Energy efficiency and on-road performance are now at the forefront of transportation innovation and the clean energy transition. With a keen focus on addressing technical barriers, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) employs cutting-edge modeling and analysis tools to optimize vehicle performance while minimizing emissions.
For over three decades, NREL has been instrumental in creating numerous open-source tools tailored for transportation decision-makers, organizations, and communities. Unlike proprietary software, these tools are accessible and customizable, allowing users to adapt them for specific needs and queries. This collaborative framework enhances the ability to share and validate research across various sectors, promoting a level playing field among automakers, regulators, and researchers.
“Tools are only as useful as they are adaptable to specific needs,” emphasizes Jake Holden, a senior decarbonized vehicle systems researcher at NREL. “Open-source availability allows users to explore various scenarios and integrate energy efficiency advancements into their operations—ranging from route optimization to assessing the carbon footprints of different travel modes.”
Simulating Technology Impacts on Transportation Decarbonization Outcomes
NREL has developed several open-source transportation tools aimed at tackling key challenges associated with travel. By utilizing simulation and modeling techniques, these tools enable railway operators to explore the integration of advanced technologies, promoting transportation decarbonization and contributing to a net-zero carbon economy.
Take the Advanced Locomotive Technology and Rail Infrastructure Optimization System (ALTRIOS), for instance. This open-source simulation tool guides railway decarbonization by emulating real-world operations. ALTRIOS answers crucial questions regarding freight demand, speed, and train dynamics while optimizing powertrain technologies for various conditions.
“Mode-shifting freight to rail and decarbonizing rail is essential for achieving carbon neutrality,” notes Chad Baker, an NREL mechanical engineer. “Understanding the influence of new locomotive technologies on decarbonization efforts allows us to effectively tackle transportation emissions and make economically sound capital investment decisions in the industry.”
Simulation does not stop with rail; NREL researchers also analyze light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicle efficiencies using the Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator (FASTSim). This fast, user-friendly tool simplifies modeling for a range of vehicle types—from conventional to electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
“FASTSim focuses on the essential powertrain details, requiring only basic vehicle specifications,” explains Aaron Brooker, a senior model engineer at NREL. “This efficiency, combined with RouteE, has enabled Google Maps to assist users across North America and Europe in finding fuel-efficient routes, preventing more than 1.2 million metric tons of carbon emissions,” according to Google’s 2023 Environmental Report.
Another significant tool is NREL’s Highly Integrated Vehicle Ecosystem Simulation Framework (HIVE), which simulates mobility service provider fleet operations. Researchers can customize simulations to analyze energy efficiency and performance across large-scale scenarios, focusing on fleet control and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) site selection.
HIVE was notably utilized to simulate New York City’s fleet of 20,000 yellow cabs and ride-hailing vehicles, assessing the fast-charging infrastructure required for electrification.
“HIVE enables simulation outcomes to be examined across various agents and time frames, from single vehicles to entire fleets,” says Rob Fitzgerald, a computational science researcher at NREL and one of HIVE’s maintainers.
Predicting Energy Use by Travel Type and Route
NREL also possesses tools focused on tracking and predicting energy consumption during travel. The NREL Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics (NREL OpenPATH) allows users to monitor their energy usage and carbon emissions based on their travel modes, whether by car or bike. By collecting data on-the-go via a smartphone app, communities can gain insight into their travel patterns.
OpenPATH played a crucial role in one of the nation’s largest e-bike pilot initiatives, the Can Do Colorado E-Bike Pilot. During the nearly two-year pilot, which distributed 200 e-bikes to low-income essential workers, OpenPATH provided valuable data insights for promoting greater e-bike adoption.
“NREL OpenPATH helps communities identify sustainability opportunities within their own settings,” shares K. Shankari, a principal researcher at NREL. “Continuous data from OpenPATH supports travel surveys and informs program evaluation, leading to better mobility strategy decisions.”
In addition to tracking existing energy use, NREL also forecasts energy consumption over proposed routes with the Route Energy Prediction Model (RouteE). This tool considers a range of driving conditions—like traffic speed, road type, and terrain—to provide accurate energy estimates for any vehicle, past or future.
Noteworthy collaboration exists between RouteE and major companies like Google Maps, which has effectively integrated these energy optimization tools to enhance routing options and advance eco-friendly travel solutions.
Open-Sourcing Energy Efficient Transportation
In the broader clean energy technology landscape, open-source software plays a vital role in accelerating sustainable innovations by reducing development costs and increasing production efficiency. Within the realm of transportation, NREL’s suite of integrated modeling and analysis tools empowers fleets, planners, and communities, making critical data accessible for analyzing the potential impacts of advanced technologies on energy efficiency.
“With our mobility tools, stakeholders can understand the potential energy efficiency and emissions impacts of new technologies before significant investments are made,” Holden points out. “Widespread access to these resources democratizes the power of transforming energy solutions.”
Learn more about NREL’s sustainable transportation and mobility research and its extensive suite of transportation tools. Additionally, sign up for NREL’s quarterly newsletter, Sustainable Mobility Matters, to keep up with the latest updates in transportation innovation.