Assessing Electric Vehicle Benefits in a Rural, Cold, and Mountainous Region

There is a pressing need to develop a place-specific understanding of the factors that affect the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions impacts of vehicle electrification. Prior research indicates that the GHG benefits of vehicle electrification depend on the composition of vehicles in a household, vehicle attributes, how they are used, how they are charged, the share of miles that are electric (utility factor), and the efficiency of vehicles. While limited evidence suggests that electric vehicle use, charging, and GHG benefits may differ in rural contexts, cold climates, and mountainous regions, little is known about how their use and performance differs in these contexts, or how to modify vehicle electrification policies and programs to ensure greater GHG benefits of vehicle electrification. This study will collect real-world driving data in the mountainous and largely rural northern state of Vermont to determine how plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) use and performance differ across these contexts and for different vehicle types. A household survey and on-board Global Positioning System (GPS) monitoring devices will be used to evaluate vehicle use, vehicle and household utility factors, electric range, and efficiency, as well as implications for use and utility factors of future electric vehicle adopters. Findings from this research are critical to informing vehicle incentive programs and public charging investments to ensure that PEV adoption reduces GHGs in a broader range of contexts.

• Record URL:
  https://ncst.ucdavis.edu/project/assessing-electric-vehicle-benefits-rural-cold-and-mountainous-region

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $279102
• Contract Numbers:

  DOT 69A3552348319

  DOT 69A3552344814

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of Vermont

  Transportation Research Center
  Burlington, Vermont  United States  05405
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of California, Davis

  1 Shields Ave
  Davis, California  United States  95616

  University of Vermont

  Transportation Research Center
  Burlington, Vermont  United States  05405
• Project Managers:

  Cliff, Sydney

• Performing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of Vermont

  Transportation Research Center
  Burlington, Vermont  United States  05405
• Principal Investigators:

  Rowangould, Dana

• Start Date: 20240901
• Expected Completion Date: 20260831
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile travel; Cold weather; Electric vehicle charging; Electric vehicles; Greenhouse gases; Mountain roads; Plug-in hybrid vehicles; Rural areas
• Geographic Terms: Vermont
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01929757
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Sustainable Transportation
• Contract Numbers: DOT 69A3552348319, DOT 69A3552344814
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Sep 7 2024 11:56AM