The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center has released a report that evaluates value-added propositions for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that might help overcome the initial price premium related to comparable internal combustion engine and hybrid electric vehicles. The report also assesses other non-monetary benefits and barriers related to an emerging PHEV fleet, including environmental, societal, and electric grid impacts.

Image Courtesy: Dept of Energy - Click image to access the entire report



Here is a quick peek into the study’s background, objectives, results and conclusions as shown in the fact sheet:

Results:

Study results indicate that a single PHEV-30 on the road in 2030 will:

• Consume 65% and 75% less gasoline than a comparable HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and ICE (Internal Combustion Engine),  respectively.
• Displace 7.25 and 4.25 barrels of imported oil each year if substituted for equivalent ICEs and HEVs, respectively, assuming 60% of the nation’s oil consumed is imported.
• Reduce net ownership cost over 10 years by 8-10% relative to a comparable ICE and be highly cost competitive with a comparable HEV.
• Use 18-22% less total W2W energy than a comparable ICE, but 8-13% more than a comparable HEV (assuming a 70/30 split of E10 and E85 use in 2030).
• Emit 10% less Well to Wheel (W2W) CO2 than equivalent ICEs in southern California and emits 13% more W2W CO2 than equivalent ICEs in the ECAR region. This also assumes a 70/30 split of E10 and E85 (ethanol blends) use in 2030.

Image Courtesy: Dept of Energy - Click image to access the entire report

Conclusions:

PHEVs and other plug-in vehicles on the road in 2030 may offer many valuable benefits to utilities, business owners, individual consumers, and society as a whole by:

• Promoting national energy security by displacing large volumes of imported oil.
• Supporting a secure economy through the expansion of domestic vehicle and component manufacturing.
• Offsetting the vehicle’s initial price premium with lifetime operating cost savings (e.g., lower fuel and maintenance costs).
• Supporting the use of off-peak renewable energy through smart charging practices. However, smart grid technology is not a prerequisite for realizing the benefits of PHEVs.
• Potentially using its bidirectional electricity flow capability to aid in emergency situations or to help better manage a building’s or entire grid’s load.

PHEVs and other plug-in vehicles still face barriers to commercial acceptance:

• In the near term, the cost of energy storage, charging equipment, and PE&EM components must continue to descend to competitive levels, such as the ones assumed in this study. Industry trends imply that these cost reductions are on track to reach competitive price levels.
• PHEVs’ inability to reduce carbon emissions relative to ICEs unless they are powered primarily by non-carbon energy sources. A grid-connected vehicle’s high dependence on its region’s generation mix is very evident in this study’s findings. Operating in regions with a high percentage of non- or low-carbon energy sources (e.g., renewable, nuclear, and natural gas) would ultimately help improve the long-term environmental impacts of PHEVs.

Note: The Acronym PHEV-30 stands for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle with an All Electric Range (AER) equivalent of 30 miles.

Click here to download/access the entire report (PDF – 218 pages long).

Related articles

• Study Finds Public Policies Needed to Boost EV Fleet Purchases (environmentalleader.com)
• Electric Vehicle Sales in Asia Pacific to Total 1.4 Million by 2015, Forecasts Pike Research (eon.businesswire.com)
• Electrification Coalition Releases Plan for 16M Electric Fleet Vehicles (solarfeeds.com)
• “Plug-in Prius is NOT a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle!” and related posts (hybridcarblog.com)
• Pike survey finds unproven technology and reliability concerns may hinder consumer demand for plug-in electric vehicle, although about 44% of respondents are interested in purchasing one (greencarcongress.com)
• Reportlinker Adds Hybrid Electric Vehicles for Fleet Markets (prnewswire.com)
• 3.2 Million Plug-in Electric Vehicles to be Sold Worldwide by 2015, Forecasts Pike Research (eon.businesswire.com)
• Electrification Coalition releases Fleet Electrification Roadmap; suggests fleet adoption could put a cumulative 200,000 PHEVs and EVs on the road by 2015 (greencarcongress.com)
• Pike forecasts Asia-Pacific to be largest PEV market, with more than 1.2M units by 2015; China to represent 53% of total sales (greencarcongress.com)
• Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecasts plug-in electric vehicles could account for up to 9% of US auto sales in 2020 and 22% in 2030 (greencarcongress.com)
• J.D. Power forecasts hybrid- and battery-electric vehicles will represent 7.3% of global auto sales in 2020 (greencarcongress.com)
• Hybrid Fleet Vehicle Sales to Surpass 740,000 Units per Year in 2015, According to Pike Research (eon.businesswire.com)
• Plug-In EV Market to Sell 3.2M Units by 2015 (environmentalleader.com)
• BeFrugal.com Proposes Cost Equivalent MPG Calculation for Electric Vehicles (prnewswire.com)

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) seeks several Operations Research Analysts to join several of the Centers of Innovation (COI) at the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center). RITA coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation‘s (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system.

This is one of eight Centers of Innovation (COI) at the Volpe Center whose function is to undertake transportation policy analysis and research that contributes to a compelling vision of the 21st Century transportation enterprise and supports decision making in the development, management, operation, and financing of an integrated multimodal national transportation system that meets 21st Century mobility needs for goods and people. These positions are located at the Volpe Center in Cambridge, MA.

RITA has  exciting career opportunities across several of its COI’s for recent graduates and mid-level Operations Research Analysts interested in conducting analyses of policies, programs, operations and systems to support the development of its  clients’ decision-making, operations and strategic planning as well as the deployment of advanced technology at the local, regional, and national level.

In this role, you will formulate, plan, and conduct analyses as well as assist senior project managers in planning and coordinating projects and conducting the assigned project segments. You will gather and analyze data using a variety of analytical techniques (e.g. surveys, literature reviews, stakeholder outreach; trade-off analysis, economic and/or regulatory impact analysis, etc.); analyze data sources to determine data quality and develop summary statistics. You will assess the readiness of agencies and the readiness of technologies for adoption; document findings in technical reports and present results before a variety of audiences.

These are great opportunities for new and mid-level professionals with strong quantitative and qualitative analysis background who excel in an entrepreneurial and collaborative environment. You must have superb problem-solving, communication and presentation skills. Experience or interest in transportation is a plus. Transcripts are required (instructions on how to submit them are listed in the How to Apply tab). Writing samples will be required of all applicants identified as best qualified for the job.

These Operations Research Analyst GS-1515-11/12 positions (RITA-VOLPE-2011-0007) opened Wednesday, November 3, and the application deadline is Monday, January 14, 2011. The official announcement may be found here: Operations Research Analysts 11/12 (RITA.VOLPE-2011-0007)

The first application review date will be close of business Monday, November 15, 2010.  Thereafter, we will do monthly reviews and referrals of applications with the final review occurring after January 14, 2011 (application deadline). Given the continuing need for professionals in this field, RITA will review applications and refer the top candidates for interviews multiple times during the open period of the announcement.

If you or someone you know has the experience and proven results, I encourage you or them to apply under the following vacancy announcement. We are looking for a diverse pool of qualified candidates.

Good luck!

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is looking for an Intermittent Electronics Engineer/Operations Research Analyst.

RITA coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system.  This position is located within the Center of Innovation for Advanced Vehicles and Information Network Systems, at the Volpe Center in Cambridge, MA.

The Research Engineer/ORA will define, manage, conduct, and direct evaluation research efforts relating to safety critical performance issues in surface transportation systems, in the context of related technology policy considerations. Studies are related to vehicle and wayside navigation guidance and control system technologies relative to performance characteristics, potential vulnerabilities, and malfunction  modes  and mitigation methods, protection against electronic security threats and attacks, and preservation of personal; information and identification privacy.

This is a permanent, intermittent position; work will be performed on an as-needed basis, as projects arise; the number of hours will depend on the breadth and scope of assignments. The position may be filled as either an Electronics Engineer or an Operations Research Analyst.

If you know someone interested in this Cambridge, MA based position who has the experience and proven results, please encourage them to apply under the attached vacancy announcement.  We are looking for a diverse pool of qualified candidates.

The vacancy announcement can be found on:

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/JobTitle=ElectronicsEngineer+OperationsResearchAnalyst

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) seeks an experienced Environmental Protection Specialist (GS0028-13) to join the Environmental Engineering and Remediation Division at the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center). RITA coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system. This is one of eight Centers of Innovation (COI) at the Volpe Center whose function is to undertake transportation policy analysis and research that contributes to a compelling vision of the 21st Century transportation enterprise and supports decision making in the development, management, operation, and financing of an integrated multimodal national transportation system that meets 21st Century mobility needs for goods and people. The position is located at the Volpe Center in Cambridge, MA.

Working with the Environmental Engineering and Remediation Division you will have the responsibility for analyzing and interpreting the potential environmental impacts from Federal and state infrastructure projects and other activities. The work is principally focused on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other environmental compliance regulations and Executive Orders (e.g. Endangered Species Act, Environmental Justice, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, etc).  The position focuses on using environmental analyses to identify and mitigate the potential impacts of transportation projects; although project outside DOT are likely.

The candidate will lead a team that presents their analyses in an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Environmental Protection Specialist is responsible for completing environmental analyses; mitigation plans; environmental permitting; environmental regulatory and compliance evaluations; remediation planning; and pollution prevention evaluation and planning. The projects are significant in scope and dollar value.

If you are an experienced professional, and have the expertise and the desire to influence the direction our nation’s policies and programs, then this job is for you!  You must have superb analytical, problem-solving and project management skills, and must be able to work in a collaborative and entrepreneurial environment.

This announcement is posted under both Merit Promotion procedures and to the Public on www.usajobs.opm.gov.

Applications will be accepted from current and former competitive service Federal employees, and people eligible under special hiring authorities.  Please know that Merit Promotion announcements are the vehicle through which Federal employees generally apply for Federal positions.

Merit Promotion; (RITA.VOLPE-2011-0004)  http://jobview.usajobs.gov/91624679 Environmental Protection Specialist Merit

Public: (RITA.VOLPE-2011-0005)  http://jobview.usajobs.govJobID=91624783-Environmental Protection Specialist-PUBLIC

The FHWA Office of Natural Environment has announced a GS-13/14 position on the Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team. The position will focus on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable transportation issues, research and policy. We are looking for a high-energy, team-oriented individual to help lead FHWA efforts in these high priority and emerging areas.

The position closes October 1.

Please see the USAjobs link below. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email Mike Culp, Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team Leader (michael.culp@dot.gov, 202-366-9229).

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=90782706&aid=46575945-17910&WT.mc_n=125

The U.S. Department of Transportation will soon be seeking a Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).  BTS, which is part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system.

The Director position would lead the BTS, which is responsible for leading the development of high quality transportation data and information.  As a federal statistical agency, BTS provides an objective source of statistical analysis for decision making at all levels.

RITA is looking for a dynamic and visionary leader who can apply their expertise in the collection, analysis, and use of transportation statistics towards positioning BTS as an integral part of a Department of Transportation that bases its very significant investment and policy decisions on sound science and rigorous analysis.

In addition to possessing superior technical acumen, candidates must demonstrate an ability to lead a diverse team and promote cross-office collaboration in the pursuit of achieving organizational excellence.

RITA will soon be posting this position (on USAJobs).  If you know someone interested in this Washington, D.C. based leadership role with relevant experience and proven results please encourage them to contact Linda Riggins, Human Resources, at (202) 366-4847 or Linda.Riggins@dot.gov.

Note:  Received this from a USDOT source; please stay tuned for the official announcement on USAJobs.

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is looking for an IT Specialist (Network Services). RITA coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system.  This position is located at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), an innovative fee-for service organization which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT’s) Research and Innovative Technology Administration in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Volpe Center is an internationally recognized Federal center of transportation and logistics with a world-class, multidisciplinary technical team with expertise across all modes of transportation.

We have an exciting opportunity for a talented IT Specialist (Network Services) to serve as key member of the Safety Data, Collection, and Distribution Division. In this exciting role the ideal candidate must have demonstrated experience in providing technical support for technology systems by planning, designing, and managing network environments within or related to a transportation field.

This announcement is open to the general public and under merit promotion for current or former federal employees and people eligible under special hiring authorities. Please note that merit promotion announcements are the vehicle through which Federal employees generally apply for Federal positions.

The general public announcement can be found via the link below:

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/IT Specialist_PUBLIC

The merit promotion announcement can be found via the link below:

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/IT Specialist_MERIT PROMOTION

Please direct any questions to Tara Smallidge, Volpe Human Resources, at 617-494-2450.

Remember those crazy storms that dumped loads of snow on the cities and towns along the Eastern seaboard and many mid-Western states across the US during February 2010?  Apart from the impact on the surface transportation modes, these storms wreaked havoc on the aviation sector, terribly disrupting the  performance of the whole sector.

The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has released a special report that explores how several February 2010 snowstorms in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast disrupted air travel at airports across the United States.  Quite an interesting read and for your reading pleasure it is provided below.

For those interested, you can click here to download the report.

Webinar Overview

TSAG Case Studies Workshop & Webinar
2009 Fort Hood, Texas Army Base Shooting Incident
A Multi-Agency Emergency

Date: August 3, 2010
Time: 1:00–4:00 P.M. Eastern Time
Cost: All T3s are free of charge
PDH: 3.0 — Webinar participants are responsible for determining eligibility of these PDHs within their profession.
Register On-line
Contact the T3 Administrator

T3 Webinars are brought to you by the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program (ITS PCB) at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) ITS Joint Program Office, Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). Reference in this webinar to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by U.S. Department of Transportation.

Note: This workshop and webinar is a unique learning opportunity offered by the Transportation Safety Advancement Group (TSAG) and the US DOT ITS Joint Program Office’ Talking Technology & Transportation (T3) program. The workshop will be presented to a live audience at the workshop location as well as to remote T3 webinar participants. T3 participants are invited to submit written questions before the Webinar as well as during workshop question and answer periods.

Webinar participants may attend remotely for any portion of the 3 hour workshop. An audio of the event’s proceedings, synchronized with its presentations, will be available in the T3 Webinar archives and on the TSAG website (www.tsag-its.org) approximately 4 weeks following the workshop.

Background

The Transportation Safety Advancement Group (TSAG) is sponsored by the US Department of Transportation (US DOT) ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) and serves to promote technology for public safety. TSAG advises the ITS Joint Program Office on public safety technologies and on their impacts on public safety including operations management, emergency response, and emergency responder safety. Through a broad based membership comprised of transportation and public safety professionals, TSAG initiates programs that promote inter-disciplinary, inter agency and inter jurisdictional coordination and cooperation, and that promote partnerships for advancing public safety technologies. For more information, visit the TSAG website.

Through its Case Studies Workshops series TSAG conducts post reviews of actual recent events and incidents, and of associated emergency responder experiences. Case Studies Workshops facilitate discussions by multi discipline and multi agency professionals for identifying technology, institutional and policy based success, failures and lessons learned. Case Studies Workshops & Webinars are focused on the fundamental TSAG “technology for public safety” TSAG mission.

TSAG operates through resources provided by the US Department of Transportation and serves its program mission in compliance with US DOT regulations, policies and specified contract provisions.

Fort Hood, Texas Army Base Shooting Incident

On November 5, 2009, a gunman opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood, Texas. Thirteen people were killed and 43 others were wounded or injured. Initial emergency alerts of the incident were communicated via calls to one of the Central Texas Regional Consolidated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), and subsequently were transferred to Fort Hood’s 9-1-1 Call Center. Two minutes and forty seconds after the initial 911 call, first responders from Fort Hood arrived of the scene. Soon after, EMS assets from the surrounding entities arrived to support Fort Hood responders. One-and-a-half minutes later, the assailant was incapacitated and emergency treatment and evacuation was initiated.

The initial response to the incident was prompt and efficient. Two ambulances and an incident commend vehicle from the Fort Hood Post Hospital arrived on the scene within two minutes and fifty seconds. Ultimately, ambulances and EMS personnel from throughout the region responded, treated and evacuated the wounded and injured.

The foregoing narrative illustrates how efficiently the initial response to this event was handled. The incident however, raised important questions about the degree to which the Department of Defense is prepared for similar incidents in the future, especially multiple, simultaneous incidents. It also brought into sharp focus the need to review the connections, both in relationships and technology, between the defense community and the civilian first responder community called to support in military protection incidents.

Case Studies Workshop & Webinar Overview

Case Studies Workshop & Webinar presenters will walk the audience through details of the Fort Hood incident with a focus on how the integration between the military and civilian responders between responder disciplines worked. The Workshop will focus on emergency response and management protocols, strategies and technologies, including communications between and among Police, Emergency Medical Services, and Public Safety Dispatch Personnel. Workshop presenters will discuss successes, failures and lessons learned and will highlight emergency response activities of local and regional emergency responders and will review operations strategies and technologies at the time of and in response to the incident.

Target Audience

Workshop participants include TSAG members, NRITS registrants, and other like interest guests. T3 Webinar target audiences include state and local public safety interests including emergency responders, transportation operations, emergency communications, and other public safety practitioners. Additionally, private and academic and technology research interests are encouraged to participate.

TSAG Case Study Workshop Concept and Purpose

The TSAG Case Studies Workshop concept targets case-studies of actual incidents or events associated with each of the eight (8) TSAG interest-community teams. TSAG communities of Interest include:

• Academic & Research
• Emergency Communications
• Emergency Management
• Emergency Medical Services
• Transportation Operations
• Fire and Safety
• Law Enforcement
• Technology and Telematics

Thus, through reviews of actual recent events, incidents, and first-responder experiences, Case Studies Workshops facilitate after-event discussions by multi-discipline and multi-agency professionals for the purpose of:

• Clarifying actual circumstances of the event / incident
• Reviewing established response protocols and procedures
• Reviewing public safety technology applications
• Identifying unique management and response circumstances and challenges
• Reviewing successes, failures, and lessons-leaned

The TSAG Case Studies Workshop & Webinar series is focused on the fundamental TSAG “technologies for public safety” TSAG mission.

Learning Objectives

The broad learning objectives of the TSAG Case Studies Workshop series include:

• Identify transportation-safety technologies and their real-time applications to operations surveillance and management
• Identify incident identification, emergency response and management
• Identify inter-agency and inter-discipline coordination and communications
• Learn of technology successes, failures, and lessons-learned

Federal Host:

Linda Dodge, Chief of Staff, US DOT, ITS Joint Program Office

Presenter:

Jim Reed, Executive Director, The Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG), Belton, Texas

Jim Reed serves as Executive Director of The Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG) in Belton, Texas. As CTCOG Executive Director he administers a seven county region that includes both urban and rural areas. He oversees various regional programs, including Transportation Planning, Aging Services, Housing, Homeland Security, Regional Planning, Economic Development, and Partners with Workforce. Under his direction, CTCOG was recognized as having the number-one rated Homeland Security program in the Nation. Mr. Reed has served as the Chair of the Texas Association of Regional Councils Executive Director’s Council and is the Past President of the National Executive Director’s Council. He also serves on the National Council of Peers for RPO America and has received the Al Notzon Regional Unity Award and the Walter Scheiber National Leadership Award. This year he was a nominee for the American Institute of Certified Planners National College of Fellows.