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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Systemwide Considerations for Electrification of Transportation in Islands and Remote Locations

Electric vehicles (EVs) represent an important socio-economic development opportunity for islands and remote locations because they can lead to reduced fuel imports, electricity storage, grid services, and environmental and health benefits. This paper presents an overview of opportunities, challenges, and examples of EVs in islands and remote power systems, and is meant to provide background to researchers, utilities, energy offices, and other stakeholders interested in the impacts of electrification of transportation. The impact of uncontrolled EV charging on the electric grid operation is discussed, as well as several mitigation strategies. Of particular importance in many islands and remote systems is taking advantage of local resources by combining renewable energy and EV charging. Policy and economic issues are presented, with emphasis on the need for an overarching energy policy to guide the strategies for EVs growth. The key conclusion of this paper is that an orderly transition to EVs, one that maximizes benefits while addressing the challenges, requires careful analysis and comprehensive planning.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Vehicle Automation Benefits and Challenges for Passenger Transport System Beyond Automated Driving

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been researching the implementation of fully automated passenger transport systems to be operated within dense urban settings, referred to as Automated Mobility Districts, based on roadway vehicle automation as opposed to track or train-based automation. This research, now in its third phase, is presently addressing the full spectrum of benefits and challenges of full automation of passenger transport systems with respect to fleet electrification and the associated multimodal, large fleet operational management, benefits beyond simply automating the driving tasks. The focal points summarized in the paper and presentation address the benefit-analysis of fleet automation to address added complexities imposed on the multi-fleet operational management when there is a simultaneous implementation of an on-demand service mode that connects with and optimizes the effectiveness of legacy transit systems and new sub-regional autonomous vehicle fleets, with specific emphasis on enhanced ability to better meet peak ridership demand. The research also begins to address challenges in operations arising from lack of personnel present to handle unexpected customer and system needs. Combined, this research articulates vehicle automation benefits and challenges beyond simply automating the driving tasks, addressing additional operational benefits automation provides to address the added complexities imposed by electrification and on-demand modes of operation.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fleet-Level Energy and Emissions Analysis of the US Off-Road Sector with VISION: Off-Road

In the United States (US), the off-road sector (i.e., agriculture, construction, etc.) contributes to approximately 10% of the country’s transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, similar to the aviation sector. The off-road sector is extremely diverse; as the EPA MOVES model classifies it into 11 sub-sectors, which include 85 different types of equipment. These equipment types have horsepower ranging from 1 to greater than 3000 and have very different utilization, which makes decarbonization a complex endeavor. To address this, Argonne’s on-road vehicle fleet model, VISION, has been expanded to the off-road sector. The GHG emission factors for several energy carriers (biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen) have been incorporated from Argonne’s GREET model for a sector-wide well-to-wheel (WTW) GHG emissions analysis of the present and future fleet. Several technology adoption and energy decarbonization scenarios were modeled to better understand the appropriate actions required to drive towards net-zero emissions of the off-road sector. Results show that WTW decarbonization up to 67% can be achieved from 2023 to 2050 in a business-as-usual scenario. But with aggressive sales increases of electric and hydrogen powertrains, WTW decarbonization up to 77% can be achieved, which can further increase to 85% if electricity production is aggressively decarbonized by 2035.

lifecycle↗
DOE OSTI2025

Distinct Dynamics of Lithium Intercalation and Plating on Graphite Anode for Li‐Ion Batteries in eVTOL Applications

In the absence of viable high-energy-density battery alternatives, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries remain essential for enabling electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) platforms in advanced air mobility. Unlike Li-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and portable electronics, eVTOL battery systems operate under distinct high-power demands, which necessitate an independent assessment of material degradation mechanisms. This study presents a case analysis of graphite anode evolution under high-power cycling conditions. The findings reveal lithium entrapment within graphite particles, potentially resulting from incomplete Li-ion de-intercalation during a high-rate discharge event that is characteristic of eVTOL take-off and landing. This phenomenon leads to a progressive reduction in graphite-specific capacity and, over time, promotes lithium metal plating on the anode. Notably, the Li-metal plating observed in this study differs from that associated with fast-charging conditions, as it is primarily governed by concentration polarization-induced overpotential in the latter case. In conclusion, these findings highlight the inherent challenges of utilizing graphite in high-power Li-ion battery applications and elucidate the unique degradation mechanisms that arise due to the sluggish reaction kinetics of Li-ion intercalation and de-intercalation within graphite.

Li plating↗
DOE OSTI2025

ATEAM4Py: An Efficient and Scalable Python-Based Model for Charging Demand

This report details the development and implementation of ATEAM4Py, a Python-based simulation model that projects demand for battery electric vehicle (BEV) charging based on adoption trends and consumer behavior. With Exelon’s support, Argonne National Laboratory converted the original Java-based Agent-based Transportation Energy Analysis Model (ATEAM) into Python, resulting in a faster and more efficient tool for forecasting the timing, location, and scale of charging demand growth. ATEAM4Py tackles key challenges in simulation efficiency and runtime, supporting the strategic development of cost-effective grid capacity expansion strategies and ensuring reliable service for stakeholders.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Perception Testing in Fog for Autonomous Flight

As the path towards Urban Air Mobility (UAM) continues to take shape, there are outstanding technical challenges to achieving safe and effective air transportation operations under this new paradigm. To inform and guide technology development for UAM, NASA is investigating the current state-of-the-art in key technology areas including traffic management, detect-and-avoid, and autonomy. In support of this effort, a new perception testbed was developed at NASA Ames Research Center to collect data from an array of sensing systems representative of those that could be found on a future UAM vehicle. This testbed, featuring a Light-Detection-and-Ranging (LIDAR) instrument, a long-wave infrared sensor, and a visible spectrum camera was deployed for a multiday test campaign in the Fog Chamber at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During the test campaign, fog conditions were created for tests with targets including a human, a resolution chart, and a small unmanned aerial vehicle (sUAV). Here, this paper describes in detail, the developed perception testbed, the experimental setup in the fog chamber, the resulting data, and presents an initial result from analysis of the data with the evaluation of methods to increase contrast through filtering techniques.

aeronautics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Refining Control, Charging, and Battery Chemistry for CO 2 e Savings in Heavy-Duty Off-Road Plug-In Series Hybrid

With current and future regulations continuing to drive reductions in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e) emissions in the on-road industry, the off-road industry is also likely to be regulated for fuel and CO 2 e savings. This work focuses on converting a heavy-duty off-road material handler from a conventional diesel powertrain to a plug-in series hybrid, achieving a 49% fuel reduction and 29% CO 2 e reduction via simulation. Control strategies were refined for energy savings, including a regenerative braking strategy to increase regenerative braking and a load-following hydraulic strategy to decrease electrical energy consumption. The load-following hydraulic control shuts off the hydraulic electric machine when it is not needed—an approach not previously seen in a load-sensing, pressure-compensated system. Furthermore, these strategies achieved a 24.1% fuel savings, resulting in total savings of 61% in fuel and 41% in CO 2 e in the plug-in series compared to the conventional machine. Beyond control strategies, this study evaluated battery chemistry and charging strategy refinements for total cost of ownership (TCO) and lifetime CO 2 e. LFP batteries emerged as the most cost-effective and least emitting due to their longer lifespan, which reduced replacement frequency. Charging comparisons showed that Level 2 charging (L2C) typically resulted in lower TCO but higher lifetime CO 2 e than DC fast charging (DCFC). DCFC costs were heavily influenced by local demand charges, and DCFC emissions were heavily influenced by local grid emissions.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Visualization Within the Department of Energy: NREL IEEE VIS Application Spotlight

This presentation highlights the role of advanced visualization techniques at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in supporting cutting-edge research across diverse energy domains. From immersive analytics and uncertainty visualization to high-resolution and real-time data analysis, NREL's visualization capabilities enable scientists to explore complex datasets more effectively. These tools are critical for advancing research in materials science, renewable energy technologies, biofuels, electric vehicle infrastructure, energy efficiency - from industrial processes to entire communities - and then bringing these innovations to practice through energy systems integration. NREL's visualization tools drive innovation across renewable energy and grid modernization efforts by providing deeper insights and improving decision-making.

grid modernization↗
DOE OSTI2020

Foundations of an Electric Mobility Strategy for the City of Mexicali

The Foundations of an Electric Mobility Strategy for the city of Mexicali aligns with numerous energy, environmental, and transport plans and will help Mexicali meet multiple related goals. Mexicali’s energy mix, with 28% renewables, already enables plugin electric vehicles (PEVs) to reduce the mass of greenhouse gases (GHGs) per km driven 2/3 below that of their conventional counterparts. This GHG benefit will increase should Mexicali take steps to further increase their share of renewables in their electricity supply. Beyond increasing renewables, Mexicali could possibly deploy PEVs so that electric load is added in the right location (depending on further analysis of substations and feeders) and at the right time (between 21:00 and 11:00) in order to minimize grid upgrade costs. There are a handful of charge timing control mechanisms –at various stages of development– that Mexicali could implement. Transport electrification can facilitate mass transit by powering buses, trains, and small vehicles that get people from their homes or work to the transit stations and vice versa. Mexicali could utilize fleets as early PEV adopters in order to gain acceptance and add electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). Recommended prioritization of different types of fleets are suggested in this report: transit buses, school buses, airport ground support equipment (GSE), refuse trucks, taxis, shuttle buses, campus vehicles, delivery trucks, utility trucks, and finally semitrailers. There are a handful of policy options that Mexicali could use to incentivize fleets to purchase PEVs, including mandates, economic incentives, energy performance contracts, waivers to access restrictions, electricity discounts, and EVSE requirements in building codes. Mexicali’s taxi fleet was an early adopter of PEVs and had experienced some challenges—mostly related to the insufficient range of the taxis due to hot weather. In this report, we strategize ways to extend the range of the current electric taxis, including ways to make charging more convenient to the drivers, and more suggestions for appropriate vehicles to purchase in the future. This report also includes the groundwork of geotracking Mexicali’s taxi fleet so that more detailed recommendations can be made in the future. Once fleets have increased PEV acceptance and EVSE installations, the market will be ready to expand to private vehicle owners. In order to do this, more EVSE needs to be installed in the right locations. This mobility strategy lays out general local areas where EVSE could be well utilized, based on traffic patterns, land use, and demographic data. Mexicali could approach businesses within these areas that would likely make suitable hosts, based on how well they can profit from the additional business that EVSE would bring. Mexicali could then adopt a series of purchase incentives (including sales tax waivers or access to high-occupancy vehicles [HOV] lanes) that would encourage private vehicle owners to purchase PEVs. Purchase incentives run the risk of creating equity issues, which can be countered by promoting electrification in mass transit, creating more HOV lanes that have PEV exemptions, and installing EVSEs in underserved communities. Private PEV ownership will require a set of experts that Mexicali can help train, including PEV repair technicians, EVSE installation electricians, and first responders.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pilot Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Deployment for Anchorage, Alaska, Municipal Solid Waste Collection

Through a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Municipality of Anchorage initiated a pilot program in their Solid Waste Services (SWS) department to add heavy-duty electric trucks to its vehicle fleet. The project involves the purchase and deployment of a Peterbilt 220EV electric box truck and two Peterbilt 520EV heavy-duty electric refuse trucks. The Alaska Center for Energy and Power at the University of Alaska Fairbanks performed data analysis. Data collected include telemetry data from both types of electric trucks, charging data from the 520EV telemetry data and a Level 2 charger, and facility-level electric use data.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pilot Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Deployment for Anchorage, Alaska, Municipal Solid Waste Collection

Through a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Municipality of Anchorage initiated a pilot program in their Solid Waste Services (SWS) department to add heavy-duty electric trucks to its vehicle fleet. The project involves the purchase and deployment of a Peterbilt 220EV electric box truck and two Peterbilt 520EV heavy-duty electric refuse trucks. The Alaska Center for Energy and Power at the University of Alaska Fairbanks performed data analysis. Data collected include telemetry data from both types of electric trucks, charging data from the 520EV telemetry data and a Level 2 charger, and facility-level electric use data.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

High Penetration Power Electronics Grid: Modeling and Simulation Gap Analysis

Increased penetration of power electronics in the grid is happening through development of high-power drives (like in Type 3 or 4 wind turbines, industrial drives, etc.), high-voltage direct current (HVdc) systems, flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS), energy storage systems (ESSs), inverter-based renewables like solar and wind, electric vehicle chargers, and other technologies. Ongoing research and development in new power electronic technologies including, but not limited to, solid-state power substations (SSPS), extreme fast charging (XFC), solid-state transformers, and multi-port power electronics that integrate multiple sources/loads will further increase penetration levels. To ensure stakeholders can integrate high penetration of power electronic technologies safely and reliably requires tools and methods to assess and evaluate their impact on the grid. Objectives: This report surveys, assesses, and analyzes commercially available and open-source tools that can support the assessment and evaluation of power electronics in future grids with high penetration levels. The study includes aspects that range from power flow analysis to dynamics evaluation (including hardware-in-the-loop – HIL testing) for such systems. The challenges and gaps associated with the current generation of toolsets available to assess the technical impact of introducing high penetration of power electronics are reported. The method is summarized in Figure ES-1.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

ToF-SIMS Analysis of Chemical Composition of Atmospheric Aerosols in Beijing

Atmospheric aerosols collected from each season in urban Beijing have been studied using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The chemical composition of atmospheric aerosol particles during various atmospheric pollution levels were analyzed and distinguished by principal component analysis (PCA). The differences and sources of the components of the aerosol particles were explored. The results showed that the fine particulate matter from heavily polluted days mainly consists of inorganic salts and organic compounds, such as hydrocarbons, nitrogen- or sulfur-containing hydrocarbons, and their oxides. Samples collected from clean days in the four seasons were also analyzed. Only the samples collected in spring showed a significant difference from the other three seasons. We concluded that the main source of pollution in the Beijing urban area was fossil fuel combustion from motor vehicles.

ToF-SIMS, principal component analysis↗
DOE OSTI2026

Energy, power, and infrastructure demands from electrifying airport ground support equipment at United States airports

As the airline industry seeks to reduce costs and transition to clean energy, electric ground support equipment is emerging as a favorable option. The integration of electric ground support equipment into airport operations requires careful planning for vehicle deployment, charging infrastructure, and grid impacts. We develop a flexible, bottom-up modeling framework to assess energy and infrastructure needs across more than 300 U.S. airports. Our analysis estimates site-specific power and energy demand, equipment counts by type, charger requirements, and costs. Here we quantify the magnitude of new electrical loads created by the electrification of airport ground support equipment, finding that peak power demand at the largest airports can reach up to 20 megawatts, with annual electricity consumption approaching 51,000 megawatt-hours. We further show that behind-the-meter battery energy storage systems and solar photovoltaic systems can reduce peak load and lower total system costs by as much as 10 million dollars.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

FleetREDI Insight: Intrastate Coach Bus Dataset

Capturing real-world data is critical to improving efficiency and supporting technology advancements in commercial vehicles. FleetREDI’s insights provide detailed duty cycle information and highlight unique aspects of the given dataset. Each insight delivers a quick look at the collected data by summarizing the operation and identifying key findings of the initial analysis. This FleetREDI insight explores coach buses operating in Colorado. Coach buses are a primary mover for intrastate transit and are primarily used for longer trips with more comfortable seats and a restroom. All Aboard America! Holdings Inc. offers various fixed-service and charter routes across Colorado on its Bustang fleet out of its depot in Golden, Colorado. NLR installed logging devices and collected operational data on nine 40-foot Bustang motorcoaches operating on fixed routes from May through August 2022. Using NLR’s FleetREDI data platform, this dataset provides a summary of daily operation to help understand duty cycle characteristics. This includes daily distance, fuel use, and estimated engine-produced energy consumption for nine motorcoaches that operated more than 33,000 miles. These vehicles primarily operated on Interstate 25 and Interstate 70. ![FleetREDI interstate bus](FleetREDI-interstate-bus.jpg)

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

The development of Gibbs's dyadic and implications for the gradient of a vector field

In this paper, we review the history of the dyadic as developed by Gibbs. This mathematical construct appeared in the second part of Gibbs's pamphlet on vector analysis (published in 1884), and it represented the first known development of a Cartesian theory of tensors. Gibbs made extensive use of the dyadic to express his theory of linear vector functions, that is, functions that acted on vectors and mapped them to new vectors. The dyadic proved to be a capable vehicle in Gibbs's hands, and his theory for dyadics (which we would now call second-order Cartesian tensors) was relatively advanced. The theory detailed notions such as the decomposition of vectors and conditions under which a tensor would have an inverse. While Gibbs's theory for linear operators expressed by dyadics was robust, it did not seem to garner the attention that the more conventional vector analysis (published in the first half of his pamphlet in 1881) did. Perhaps in part because of the general unfamiliarity with the dyadic, two distinct and conflicting definitions of the gradient of a vector field have arisen in the literature. The details of these differences in notation, possible reasons for the difference, and a potential resolution are proposed.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Emerging Energy Market Analysis Initiative, Methodological Framework

Planning and operations of the electric power sector are undergoing radical changes. Climate change mitigation efforts have forced rapid changes to the technology mix. Technologies like wind and solar have experienced rapid growth, while investment in fossil sources has peaked or is declining. These foundational changes are forcing changes to energy systems. Demand-side adoption of electrified technologies, including electric vehicles, is changing load profiles and opening up new avenues for consumer participation in the power systems. The implications of an evolving power system pertain to more than environmental and technical dimensions. Changes to the generation mix and its consequent upstream and downstream impacts such as fuel production have significant and highly concentrated consequences on economies and employment. Shifts towards distributed (or decentralized) generating assets offer the potential to reshape economic and employment opportunities associated with the energy sector across space and socioeconomic groups. The Emerging Energy Market Analysis (EMA) initiative aims to identify sustainable, regionally acceptable, and high-value energy solutions that are secure and equitable. Unlike short-term, least-cost choices that can narrowly account for traditional options, EMA’s focus on emerging energy markets recognizes that new or adapted practices and technologies can alter the frontier of solutions and advance a community’s social, economic, and natural pathways. Such change requires a more comprehensive analysis of societal input, resources, capabilities, and infrastructure. These considerations lay the foundation for community decision-making models that are responsive to community values as well as the history and drivers. The result is a community-based decision and engagement model that will be valuable to decisionmakers and developers of advanced and emerging energy solutions, seeking a social license to operate prior to project development.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Artificial illumination identification from an unmanned aerial vehicle

Artificial illumination identification within images is a useful tool for many applications. Performing such identification allows for an estimation of the illumination source spectrum, which in turn can be used for additional applications ranging from spectral detection and exploitation to statistics about nighttime light usage. Illumination identification has been performed in laboratory settings but not from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform. Here, we test the feasibility of using a UAV and commercial off-the-shelf multispectral imaging sensor to perform such artificial illumination identification through linear discriminant analysis using nighttime UAV images. The results are very promising, showing source classification accuracies of 83.3%, 92.3%, 100%, and 100% for the incandescent, light-emitting diode, high pressure sodium, and metal halide illumination sources, respectively. We show that the information gained from the source identification can be further used to inform additional analysis, such as spectral identification. The high resolution of UAV imaging techniques combined with the knowledge of the illumination source can lead to better exploitation of such nighttime data for many applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗