Electric Vehicle Cost-Benefit Analysis

This study estimated the costs and benefits of increased penetration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in the state of Illinois. The study estimated the benefits that would accrue to all electric utility customers in Illinois due to greater utilization of the electric grid during off-peak hours, and increased utility revenues from PEV charging. In addition, the study estimated the annual financial benefits to Illinois drivers from owning PEVs—from fuel and maintenance cost savings compared to owning gasoline vehicles—and societal benefits resulting from reduced gasoline consumption and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Two different PEV penetration levels between 2030 and 2050 …

From Gas to Grid: Building Charging Infrastructure to Power Electric Vehicle Demand

The world doesn’t need any more cost-benefit analyses; they’ve already been done, and they show that vehicle electrification is overwhelmingly beneficial for society as a whole—even for non-drivers. Nor should we doubt that people will buy electric vehicles (EVs). Sales are accelerating so rapidly that Bloomberg New Energy Finance warns the U.S. will hit an “infrastructure cap” in the mid-2030s due to a lack of charging stations. The questions we should be grappling with now is where to build EV chargers, who should own them, and how to make fast charging a sustainable business.…

Electricity Storage and Renewables: Costs and Markets To 2030

Battery electricity storage is a key technology in the world’s transition to a sustainable energy system. Battery systems can support a wide range of services needed for the transition, from providing frequency response, reserve capacity, black-start capability and other grid services, to storing power in electric vehicles, upgrading mini-grids and supporting “self-consumption” of rooftop solar power.

In the longer-term, batteries could support very high levels of variable renewable electricity, specifically by storing surplus energy and releasing it later, when the sun is not shining or the wind not blowing strongly enough.

While pumped-hydro systems still dominate electricity storage (with 96% …

Electric Vehicle Cost-Benefit Analysis: Plug-in Electric Vehicle Cost-Benefit Analysis: Michigan

This study estimated the costs and benefits of increased penetration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) in the state of Michigan. The study estimated the benefits that would accrue to all electric utility customers in Michigan due to greater utilization of the electric grid during off-peak hours, and increased utility revenues from PEV charging. In addition, the study estimated the annual financial benefits to Michigan drivers from owning PEVs– from fuel and maintenance cost savings compared to owning gasoline vehicles – and societal benefits resulting from reduced gasoline consumption and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Two different penetration levels between 2030 …

Can We Reach 100 Million Electric Cars Worldwide By 2030?

 
This report is part 2 of a study of the potential to achieve a particular target of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales worldwide by 2030. That target is 100 million for 4 wheel road vehicles (cars and LDVs) as a cumulative sales (or roughly a stock) target in that year, consistent with the Paris Declaration on Electromobility. The previous report2 provided an overview of trends and some of the key considerations in getting to the 100 million target. This report takes a more rigorous approach, considering formalized models and scenario development and projecting key factors to 2030 to gain …

Electric Utilities and the Future of Clean Transportation

As part of the global coalition of countries committed to fighting climate change, the United States has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. To meet that goal, the Obama administration has taken action to clean up the power sector, make cars and trucks more energy efficient, and reduce emissions from other parts of the economy. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, however, the United States—and its global partners—will have to achieve much steeper emissions reductions in the coming decades.

The transportation sector accounts for more than …

Public Policy Evaluation in the Face of Strong Prior Beliefs: The Case of Electric Cars

Dispassionate public policy evaluation is crucial in contexts characterized by strong prior beliefs about the merits of the policy and/or its targeted outcome. Federal subsidies for purchasing electric cars (and many state-level incentives) reflect beliefs that electric vehicles generate a range of benefits, including environmental benefits from electric vehicle use. Rather than simply accepting this belief, our research compares the environmental consequences of gasoline and electric vehicles.

A rigorous assessment of policies pertaining to electric cars is complicated by interactions among economic and physical systems. First, despite being treated by regulators as “zero emission vehicles,” electric vehicles are not necessarily …

Achieving 50 Percent Renewable Electricity in California (2015)

Ramping up renewable energy in California is essential to lowering carbon emissions from the state’s electricity sector. Renewable energy can also reduce emissions in the transportation sector by powering electric vehicles.

As California moves toward increasing renewable energy beyond the current requirement of 33 percent by 2020, the state’s approach to managing the electricity grid needs to evolve to take full advantage of its low-carbon resources.

For example, natural gas power plants could generate electricity and provide reliability services when there is an ample supply of renewable energy available. In this scenario, electricity produced by natural gas power plants could …

Tomorrow’s Clean Vehicles, Today (2015)

A Ford F-150 that travels 5 miles further on every gallon of gas. A Mercedes crossover that saves drivers over $8,000 dollars in lifetime fueling costs. A Mitsubishi compact that gets 40 miles per gallon.

These aren’t fuel efficiency fantasies; they’re real numbers that represent new vehicles on the market today. Thanks to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and global warming emission standards passed in 2010, today’s new cars and trucks are more efficient than ever before. And despite claims that the standards are expensive or technologically impossible, automaker manufacturers continue producing cleaner cars and trucks every year, saving …

Impact of Introducing an Electric Vehicle Rebate on the Oregon State Economy

Establishing an electric vehicle (EV) rebate program for the purchase of all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in Oregon would produce economic gains while reducing gasoline consumption by Oregon consumers. The rebate would inject an additional $83 million into the state’s GDP through 2030 while making consumers less vulnerable to fluctuating gasoline prices.

The report finds that implementing a rebate for EVs would save Oregon drivers $46 million in gasoline bills over the next five years. Those savings would increase to $212 million through 2030. In addition, more electric vehicles on Oregon’s roads would mitigate the negative effects of high or …