Transportation Research News

Explore our archive of transportation and mobility research news stories.

Nov. 19, 2018

Researcher Rockets to Global Recognition for Breakthroughs in Battery Safety and Performance

NREL's Donal Finegan recently received a Global Young Researcher Award from the Institution of Chemical Engineers for his contributions to NASA's battery safety program and NREL's advanced diagnostics. Not yet 30 years old, Finegan is widely viewed as a leader in the international battery community, responsible for significant advancements in safety, diagnostic techniques, and design approaches.

Oct. 30, 2018

New Mobility Paradigms Influence Electric Vehicle Charging Requirements

Ride-hailing companies' growing interest in operating electric vehicles (EVs) could trigger a significant increase in the demand for public fast chargers. Despite their ability to charge EVs quickly, fast-charging stations are not yet commonplace due to high installation and operating costs. Boosting their utilization could go a long way toward driving down costs. But what is the right number of fast-charging stations in a given area and where should they be located?

Oct. 23, 2018

News Release: NREL to Lead $5 Million Initiative to Reduce Energy Use and Increase Energy Efficiency of Major Transportation Hub

Working with DFW and the surrounding region, NREL and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will identify technology approaches that maximize mobility energy productivity of passenger and freight options in this major transportation hub.

Oct. 4, 2018

How to Celebrate National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day

Next week the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will join the U.S. Department of Energy and others across the United States to celebrate the fourth National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day on October 8--10.08--a date chosen to represent the atomic weight of hydrogen (1.008).

Sept. 26, 2018

NREL and Shell Launch Accelerator Program for Emerging Technologies

The Shell GameChanger Accelerator Powered by NREL will leverage an established national laboratory-industry collaborative model to help startups de-risk and accelerate emerging clean energy technologies on their path to market.

Sept. 18, 2018

Editorial Positions with Journals Strengthen NREL Connections

Two NREL researchers from NREL's Transportation and Hydrogen Systems Center, Robert McCormick and Sreekant Narumanchi, have recently received editorial appointments from leading journals in their fields.

Aug. 23, 2018

Industry Leaders Tackle Urban Design and Mobility Challenges at NREL’s Second Partner Forum

NREL transforms energy through partnerships. That's why the laboratory recently opened its doors for a two-day forum, designed to strengthen existing partnerships and create new ones.

Aug. 13, 2018

Sustainable Mobility: The Transportation World Beyond Tomorrow is Here Today

NREL's sustainable mobility research is moving beyond vehicles and roads, investigating the best way to get people and goods where they need to go with maximum convenience, efficiency, and affordability, while minimizing traffic congestion.

Aug. 13, 2018

NREL Research Shows HOV Lanes and Purchase Rebates Are Effective Incentives for Plug-In Electric Vehicle Purchase

What does it take to persuade people who are considering the purchase of an electric vehicle to actually buy one? That burning question spurred analysts from NREL to find out.

Aug. 10, 2018

Software Saves Energy, Costs, and More

NREL's foresee is a home energy management system that relies on user preferences to automate connected appliances and electronics in unprecedented ways.

Aug. 3, 2018

Sreekant Narumanchi First NREL Researcher to Win an ASME K-16/EPPD Clock Award

Each year the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) elects a winner for the K-16/ Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division (EPPD) Clock Award. Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines (APEEM) Team Leader Sreekant Narumanchi of the Transportation and Hydrogen Systems Center (THSC) is receiving this honor for 2018.

July 31, 2018

International Partnership Revolutionizes Cross-Continental Travel with Alternative Fuels

Drivers relying on alternative fuels throughout the United States and Canada, especially those near the border, can now travel with more confidence than ever with the updated Alternative Fueling Station Locator. NREL and Natural Resources Canada combined their stations data to revolutionize this powerful U.S. Department of Energy tool, paving the way for drivers who rely on electricity, ethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, propane, and hydrogen to travel between the two countries seamlessly.

July 9, 2018

Cutting the Cord: NREL Demonstrates Wirelessly Charged Electric Vehicle

NREL recently launched a one-year demonstration of an all-electric Zenith Motors van, modified to enable wireless charging. In addition to determining whether the technology is a viable option for eventual electrification of NREL's campus transportation system, the demonstration is bolstering NREL's pioneering exploration of the transformative nature of wireless charging.

July 9, 2018

NREL Analysis Explores Demand-Side Impacts of a Highly Electrified Future

The second report in the Electrification Futures Study series presents scenarios reflecting a wide range of possible electricity demand growth through 2050 driven by the adoption of end-use electric technologies.

June 29, 2018

NREL Transportation and Hydrogen Researchers Recognized by DOE for Outstanding Achievements at 2018 Annual Merit Reviews

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently honored 16 NREL researchers for their outstanding achievements at the Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meetings for the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program and Vehicle Technologies Office. The annual meetings provide researchers leading projects funded by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program and the Vehicle Technologies Office with an opportunity to share accomplishments with representatives from DOE, industry, and other labs.

June 27, 2018

Advanced Thermal Management for Power-Dense Power Electronics and Electric Motors Improves EVs

As EVs are further developed, new materials and enhanced configurations to improve the thermal management systems of power electronics and electric motors is necessary for peak EV performance. Thermal management continues to be a growing field as components used in various applications are required to be smaller, more affordable, and more powerful.

June 27, 2018

NREL Steers America Toward Energy Independence

Innovation Delivers Transportation Freedom

June 25, 2018

NREL, DOE, and U.S. Automakers Join Together to Transform Mobility Future

Representatives from Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, and the U.S. Department of Energy met with NREL researchers who are developing and integrating vehicle and infrastructure technologies with big data and communication systems to connect and automate transportation. With the advent of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies and integration with renewable power sources, the grid, buildings, and other systems, NREL is not only looking for ways to help reduce transportation costs, but also plan ahead as the U.S. population shifts to urban mega-regions in collaboration with industry partners.

June 18, 2018

Research Spotlights Energy Efficiency of Ride-Hailing Services

NREL hosted a recent meeting with representatives from industry and academia to discuss research exploring the energy impact of ride-hailing services. The growing use of such services has the potential to disrupt traditional car ownership paradigms, buoyed by the surge in younger consumers who only know a world with technology at their fingertips. Research indicates that ride-hailing options should be networked, electrified, shared, and mobile-friendly to best realize improvements in road congestion, energy use, and air quality.

June 18, 2018

International Interest in NREL's Fuels and Engines Research

The European Union's goal is for 10% of all of Europe's transportation fuels to come from renewable sources by 2020. In April, CNBC World's international news program "Sustainable Energy" came to NREL to spotlight how the lab's breakthrough biofuels research is advancing progress toward that ambitious objective.

June 15, 2018

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus Evaluation Project Reveals Success for Transit Partner

Results from a National Renewable Energy Laboratory evaluation of hydrogen fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) at Alameda Contra-Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in California show that FCEBs have made significant progress toward commercialization, surpassing Department of Energy's ultimate technical targets for fuel cell operating hours and reliability.

June 12, 2018

Trends in Ground Transportation to and from Airport Reflect Nationwide Mobility Shift

Passenger transportation and aviation systems are on the frontline of innovation in moving more people faster, cheaper, and better—fueled in part by greater convenience and increased choices. An NREL study focuses on the growing use and impacts of ride-hailing services to and from airports, with implications for the future of ride-hailing, parking, and car rental services in cities.

May 31, 2018

Collaboration Initiates New Early-Stage Research

The U.S. Department of Energy’s interest in increasing national energy security and lowering the cost of transporting goods spurred a $3 million effort to support cost-shared research to improve high-efficiency natural gas engines. NREL is collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories to further this early-stage research.

May 22, 2018

Middle School Students Take the STEM Wheel

On May 19, NREL hosted its 19th annual Middle School Electric Car Competition, where students raced solar and lithium-ion powered cars that they designed and built.

May 22, 2018

Enhanced Vehicle Simulation Tool Enables Wider Array of Analyses

New and enhanced versions of NREL's Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator (FASTSim) are now available for free download in Python and Microsoft Excel formats at www.nrel.gov/fastsim. FASTSim provides a quick and simple way to compare powertrains and estimate the impact of technology improvements on light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle efficiency, performance, cost, and battery life.

May 16, 2018

NREL's EVI-Pro Lite Tool Paves the Way for Future Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Planning

A new NREL-developed tool called EVI-Pro Lite is helping communities across the country evaluate existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure and determine future needs for charging infrastructure to support increased regional adoption of EVs. Using data from personal vehicle travel patterns, electric vehicle attributes, and charging station characteristics, the tool projects demand for charging infrastructure by state or city/urban area.

May 14, 2018

Webinar May 17: Fuel Cell Electric Bus Progress toward Meeting Technical Targets

In this DOE Fuel Cell Technologies Office webinar, NREL's Leslie Eudy will present the most recent performance results from fuel cell electric buses operated by six transit agencies and discuss progress made toward meeting technical targets.

May 10, 2018

News Release: NREL Names Four Scientists Senior Research Fellows

Mowafak Al-Jassim, Andy Walker, Robert McCormick, and Gregg Beckham were chosen for their significant contributions to NREL and the larger scientific community.

May 2, 2018

Analysis Quantifies California's Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Needs

How many electric vehicle chargers does the State of California need to accommodate 1.3 million EVs? That was the subject of a collaborative study conducted by the California Energy Commission (CEC) in partnership with NREL with respect to the state's 2025 zero-emission vehicle goal.

April 18, 2018

KULR Technology Exclusively Licenses Award-Winning Battery Internal Short Circuit Device

Under agreement with NREL, KULR will be the exclusive manufacturing, distribution, and marketing partner for the patented, award-winning Battery Internal Short Circuit (ISC) Device to industrial, research, and design clients. Developed by NREL and NASA, the Battery ISC Device revolutionizes the way lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are evaluated so designs can be improved before batteries hit store shelves.

April 18, 2018

CAEBAT Model Featured on American Chemical Society Journal Tenth Anniversary Issue Cover

NREL's collaboration with Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering has yielded new insights for lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery electrodes at the microstructural level, that can lead to improvements in electric vehicle (EV) battery performance and lifespan. A stochastic algorithm developed by Purdue University, as part of NREL's Advanced Computer-Aided Battery Engineering Consortium, is prominently displayed on the cover of the 10th anniversary issue of American Chemical Society's Applied Materials and Interfaces. The NREL/Purdue team's corresponding article, "Secondary-Phase Stochastics in Lithium-Ion Battery Electrodes" detailing the research and resulting discoveries, is showcased inside.

April 18, 2018

Co-Optima Transportation Ingenuity Capitalizes on Strengths of U.S. Energy Resources and Existing Infrastructure

The FY17 Year in Review describes recent advances including identification of key properties for new fuels, assessment of compatibility with vehicle components and infrastructure, and expansion of research to encompass solutions for the entire on-road fleet. This research effort, led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is providing industry with the scientific underpinnings needed to accelerate introduction of high-performance fuels and engines that reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, and lower drivers' costs.

April 11, 2018

Heavy-Duty Emissions Research Honored with SAE Colwell Award

On April 10, authors the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Cummins Inc. received the Arch T. Colwell Merit Award during the 2018 annual Society of Automotive engineers (SAE) World Congress Awards and Recognition Ceremony in Detroit. The Colwell award recognizes the authors of papers of outstanding technical or professional merit that are presented at SAE meetings.

April 2, 2018

News Release: NREL Research Overcomes Major Technical Obstacles in Magnesium-Metal Batteries

Scientists at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have discovered a new approach for developing a rechargeable non-aqueous magnesium-metal battery.

March 27, 2018

Transportation Research Fueled by Academia

NREL's long history of successful partnerships with universities includes collaborating on transportation research projects, as well as joint appointments and sustaining a thriving host of internship programs. Over the past few years transportation researchers have collaborated with more than 20 universities within the United States and internationally.

March 21, 2018

Johney Green Joins Inaugural Board of Trustees for the UK's Faraday Institution

NREL's Johney Green, Jr. has been chosen to join Faraday's inaugural board of trustees to help set the agenda and support programs for emerging electrochemical energy storage technologies.

March 8, 2018

NREL Briefs Congressional Committee on Impact of Scientific Innovations on Transportation Future

On March 7, NREL's Laboratory Program Manager for Vehicle Technologies John Farrell briefed the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on how the Energy Department and the national labs are driving innovation to spur advances in the efficiency and performance of fuels, vehicles, and the broader transportation system.

March 5, 2018

O, Canada: NREL Partnership Produces New Take on Alternative Fueling Station Locator Tool

Word of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) deep transportation web development expertise recently sparked interest in the United States' neighbor to the north, kicking off a collaborative international effort to launch a powerful new alternative fueling station tool on the other side of the border.

Feb. 27, 2018

NREL-KPA-Toyota Collaboration Facilitates Permitting of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Repair Facilities

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Hydrogen Sensor Laboratory was used recently in a partnership with KPA Services, LLC, at the request of Toyota Motors to validate hydrogen sensors for incorporation into their system to adapt vehicle repair facilities for fuel cell electric vehicles.

Feb. 21, 2018

Free Webinar February 28: Overcoming the Impacts of Fast Charging

Vehicle Electrification Group Manager Matt Keyser will be moderating a free webinar titled, "Overcoming the Impacts of Fast Charging on Hybrid/Electric Vehicles (EVs), Batteries, and Charging Systems," featuring leading industry experts from companies, including Jaguar Land Rover Automotive. Hosted by The Battery Show as part of the Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo, the webinar takes place on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (5:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time).

Feb. 20, 2018

Breakthroughs Move Researchers One Step Closer to $35 Billion Fuel Savings

NREL and its partners recently revealed breakthroughs in identification of fuel blendstocks for the U.S. Department of Energy's Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines initiative. This national research effort is providing industry with the scientific underpinnings needed to accelerate introduction of high-performance fuels and engines that reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, and lower drivers' costs.

Feb. 16, 2018

Revamped Website Features Easier Access to Travel Survey Data, Offers New Datasets

Access to detailed transportation data from travel surveys and studies conducted across the nation just got easier. The revamped Transportation Secure Data Center features a variety of updates that enhance the user experience and increase the scope of data available.

Feb. 16, 2018

NREL's Earl Christensen Honored with Two Awards from National Biodiesel Board

Fuel stability research advances innovation and bolsters industry confidence in biodiesel.

Jan. 23, 2018

News Release: NREL Research Determines Integration of Plug-in Electric Vehicles Should Play a Big Role in Future Electric System Planning

An influx of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) charging without coordination could prove challenging to the nation’s electric grid, according to research conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Jan. 11, 2018

Ahmad Pesaran Honored with DOE Assistant Secretary's 2017 EERE Outstanding Impact Award

NREL's Energy Storage Chief Engineer Ahmad Pesaran has been honored with a DOE Assistant Secretary's 2017 EERE Outstanding Impact Award, along with members of the DOE EERE VTO Battery and Electrification team. Pesaran and the team received the EERE Impact Award for the successful development of the ground-breaking electric vehicle Extreme Fast Charging R&D Gap Assessment and Research Roadmap.

Jan. 9, 2018

Fleet DNA Brings Fleet Data to Life, Informs R&D

The Fleet DNA clearinghouse of commercial vehicle operations data features over 11.5 million miles of real-world data from more than 1,700 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles operating across a variety of vocations. This massive data repository provides vehicle duty-cycle summaries and visualizations to help users understand the broad operational range of today's commercial vehicles across vocations and weight classes, enabling insight critical to the development of energy-efficient vehicle technologies that meet performance requirements and reduce operating costs.

Jan. 8, 2018

News Release: NREL Launches Electrification Futures Study Series

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is spearheading the Electrification Futures Study, a research collaboration to explore the impacts of widespread electrification in all U.S. economic sectors--commercial and residential buildings, transportation, and industry.

Jan. 4, 2018

Three-peat NREL Intern Pushes Boundaries of Early-Stage Fuels Research on Way to Master's Degree

Drew Cameron completed two Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships and one Research Participant Program internship at NREL, culminating in her successful master's thesis in December, 2017.

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