National Academies Press: OpenBook

Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels (2013)

Chapter: Front Matter

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

TRANSITIONS TO
ALTERNATIVE
VEHICLES
AND FUELS

Committee on Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels

Board on Energy and Environmental Systems

Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
                          OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.

www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS    500 Fifth Street, NW    Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by Contract DE-DT001481, TO#2, between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Energy. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-26852-3

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-26852-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013932897

Copies of this report are available in limited supply, free of charge, from: Additional copies of this report are available for sale from:
Board on Energy and Environmental Systems The National Academies Press
National Research Council 500 Fifth Street, NW
500 Fifth Street, NW Keck 360
Keck W934 Washington, DC 20001
Washington, DC 20001 (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313
(202) 334-3344 http://www.nap.edu

Copyright 2013 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

COMMITTTEE ON TRANSITIONS TO ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES AND FUELS

DOUGLAS M. CHAPIN, Chair, NAE,1 MPR Associates, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia

RALPH BRODD, Broddarp of Nevada, Henderson

GARY COWGER, GLC Ventures, LLC, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

JOHN M. DECICCO, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

GEORGE C. EADS, Charles River Associates (retired), Washington, District of Columbia

RAMON ESPINO, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

JOHN M. GERMAN, International Council for Clean Transportation, Ann Arbor, Michigan

DAVID L. GREENE, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Knoxville, Tennessee

JUDITH GREENWALD, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Arlington, Virginia

L. LOUIS HEGEDUS, NAE, Arkema, Inc. (retired), Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

JOHN HEYWOOD, NAE, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

VIRGINIA McCONNELL, Resources for the Future, Washington, District of Columbia

STEPHEN J. McGOVERN, PetroTech Consultants LLC, Voorhees, New Jersey

GENE NEMANICH, ChevronTexaco Corporation (retired), Scottsdale, Arizona

JOHN O’DELL, Edmunds, Inc., Orange, California

ROBERT F. SAWYER, NAE, University of California, Berkeley

CHRISTINE S. SLOANE, Sloane Solutions, LLC, Kewadin, Michigan

WILLIAM H. WALSH, JR., Consultant, McLean, Virginia

MICHAEL E. WEBBER, University of Texas at Austin

Project Staff

ALAN T. CRANE, Senior Scientist and Study Director

JAMES J. ZUCCHETTO, Director, Board on Energy and Environmental Systems

JONNA HAMILTON, Program Officer (until December 2011)

EVONNE TANG, Senior Program Officer (beginning December 2011)

DAVID W. COOKE, Associate Program Officer

ALICE V. WILLIAMS, Senior Program Assistant

LANITA JONES, Administrative Coordinator

DANA CAINES, Financial Manager

Consultants

DAN MESZLER, Meszler Engineering Services

STEVE PLOTKIN, Argonne National Laboratory

MARC MELAINA, Consultant

MICHAEL P. RAMAGE, NAE, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (retired)

JAMES R. KATZER, NAE, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (retired)

GARY W. ROGERS, FEV, Inc.

DEAN TOMAZIC, FEV, Inc.

AARON BIRCKETT, FEV, Inc.

_______________________

1NAE = Member, National Academy of Engineering.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

BOARD ON ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

ANDREW BROWN, JR., Chair, NAE,1 Delphi Corporation, Troy, Michigan

WILLIAM BANHOLZER, NAE, Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan

MARILYN BROWN, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

WILLIAM CAVANAUGH III, Progress Energy (retired), Raleigh, North Carolina

PAUL DeCOTIS, Long Island Power Authority, Albany, New York

CHRISTINE EHLIG-ECONOMIDES, NAE, Texas A&M University, College Station

SHERRI GOODMAN, CNA, Alexandria, Virginia

NARAIN HINGORANI, NAE, Independent Consultant, Los Altos Hills, California

ROBERT HUGGETT, Independent Consultant, Seaford, Virginia

DEBBIE NIEMEIER, University of California, Davis

DANIEL NOCERA, NAS,2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

MICHAEL OPPENHEIMER, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

DAN REICHER, Stanford University, Stanford, California

BERNARD ROBERTSON, NAE, Daimler-Chrysler (retired), Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

GARY ROGERS, FEV, Inc., Auburn Hills, Michigan

ALISON SILVERSTEIN, Consultant, Pflugerville, Texas

MARK THIEMENS, NAS, University of California, San Diego

RICHARD WHITE, Oppenheimer & Company, New York City

Staff

JAMES ZUCCHETTO, Director

DANA CAINES, Financial Associate

DAVID W. COOKE, Associate Program Officer

ALAN T. CRANE, Senior Scientist

K. JOHN HOLMES, Associate Director

LaNITA JONES, Administrative Coordinator

ALICE WILLIAMS, Senior Program Assistant

JONATHAN YANGER, Senior Project Assistant

_______________________

1National Academy of Engineering.

2National Academy of Sciences.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

Preface

The U.S. light-duty vehicle fleet is responsible for about half the petroleum consumed in this nation and about 17 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions. Concerns over national security and climate change have increased interest in alternative ways to power the fleet.

Many technologies, with widely varying levels of current capability, cost, and commercialization, can reduce light-duty vehicle petroleum consumption, and most of these also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, any transition to achieve high levels of reduction is likely to take decades. The timeframe of this study goes out to 2050. Projecting the cost and performance of technologies out that far entails many uncertainties. The technical issues alone are extraordinarily complex and interrelated. Further, its statement of task also asked the Committee on Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels to consider the related policy options.

The committee’s analyses, while exploratory and not definitive, having significant uncertainty, indicate that the costs and benefits of large reductions in petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions will both be substantial. Its work also suggests that policy will be an essential element in achieving these reductions. Alternative vehicles and some fuels will be more expensive than their current equivalents, at least for several decades, and advanced technology could be used for increased power or other purposes rather than be focused solely on reducing petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, it is critical to have a clear vision of the options and how they might be implemented if progress is to be made efficiently with a minimum of disruption and a maximum of net benefits. This report explores those options and the related issues, and it sheds light on the decisions the nation may be making.

The members of the study committee worked extraordinarily hard on this task. I am very grateful for their efforts. They represent a remarkably broad and accomplished group of experts. Given the complex nature of the task at hand, producing a report that was satisfactory in every detail to every member was challenging. Given the difficulty we have had in achieving consensus, I will not attempt to summarize the result here. The report speaks for itself.

The committee and I greatly appreciate the efforts made by our highly qualified consultants and the many others who contributed directly to our deliberations via presentations and discussions and the many authors on whose work we relied.

The committee operated under the auspices of the NRC’s Board on Energy and Environmental Systems. We owe a special debt of gratitude to James Zucchetto, Alan Crane, Evonne Tang, David Cooke, and Alice Williams of the NRC staff. In spite of what must have

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

seemed like an endless succession of in-person and conference call consultations among the full committee and working groups, meetings to gather information, and revision of the text, their energy and professionalism never wavered. The committee and I personally offer our heartfelt thanks.

Douglas M. Chapin, Chair
Committee on Transitions to
Alternative Vehicles and Fuels

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

Acknowledgments

The Committee on Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels is grateful to the many individuals who contributed their time and efforts to this National Research Council (NRC) study.

The presentations at committee meetings provided valuable information and insights that enhanced the committee’s understanding of the technologies and barriers involved. The committee thanks the following individuals who provided briefings:

Patrick Davis, U.S. Department of Energy,

Phillip Patterson, U.S. Department of Energy,

Jacob Ward, U.S. Department of Energy,

David Howell, U.S. Department of Energy,

Jay Braitsch, U.S. Department of Energy,

Diana Bauer, U.S. Department of Energy,

Sunita Satyapal, U.S. Department of Energy,

Fred Joseck, U.S. Department of Energy,

David Danielson, ARPA-E,

Austin Brown, National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

Andy Aden, National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

David Green, Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

Steve Plotkin, Argonne National Laboratory,

Bill Charmley, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Robert Fri, Consultant,

Mike Ramage, Consultant,

Robbie Diamond, Electrification Coalition,

Mark Finley, BP,

Alan Krupnick, Resources for the Future,

Virginia McConnell, Resources for the Future,

Linda Capuano, Marathon Oil Company,

Sascha Simon, Mercedes Benz,

Ben Knight, Honda,

Dan Sperling, University of California, Davis, and

Reiko Takemasa, Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

The committee owes special thanks to Michael Ramage (NAE) and James Katzer (NAE), who generously volunteered their time and expertise to assist in many complex and difficult issues. This report has benefited greatly from their contributions. The members of the committee and the staff deeply regret the death of Jim Katzer in November 2012.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

The committee also appreciates the contributions of the following personel from FEV, Inc., who helped in reviewing the methodology and results of the vehicle analysis: Gary Rogers, Dean Tomazic, and Aaron Birckett.

This report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of the independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Menahem Anderman, Advanced Automotive Batteries,

Paul N. Blumberg, NAE,1 Independent Consultant,

Andrew Brown, NAE, Delphi Corporation,

Lawrence D. Burns, NAE, University of Michigan,

Robert Epperly, Independent Consultant,

Albert R. George, Cornell University,

Chris T. Hendrickson, NAE, Carnegie Mellon University,

Jason D. Hill, University of Minnesota, St. Paul,

Maryann N. Keller, Maryann Keller & Associates, LLC,

Joan M. Ogden, University of California, Davis,

John M. Reilly, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

Bernard I. Robertson, NAE, DaimlerChrysler Corporation (retired),

Gary W. Rogers, FEV, Inc., and

R.R. Stephenson, Independent Consultant.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Elisabeth M. Drake, NAE, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (retired), and Trevor O. Jones, NAE, ElectroSonics Medical. Appointed by the National Research Council, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

_______________________

1National Academy of Engineering.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

2.8 Summary of Results

2.8.1 Potential Evolution of a Midsize Car Through 2050

2.8.2 Technology Results, Performance, and Costs

2.9 Comparison of FCEVs with BEVs

2.10 Findings

2.11 References

3 ALTERNATIVE FUELS

3.1 Summary Discussion

3.1.1 The Scope of Change Required

3.1.2 Fuel Pathways

3.1.3 Developing Trends in the Fuels Market

3.1.4 Study Methods Used in the Analysis

3.1.5 Costs of Alternative Fuels

3.1.6 Investment Costs for Alternative Fuels

3.1.7 GHG Emissions from the Production and Use of Alternative Fuels

3.2 Biofuels

3.2.1 Current Status

3.2.2 Capabilities

3.2.3 Biomass Availability

3.2.4 Conversion Processes

3.2.5 Costs

3.2.6 Infrastructure Needs

3.2.7 Regional or Local Effects

3.2.8 Safety

3.2.9 Barriers

3.2.10 GHG Reduction Potential

3.3 Electricity as a Fuel for Light-Duty Vehicles

3.3.1 Current Status

3.3.2 Capabilities

3.3.3 Grid Impact of Plug-in Electric Vehicles

3.3.4 Costs

3.3.5 Regional and Local Effects

3.3.6 Safety

3.3.7 Barriers

3.4 Hydrogen as a Fuel

3.4.1 The Attraction of Hydrogen

3.4.2 Major Challenges

3.4.3 Current Status of the Market

3.4.4 Hydrogen Infrastructure Definition

3.4.5 Hydrogen Dispensing Costs and GHGs

3.4.6 Hydrogen Infrastructure Needs and Cost

3.4.7 Recent History

3.4.8 Barriers

3.5 Natural Gas as an Automobile Fuel

3.5.1 Current Status

3.5.2 Capabilities

3.5.3 Costs

3.5.4 Safety of Natural Gas and Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles

3.5.5 Barriers

3.6 Liquid Fuels from Natural Gas

3.6.1 Current Status

3.6.2 Capabilities

3.6.3 Costs

3.6.4 Implementation

Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

5.5 Comparison to Previous Work

5.6 Adapting Policy to Changes in Technology

5.7 Simulating Uncertainty About the Market’s Response

5.8 Findings

5.9 References

6 POLICIES FOR REDUCING GHG EMISSIONS FROM AND PETROLEUM USE BY LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLES

6.1 Policies Influencing Automotive Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

6.1.1 Land-Use Policy

6.1.2 Transportation Policy

6.1.3 Energy Policy

6.1.4 Environmental Policy

6.1.5 Technology Policy

6.1.6 Decision Making Through the Matrix of Policy Arenas

6.2 Ways to Influence Petroleum Use and GHG Emissions Effects in the LDV Sector

6.3 Policies Aimed at Reducing Vehicle Energy Intensity

6.3.1 Vehicle Energy Efficiency and GHG Emissions Standards

6.3.2 U.S. CAFE Standards

6.3.3 Subsidies for More Fuel-Efficient Vehicles and Fees on Less Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

6.3.4 Motor Fuel Taxes as an Incentive to Purchase More Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

6.3.5 A Price Floor Target for Motor Fuels

6.3.6 Policies to Change the Size and Weight Composition of the LDV Fleet

6.3.7 Assessment of Vehicle Fuel Economy Improvement Strategies

6.4 Policies to Reduce Petroleum Use in or GHG Emissions Impacts of Fuel

6.4.1 Tax Incentives for Fuels and Their Infrastructure

6.4.2 Fuel-Related Regulations

6.4.3 Renewable Fuel Standard

6.4.4 Possible Alternative to RFS2

6.4.5 California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard

6.5 Policies to Impact Vehicle Miles Traveled

6.5.1 Historical and Projected Future Growth in LDV VMT

6.5.2 Reducing the Rate of Growth of VMT by Increasing Urban Residential Density

6.5.3 Reducing the Rate of Growth of VMT Through the Use of Pricing Strategies

6.5.4 Reducing the Rate of Growth of VMT Through Other Policies

6.5.5 Summary of the Impact of Policies to Reduce the Rate of Growth of VMT

6.5.6 Policies to Improve the Efficiency of Operation of the LDV Transport Network

6.6 Policies Impacting the Innovation Process

6.6.1 Demonstration

6.6.2 Deployment

6.7 Policies Impacting Public Support

6.8 Adaptive Policies

6.9 References

7 POLICY OPTIONS

7.1 Policies to Encourage the Continued Improvement of the Fuel Efficiency of the Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet

7.2 Policies Targeting Petroleum Use

7.3 Policies to Reduce GHG Emissions Associated with LDV Fuels

7.4 Policies to Reduce the Rate of Growth of VMT

7.5 Policies to Encourage Research and Development, Demonstration, and Deployment

7.5.1 Research and Development

7.5.2 Demonstration

7.5.3 Deployment

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×

Select Acronyms and Abbreviations

AEO

Annual Energy Outlook

AFV

alternative fuel vehicle

bbl

barrel

bbl/d

barrels per day

BEV

battery electric vehicle

Btu

British thermal unit

CAA

Clean Air Act

CAFE

Corporate Average Fuel Economy

CCS

carbon capture and storage

CNG

compressed natural gas

CNGV

compressed natural gas vehicle

CO2

carbon dioxide

CO2e

carbon dioxide equivalent

CTL

coal to liquid (fuel)

EERE

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

EIA

Energy Information Administration

EISA

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

EOR

enhanced oil recovery

EPAct

Energy Policy Act

ETA

Energy Tax Act

FCEV

hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle

FFV

flex fuel vehicle

gge

gallon of gasoline equivalent

GHG

greenhouse gas

GREET

Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation model

GTL

gas to liquid (fuel)

H2

hydrogen

HEV

hybrid electric vehicle

ICE

internal combustion engine

ICEV

internal combustion engine vehicle

IHUF

Indexed Highway User Fee

ILUC

indirect land-use change

IPCC

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

LCA

life-cycle assessment

LCFS

Low Carbon Fuel Standard

LDV

light-duty vehicle

Li-ion

lithium ion

LT

light truck

MMTCO2e

million metric ton(s) of CO2 equivalent

mpg

miles per gallon

mpgge

miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent

NAAQS

National Ambient Air Quality Standards

NEMS

National Energy Modeling System

NHTSA

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NOx

mono-nitrogen oxides, including nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

PEV

plug-in electric vehicle

PHEV

plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

quad

quadrillion British thermal units (of energy)

RFS

Renewable Fuel Standard

RFS2

Renewable Fuel Standard, as amended by EISA

RIN

Renewable Identification Number

tcf

trillion(s) of standard cubic feet

VMT

vehicle miles traveled

_______________________

NOTE: A more complete list of acronyms and abbreviations is given in Appendix E of the electronic version of this report, available at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18264.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R1
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R2
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R3
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R4
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R5
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R6
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R8
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R9
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R10
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R11
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R12
Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R13
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R14
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R15
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2013. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18264.
×
Page R16
Next: Overview »
Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $59.00 Buy Ebook | $47.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

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.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!