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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.
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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.
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- 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
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