An official website of the United States government
We used crowdsourced data in Alaska and the literature to develop a light-duty electric vehicle model to help policymakers, researchers, and consumers understand the trade-offs between internal combustion and electric vehicles. This model forms the engine of a calculator, which was developed in partnership with residents from three partner Alaskan communities. This calculator uses a typical hourly temperature profile for any chosen community in Alaska along with a relationship of energy use vs. temperature while driving or while parked to determine the annual cost and emissions for an electric vehicle. Other user inputs include miles driven per day, electricity rate, and whether the vehicle is parked in a heated space. A database of community power plant emissions per unit of electricity is used to determine emissions based on electricity consumption. This tool was updated according to community input on ease of use, relevance, and usefulness. It could easily be adapted to other regions of the world. The incorporation of climate, social, and economic inputs allow us to holistically capture real world situations and adjust as the physical and social environment changes.
more »
« less
This content will become publicly available on March 1, 2026
Are Electric Vehicles a Solution for Arctic Isolated Microgrid Communities?
The Arctic presents various challenges for a transition to electric vehicles compared to other regions of the world, including environmental conditions such as colder temperatures, differences in infrastructure, and cultural and economic factors. For this study, academic researchers partnered with three rural communities: Kotzebue, Galena, and Bethel, Alaska, USA. The study followed a co-production process that actively involved community partners to identify 21 typical vehicle use cases that were then empirically modeled to determine changes in fueling costs and greenhouse gas emissions related to a switch from an internal combustion engine to an electric vehicle. While most use cases showed decreases in fueling costs and climate emissions from a transition to electric versions of the vehicles, some common use profiles did not. Specifically, the short distances of typical commutes, when combined with low idling and engine block heater use, led to an increase in both fueling costs and emissions. Arctic communities likely need public investment and additional innovation in incentives, vehicle types, and power systems to fully and equitably participate in the transition to electrified transportation. More research on electric vehicle integration, user behavior, and energy demand at the community level is needed.
more »
« less
- PAR ID:
- 10577965
- Publisher / Repository:
- MDPI
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- World Electric Vehicle Journal
- Volume:
- 16
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2032-6653
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 128
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Arctic cost electric vehicles emissions energy transitions isolated microgrids mobility off-road vehicles rural Alaska subsistence
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an international impetus to transition from vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EV). While this transition is happening rapidly in some regions of the world that are mainly urbanized, other predominantly rural and less developed regions are slower to adopt this technology. Rural Alaska serves as an example with its not-road-connected communities, high cost of electricity, extreme environmental conditions, and isolated power grids often powered by diesel. This study used co-production and mixed methods to identify barriers and perceived benefits towards EV adoption and explore EV adoption rates across the Arctic. We conducted community workshops in Bethel, Galena, and Kotzebue, Alaska, and 25 interviews with businesses and local governments. The top five impediments to EV adoption are the inability to maintain vehicles locally, cold weather performance, higher purchase prices compared to ICE vehicles, and the cost of electricity. The successful adoption of EVs in isolated microgrid communities in the Arctic requires investments in appropriate financial incentives, especially for low-income households, expansion of renewable power generation, and climate and culture-relevant proof-of-concept vehicles. Residents acknowledged that EVs generally operate much cleaner than vehicles with ICE, can have lower fuel and maintenance costs, and cause less air and noise pollution. We propose a framework to develop policies to facilitate the adoption of EVs in rural areas. Policy implications for overcoming the challenges related to the transition to EVs in remote rural parts of the globe are discussed.more » « less
-
Electric vehicles (EVs) require substantially more copper and other metals than conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. For example, manufacture of an ICE automobile requires 24 kg copper whereas manufacture of an EV requires 60 kg. Many have expressed concern that the lack of critical mineral resources may not allow full electrification of the global vehicle transportation fleet, and the vehicle electrification resource demand is just a small part of that needed for the transition. By displaying both demand and mine production in full historical context we show that copper resources are available, but 100% manufacture of EVs by 2035 requires unprecedented rates of mine production. The 100% EV target not only requires significant extra copper for battery manufacture, but also more copper for grid upgrades to support charging, while hybrid electric vehicles do not require extra grid capacity. Under today’s policy settings for copper mining, it is highly unlikely that there will be sufficient additional new mines to achieve 100% EV by 2035. Policymakers might consider changing the vehicle electrification goal from 100% EV to 100% hybrid manufacture by 2035. This would allow for future output of existing and new copper mines to be used for the developing world to catch up with the developed world in electrification. Life cycle emissions for battery electric vehicles compared with hybrid electric vehicles are comparable with each other. Mining must be recognized as essential, and exploration and responsible copper mine development strongly encouraged.more » « less
-
Electric vehicles (EVs) require substantially more copper and other metals than conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. For example, manufacture of an ICE automobile requires 24 kg copper whereas manufacture of an EV requires 60 kg. Many have expressed concern that the lack of critical mineral resources may not allow full electrification of the global vehicle transportation fleet, and the vehicle electrification resource demand is just a small part of that needed for the transition. By displaying both demand and mine production in full historical context we show that copper resources are available, but 100% manufacture of EVs by 2035 requires unprecedented rates of mine production. The 100% EV target not only requires significant extra copper for battery manufacture, but also more copper for grid upgrades to support charging, while hybrid electric vehicles do not require extra grid capacity. Under today’s policy settings for copper mining, it is highly unlikely that there will be sufficient additional new mines to achieve 100% EV by 2035. Policymakers might consider changing the vehicle electrification goal from 100% EV to 100% hybrid manufacture by 2035. This would allow for future output of existing and new copper mines to be used for the developing world to catch up with the developed world in electrification. Life cycle emissions for battery electric vehicles compared with hybrid electric vehicles are comparable with each other. Mining must be recognized as essential, and exploration and responsible copper mine development strongly encouraged.more » « less
-
In an effort to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and other pollutants from heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), regulators have been implementing more stringent regulations that have included a combination of significantly more stringent emissions standards with the introduction of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). This study analyzed in-use NOx emissions data from 63 HDVs across various vocations, model years, and engine technologies/fuels to assess which current technologies offer a realistic path toward reducing NOx emissions without significantly burdening fleet operators or electrical infrastructure. All 63 HDVs were equipped with portable emissions measurement systems when they were tested for in-use NOx emissions during their routine operation on California roadways. The data was analyzed using the moving average window method proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in which the in-use emissions are broken up into two bins dependent on the engine load: ≤6 % (idle) and >6 % of maximum rated power. It was found that diesel engines manufactured after 2020 and natural gas engines certified to the 0.02 g/bhp-h NOx standard met the 2027 and 2035 EPA in-use NOx standards for both bins even though the future standards do not apply to these older engines. In addition, over an 80 % reduction in average NOx emissions is seen in both bins and fuels as modern NOx and greenhouse gas standards were implemented in 2017. With the implementation of ultralow NOx diesel technology engines, capable of meeting 0.035 g/bhp-h NOx limits, it was found that reductions in the NOx emissions inventories from 90.0 to 91.9 % could be achieved by 2050, depending on the deployment of BEVs. In conclusion, current and upcoming engine technologies can serve as benchmark powertrain solutions for emissions inventory reductions in the near and intermediate terms solutions even to the extent that the transition to battery electric HDVs becomes more gradual.more » « less
