private sector funding. This book estimates the resources that will be needed to bring HFCVs to the point of competitive self-sustainability in the marketplace. It also estimates the impact on oil consumption and carbon dioxide emissions as HFCVs become a large fraction of the light-duty vehicle fleet.




Clean Disruption of Energy and Transportation


Book Description

The industrial age of energy and transportation will be over by 2030. Maybe before. Exponentially improving technologies such as solar, electric vehicles, and autonomous (self-driving) cars will disrupt and sweep away the energy and transportation industries as we know it. The same Silicon Valley ecosystem that created bit-based technologies that have disrupted atom-based industries is now creating bit- and electron-based technologies that will disrupt atom-based energy industries. Clean Disruption projections (based on technology cost curves, business model innovation as well as product innovation) show that by 2030: - All new energy will be provided by solar or wind. - All new mass-market vehicles will be electric. - All of these vehicles will be autonomous (self-driving) or semi-autonomous. - The new car market will shrink by 80%. - Even assuming that EVs don't kill the gasoline car by 2030, the self-driving car will shrink the new car market by 80%. - Gasoline will be obsolete. Nuclear is already obsolete. - Up to 80% of highways will be redundant. - Up to 80% of parking spaces will be redundant. - The concept of individual car ownership will be obsolete. - The Car Insurance industry will be disrupted. The Stone Age did not end because we ran out of rocks. It ended because a disruptive technology ushered in the Bronze Age. The era of centralized, command-and-control, extraction-resource-based energy sources (oil, gas, coal and nuclear) will not end because we run out of petroleum, natural gas, coal, or uranium. It will end because these energy sources, the business models they employ, and the products that sustain them will be disrupted by superior technologies, product architectures, and business models. This is a technology-based disruption reminiscent of how the cell phone, Internet, and personal computer swept away industries such as landline telephony, publishing, and mainframe computers. Just like those technology disruptions flipped the architecture of information and brought abundant, cheap and participatory information, the clean disruption will flip the architecture of energy and bring abundant, cheap and participatory energy. Just like those previous technology disruptions, the Clean Disruption is inevitable and it will be swift.




The Power of Change


Book Description

Electricity, supplied reliably and affordably, is foundational to the U.S. economy and is utterly indispensable to modern society. However, emissions resulting from many forms of electricity generation create environmental risks that could have significant negative economic, security, and human health consequences. Large-scale installation of cleaner power generation has been generally hampered because greener technologies are more expensive than the technologies that currently produce most of our power. Rather than trade affordability and reliability for low emissions, is there a way to balance all three? The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Energy Technologies considers how to speed up innovations that would dramatically improve the performance and lower the cost of currently available technologies while also developing new advanced cleaner energy technologies. According to this report, there is an opportunity for the United States to continue to lead in the pursuit of increasingly clean, more efficient electricity through innovation in advanced technologies. The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Energy Technologies makes the case that America's advantagesâ€"world-class universities and national laboratories, a vibrant private sector, and innovative states, cities, and regions that are free to experiment with a variety of public policy approachesâ€"position the United States to create and lead a new clean energy revolution. This study focuses on five paths to accelerate the market adoption of increasing clean energy and efficiency technologies: (1) expanding the portfolio of cleaner energy technology options; (2) leveraging the advantages of energy efficiency; (3) facilitating the development of increasing clean technologies, including renewables, nuclear, and cleaner fossil; (4) improving the existing technologies, systems, and infrastructure; and (5) leveling the playing field for cleaner energy technologies. The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Energy Technologies is a call for leadership to transform the United States energy sector in order to both mitigate the risks of greenhouse gas and other pollutants and to spur future economic growth. This study's focus on science, technology, and economic policy makes it a valuable resource to guide support that produces innovation to meet energy challenges now and for the future.




Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Technologies


Book Description

This Special Issue “Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Technologies” was in session from 1 May 2019 to 31 May 2020. For this Special issue, we invited articles on current state-of-the-art technologies and solutions in G2V and V2G, including but not limited to the operation and control of gridable vehicles, energy storage and management systems, charging infrastructure and chargers, EV demand and load forecasting, V2G interfaces and applications, V2G and energy reliability and security, environmental impacts, and economic benefits as well as demonstration projects and case studies in the aforementioned areas. Articles that deal with the latest hot topics in V2G are of particular interest, such as V2G and demand-side response control technique, smart charging infrastructure and grid planning, advanced power electronics for V2G systems, adaptation of V2G systems in the smart grid, adaptation of smart cities for a large number of EVs, integration, and the optimization of V2G systems, utilities and transportation assets for advanced V2G systems, wireless power transfer systems for advanced V2G systems, fault detection, maintenance and diagnostics in V2G processes, communications protocols for V2G systems, energy management system (EMS) in V2G systems, IoT for V2G systems, distributed energy and storage systems for V2G, transportation networks and V2G, energy management for V2G, smart charging/discharging stations for efficient V2G, environmental and socio-economic benefits and challenges of V2G systems, and building integrated V2G systems (BIV2G). Five manuscripts are published in this Special Issue, including “An Ensemble Stochastic Forecasting Framework for Variable Distributed Demand Loads” by Agyeman et al., “Where Will You Park? Predicting Vehicle Locations for Vehicle-to-Grid, An MPC Scheme with Enhanced Active Voltage Vector Region for V2G Inverter” by Shipman et al., “Electric Vehicles Energy Management with V2G/G2V Multifactor Optimization of Smart Grids” by Xia et al., and “A Review on Communication Standards and Charging Topologies of V2G and V2H Operation Strategies” by Savitti et al.




Cracking the TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion)


Book Description

All the strategies, review, and practice you need to earn your high school equivalency certificate! Includes 2 full-length practice exams and bonus online drills and tutorials. This eBook edition has been specially formatted for on-screen viewing with cross-linked questions, answers, and explanations. The TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion) is a new high school equivalency exam that some states are using as an alternative to the traditional GED test. Currently offered in CA, IL, IN, NC, NJ, NY, NV, SC, WV, and WY, the TASC is made up of 5 separate tests covering Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Science, and Social Studies. The Princeton Review's new Cracking the TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion) is a comprehensive guide to helping you conquer this new test. Created to include the very latest exam updates, this step-by-step guide includes: Everything You Need to Know to Help Achieve a High TASC Score. • Complete coverage of Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science • Easy-to-follow lessons with step-by-step guidance • Customizable study “road maps” to help you create a clear plan of attack Practice That Takes You to Excellence. • 2 full-length practice tests (1 in the book, 1 online) with detailed answer explanations • Practice drills for all five test subjects Bonus Online Features for an Extra Edge. • Additional practice drills for the most challenging topics • Tutorials for the technology-enhanced and constructed-response questions • Sample responses to the essay prompts in the book • “Further skills and concepts” lessons covering less-frequently-tested topics Techniques That Actually Work. • Essential strategies to help you work smarter, not harder • Expert advice to tackle the essay • Key skills designed to maximize your performance




Solving Fundamental Challenges of Electric Vehicles


Book Description

With a growing population and increased mobility, global societies are facing the urgent need to transition to sustainable transportation solutions. However, the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is hindered by challenges, from limitations in battery technology to the scarcity of charging infrastructure. These obstacles impede progress toward a cleaner future and limit EVs' potential economic and social benefits. Solving Fundamental Challenges of Electric Vehicles offers a comprehensive roadmap to navigate the complexities of EV adoption. It delves into critical issues such as battery technology advancements, charging infrastructure development, and policy and regulatory frameworks. The book empowers stakeholders to overcome these challenges and accelerate the transition to electric mobility by providing insights into innovative solutions and breakthrough technologies.