IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2014 - 13

Despite the seeming omnipresence of Google's driverless
cars, numerous technology developments will be necessary
before widespread deployment of truly autonomous vehicles. in addition, manufacturers will need to overcome liability uncertainties and consumer concerns about
performance, cybersecurity, insurance, and safety issues.
a future where most or all vehicles are automated and
collisions are virtually unknown would enable lightweighting and smart rightsizing, with a system that could select
the perfect size and type of vehicle for the needs of each
trip. Because lighter-weight components and smoother
driving profiles would reduce the powertrain size requirements and overall vehicle size, most driving needs could be
served by small personal mobility vehicles, with larger
vehicles being reserved for occasional cargo transport or
increased-occupancy trips. it should be noted, however,
that widespread lightweighting would take a long time to
occur, with drivers reluctant to purchase vehicles with
reduced vehicle size as long as heavier conventional vehicles share the roadways. Widespread av use may also
make shared-use vehicles more attractive and present a
solution to the public transit first- and last-mile problem.

A 21st-Century Transportation Revolution
Four distinct but related technological developments are
maturing simultaneously: Pev technology optimization,
v2G integration, wireless charging, and vehicle-connected
automation. at the convergence of these pathways is a
21st-century transportation revolution calibrated to reduce
petroleum use and GhG emissions. accomplishing such
dramatic changes in the transportation system will require
vision, planning, innovation, skill, and coordination on par
with that called upon in designing the interstate highway
system or launching the internet.
any future solution that hopes to succeed in delivering
fuel flexibility and lower emissions will require integration
between transportation infrastructure planning, vehicle
technology development, fuels and energy delivery network
options, transportation and energy policy formulation, and
information systems advancement. this multifaceted
approach will make it possible for the nation to break its
dependence on fossil fuels and rein in GhG emissions.

For Further Reading
national renewable energy Laboratory, Golden, co. (2014). on
the road to transportation efficiency (animation). [online].
available: http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/e-roadway_
animation.html
P. Denholm, M. Kuss, and r. M. Margolis. (2013, 15 aug.).
co-benefits of large scale plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and
solar Pv deployment. J. Power Sources. [online]. 236, 350-
356. available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.
2012.10.007
J. Gonder, M. earleywine, and W. sparks. (2012 sept.).
analyzing vehicle fuel saving opportunities through intelligent driver feedback. SAE Int. J. Passenger Cars-Electron.

Electr. Syst. [online]. 5(2), pp. 450-461. available: http://
dx.doi.org/10.4271/2012-01-0494
e. Wood, J. Gonder, and s. rajagopalan. (2013). connectivity-enhanced route selection and adaptive control for
the chevrolet volt. Proc. October 2013 SAE Energy Management Symp . [online]. national renewable energy
Laboratory, Golden, co, rep. no. Pr-5400-60543. available:
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/60543.pdf
U.s. Department of transportation, national highway
traffic safety administration, (2014 Feb.). U.s. Department of
transportation announces decision to move forward with
vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology for light vehicles. [online]. available: http://www.nhtsa.gov/
about+nhtsa/Press+releases/2014/UsDot+to+Move+Forw
ard+with+vehicle-to-vehicle+communication+technology+f
or+Light+vehicles
J. thomas, "Maximizing the benefits for plug-in electric
vehicles," in NREL Leads Energy Systems Integration, Continuum Mag.: Issue 4. Golden, co: national renewable
energy Laboratory, rep. no. BK-6a42-58508, 2013,
pp. 30-31.
national renewable energy Laboratory, Golden, co.
(2012). vehicle testing and integration facility. [online].
report no. Br-5400-53297.4. available: http://www.nrel.
gov/docs/fy12osti/53297.pdf
t. stephens, "non-cost barriers to consumer adoption of
new light-duty vehicle technologies," transportation energy
Futures series. Prepared for the U.s. Department of energy by
argonne national Laboratory, argonne, iL, rep. no. Doe/
Go-102013-3709, Mar. 2013.

Biographies
Chris Gearhart (chris.Gearhart@nrel.gov) is director of the
national renewable energy Laboratory's transportation
and hydrogen systems center. in more than 16 years with
Ford Motor company, he led r&D teams in the company's
Fuel cell system, stack, and hydrogen storage division, as
well as playing pivotal roles in product development, safety research, and quality assurance programs.
Jeff Gonder (Jeff.Gonder@nrel.gov) is a senior engineer/
section supervisor at the national renewable energy Laboratory (nreL), where, for the past nine years, he has led
both simulation and hardware testing projects to study
conventional, hybrid, plug-in, and fuel-cell vehicles. Before
joining nreL, he worked at anuvu, inc., in sacramento,
california, on design and construction of a plug-in fuelcell hybrid pickup truck.
Tony Markel (tony.Markel@nrel.gov) is a senior engineer/team lead at the national renewable energy Laboratory and has worked on systems analysis of advanced
vehicles for the past 17 years. his team researches grid
integration challenges facing plug-in vehicles, with a
mission to highlight opportunities for electrified transportation to reduce our nation's petroleum consumption
and enable a smart, renewable, future mobility system.

IEEE Electrific ation Magazine / j une 2 0 1 4

http://http:// http://dx.doi.org/10.4271/2012-01-0494 http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/60543.pdf http://www.nhtsa.gov/ http://www.nrel http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/e-roadway_ http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2014