Energy efficiency and on-road performance are at the forefront of the transportation revolution and the clean energy transition. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) plays a pivotal role in this mission, leveraging modeling and analysis tools designed to dismantle technical barriers that hinder technological advancement. By focusing on optimizing efficiency and performance while curbing emissions, NREL aims to pave the way for future innovations in transportation.
NREL has been a beacon of progress for decades, championing the development of numerous open-source tools that empower transportation decision-makers, organizations, communities, and individuals. What sets open-source software apart is its accessibility; it’s available for anyone to use, modify, and share at no cost. This level of customization fosters a collaborative environment where users can tailor tools to meet their specific needs, allowing for diverse inquiries and solutions. Furthermore, open-source frameworks enable automakers, regulators, and researchers to unite under a common code, validating their work and collectively pushing towards sustainable innovations.
According to Jake Holden, a senior decarbonized vehicle systems researcher at NREL, “Tools are only as useful as they are adaptable to specific needs.” This philosophy drives NREL’s efforts to ensure that their transportation and mobility tools address the unique challenges decision-makers face. The flexibility of these tools allows users to explore scenarios ranging from route optimization to evaluating the carbon footprint associated with different travel modes, thus fostering advancements in energy efficiency.
Simulating Technology Impacts on Transportation Decarbonization Outcomes
NREL’s arsenal of open-source transportation tools tackles essential aspects of travel, facilitating the integration of advanced technologies and systems to support decarbonization goals. Among these tools is the Advanced Locomotive Technology and Rail Infrastructure Optimization System (ALTRIOS), a cutting-edge simulation platform designed to guide the railway industry in its decarbonization efforts.
ALTRIOS delivers insights on freight demand, speed, and train dynamics by simulating real-world railway network operations. It also identifies optimal powertrain technologies for various applications and provides critical knowledge regarding fueling and charging infrastructure. Chad Baker, an NREL mechanical engineer, emphasizes that shifting freight transport to rail and decarbonizing rail is vital for achieving a carbon-neutral transportation sector. By utilizing ALTRIOS, stakeholders can make economically sound capital investment decisions that align with their decarbonization goals.
In addition to rail simulations, NREL employs technology to analyze improvements in vehicle efficiency and performance across different vehicle classes. The Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator (FASTSim) serves as a user-friendly tool that replicates the operations of various vehicle types, from conventional to electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This streamlined modeling process requires only essential vehicle specifications, making it quick and efficient.
Aaron Brooker, a senior model engineer at NREL, notes that “FASTSim models just the important powertrain details,” which simplifies usage and increases accessibility. This efficiency, paired with tools like RouteE, has empowered platforms such as Google Maps to provide eco-friendly routing, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
NREL’s Highly Integrated Vehicle Ecosystem Simulation Framework (HIVE) serves a crucial role by simulating operations for mobility service fleets. Its adaptable framework allows researchers to create extensive simulations that analyze energy efficiency and performance. HIVE is specifically designed to investigate electric vehicle fleet control, site EV charging facilities, and address fleet composition challenges.
One notable application of HIVE involved simulating the dynamics of New York City’s 20,000 yellow cabs and ride-hailing vehicles, which provided valuable data on the necessary infrastructure to support electrification. Rob Fitzgerald, a computational science researcher at NREL, highlights that HIVE can simulate results from individual vehicles to entire fleets, offering insights that guide fleet operators in making informed decisions about clean energy.
Predicting Energy Use by Travel Type and Route
NREL’s suite of mobility tools extends to predicting and tracking energy consumption in various travel contexts. The NREL Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics (OpenPATH) empowers users to monitor their energy consumption and carbon footprints classified by travel modes. Whether by car or bicycle, OpenPATH collects and analyzes data using a smartphone app, helping communities gain a better understanding of their travel behavior.
OpenPATH played a critical role in one of the nation’s largest e-bike pilot programs, the Can Do Colorado E-Bike Pilot. This initiative aimed to increase the adoption and accessibility of e-bikes among low-income essential workers across diverse locations in Colorado. The data collected during this nearly two-year pilot provided insights that can shape future mobility strategies.
NREL OpenPATH principal researcher K. Shankari states, “OpenPATH empowers communities to identify sustainability opportunities where they live.” By harnessing continuous data collection and analysis, communities can inform decisions, enhance e-bike adoption, and ultimately improve their overall travel strategies.
Another instrumental tool is the Route Energy Prediction Model (RouteE), capable of estimating energy use based on driving conditions, such as congestion, road types, and gradients. RouteE is not only versatile but also invaluable for optimizing routes, estimating vehicle ranges, and calculating the energy savings linked to eco-friendly routing options.
Significant partnerships have emerged from these innovations. Notably, RouteE has recently been open-sourced and incorporated into collaborations with Google Maps. This partnership further enhances the tools available for predicting energy consumption and promoting greener routing options.
Open-Sourcing Energy Efficient Transportation
Across the clean energy landscape, open-source software accelerates the transition to sustainable solutions by lowering development costs, advancing innovation, and speeding up implementation. In the transportation sector, NREL’s cutting-edge modeling and analysis tools have revolutionized how fleet managers, planners, and communities access, analyze, and share data related to energy efficiency, emissions, and advanced technologies.
As Jake Holden expresses, “These tools empower us to comprehend the implications of new technologies on energy efficiency and emissions before committing significant investments.” By making these resources accessible, NREL is democratizing the pursuit of cleaner, more efficient energy solutions.
To explore more about NREL’s sustainable transportation and mobility research, visit their extensive suite of transportation and mobility tools, and subscribe to NREL’s quarterly newsletter, Sustainable Mobility Matters, to stay updated on groundbreaking advancements.