IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2014 - 7

grid powered by renewable energy
sources, new approaches to fueling
and charging, and innovative
systems of vehicle connectivity-as
well as more fuel-efficient gasolinepowered vehicles.
Yes, consumers are using less gasoline per capita, and the country is
producing more petroleum, but the
overall volume of consumption and
emissions continues to rise. Greater
connectivity-in the form of vehicleto-grid (v2G) integration as well as
communication between vehicles-is
needed to preserve personal mobility
while transitioning to less energyintensive forms of transportation.
researchers at the national
renewable energy Laboratory (nreL)
are looking beyond vehicle technology
at fully integrated systems that connect cars, power grids, and renewable

PEVs (which include
plug-in hybrids and
fully electric plug-in
vehicles) sip
energy, produce
comparatively little
emissions, and offer
a feasible option for
replacing petroleumfueled vehicles and
pushing down
greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions.

image courtesy of the u. s. department of transportation

energy sources to deliver cleaner, more
sustainable transportation options.
Parallel efforts are being made to optimize the legacy internal combustion
technology that makes up the vast
majority of vehicles on today's roads
while developing advanced technologies that eventually will help transition the nation to a virtually net-zero
emissions, nonpolluting fleet. vehicles
powered by biofuels, hydrogen fuel
cells, and electricity can deliver low
emissions and impressive energy efficiency, but they all face barriers to
near-term widespread adoption and
have difficulties contending with the
market domination of gasoline-powered vehicles.
traditional vehicles powered by
petroleum-burning internal combustion engines are becoming increasingly
more fuel efficient. While improved
engine design, aerodynamics, and vehicle lightweighting have made it possible
for passenger vehicles to meet ever-more-stringent fuel efficiency standards and produce less emissions, traditional
vehicles still cannot come close to the level of sustainability
found in more advanced vehicle technologies. that said,
these conventional vehicles make up 97% of traffic on
today's roads.
approximately 10% of all gasoline sold today consists of
biofuel in the form of ethanol. this, in combination with a
projected annual supply of more than 1.3 billion tons of biomass feedstock, makes bioproduced fuel an important component of any sustainable transportation plan. at the same
time, U.s. natural gas production is predicted to increase by
44% by 2040, making it an affordable and abundant alternative to gasoline and diesel. Both of these clean-burning fuel
options can significantly reduce emissions, but vehicle and
infrastructure research and development (r&D) are still
needed to enhance their viability.
Fuel-cell electric vehicles (Fcevs) have a 300-400-mi
driving range and zero tailpipe emissions. While the first
commercially available Fcevs were released earlier this
year, vehicle cost, scarcity of fueling infrastructure, and
limited experience with the technology still pose challenges to widespread deployment.
hundreds of thousands of electric-drive vehicles-
hybrid electric vehicles (hevs) and plug-in electric vehicles (Pevs)-have already hit the streets. Pevs (which
include plug-in hybrids and fully electric plug-in vehicles)
IEEE Electrific ation Magazine / j une 2 0 1 4

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