Transportation Research News
Explore our archive of transportation and mobility research news stories.
Dec. 16, 2015
Conventional thermal interface materials can pose a significant bottleneck to heat removal from power electronics packages. High-performance thermal interface materials are a critical enabler to compact, high-performance, low-cost power electronics components for transportation and other applications.
Dec. 4, 2015
The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recently posted a blog about how the state of Colorado is quickly gaining momentum in the hydrogen and fuel cell technologies race.
Nov. 17, 2015
New fast-filling fuel station dedicated as part of National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day.
Oct. 30, 2015
Newly patented Internal Short Circuit device offers manufacturers a groundbreaking tool.
Oct. 26, 2015
Companies that rely on batteries for enhanced energy efficiency-including electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, solar and wind energy generation companies, and utilities-need to know how to use batteries most effectively. As investment in large-scale battery energy storage grows, it is also vital to know how long batteries will last in the field.
Oct. 8, 2015
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) today dedicated its 700 bar hydrogen fueling station, the first of its kind in Colorado and in the national lab system, as part of a celebration of National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day.
Oct. 1, 2015
NREL is evaluating the in-service performance of hydraulic hybrid vehicles and comparable conventional diesel vehicles operated by Miami-Dade County's Public Works and Waste Management Department in Florida.
Sept. 15, 2015
Semi-automated truck platooning is just one of the many advances being tested and analyzed.
Aug. 17, 2015
NREL will serve as the lead organization in developing a tool travelers and transportation officials can use in helping guide people through a city in the most energy-efficient way possible.
Aug. 5, 2015
This Fuel Cell Technologies Office webinar, presented by Michael Penev of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will explore the synergy between a facility's use of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts and its reduction of electric grid time of use energy charges.
July 8, 2015
NREL's suite of transportation tools helps fleet managers and individual drivers alike to "green up" their travel decisions
June 22, 2015
NREL researchers are identifying strategies capable of offsetting expenses while helping utilities support peak electricity demands.
June 15, 2015
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announces five new partnerships that will award up to $6.5 million in federal funds to technical teams throughout the country. The cost-shared projects with industry, universities, and other stakeholders will address the challenge of enabling the nation’s electric grid to handle increasing amounts of renewable energy.
June 12, 2015
At the 2015 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting, the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program honored four National Renewable Energy Laboratory staff for their outstanding achievements.
June 5, 2015
Three NREL hydrogen and fuel cell researchers were among seven outstanding mentors from NREL's Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program who were announced at the spring SULI program poster session on May 14, 2015. The Outstanding Mentor Award recognizes researchers and scientists who have been exceptional mentors for interns in the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science's SULI program.
May 16, 2015
Sixty-three teams from 17 Colorado middle schools gathered at Dakota Ridge High School in Littleton today for the 25th Annual Junior Solar Sprint and Lithium Ion Battery car competitions. The day’s event drew nearly 200 students eager to show and race the solar- and lithium ion-battery powered vehicles they designed and built. The trophy for fastest solar powered model car was given to students from Stargate School (Thornton), “SG Solar 2.” The trophy for fastest lithium-ion powered model car was given to students from Bell Middle School (Golden), “BMS 2 Battery.”
May 7, 2015
This webinar will provide a basic introduction to two new analysis tools, the Hydrogen Refueling Station Analysis Model (HRSAM) and the Hydrogen Financial Analysis Scenario Tool (H2FAST). These tools were developed by Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, respectively, to address key technical and financial barriers to hydrogen fueling infrastructure deployment.
May 4, 2015
The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have successfully demonstrated the capability to connect grid simulations at their two labs for real time interaction via the Internet. This new inter-lab capability enables the modeling of power grids in greater detail by allowing software and equipment anywhere in the world to establish a real-time connection to the unique facilities and capabilities available within the DOE national laboratory complex.
April 21, 2015
The Energy Department has announced two new tools developed through H2USA to help address technical and financial barriers to hydrogen fueling infrastructure deployment. The tools, the the Hydrogen Financial Analysis Scenario Tool (H2FAST) and the Hydrogen Refueling Stations Analysis Model (HRSAM), were developed by NREL and Argonne National Laboratory respectively to address the key technical and financial barriers to hydrogen fueling infrastructure deployment. Additionally, NREL and Sandia National Laboratories published two task reports through the Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Research and Station Technology (H2FIRST) project, which supports H2USA by addressing critical R&D barriers to station deployment.
March 19, 2015
In the search for abundant and sustainable options to petroleum-derived fuels, biofuels stand out as a promising alternative. An NREL study is determining which biomass-derived oxygenates are most commercially feasible in drop-in fuels that are compatible with existing engines and fuel distribution.
March 9, 2015
The Energy Department’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has used the Battery Lifetime Analysis and Simulation Tool (BLAST) to confirm that energy storage for demand-charge management can deliver attractive economic benefits. The analysis paired recent utility rate structures with historic data on solar photovoltaic electricity generation and commercial facility loads to evaluate 6,860 unique scenarios. The results revealed that, in the absence of incentives, small battery systems reducing peak demand by 2.5 percent offer the most attractive return on investment.
Feb. 13, 2015
New report highlights research and achievements for the ESIF in its first year of operation.
Feb. 11, 2015
This Fuel Cell Technologies Office webinar, presented by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will explore the synergy between a facility's use of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts and its reduction of electric grid time of use energy charges.
Feb. 5, 2015
The Energy Department posted a video of Secretary Ernest Moniz driving the Toyota Mirai, the first fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) for sale in the United States.
Jan. 23, 2015
NREL is spearheading engineering innovations that will help optimize the entire energy system, and the lab's analysis capabilities complement that engineering work by identifying ways to integrate renewable energy effectively and economically. This 3-minute video shows how NREL research and analysis are redefining what’s possible for renewable energy on the grid.
Jan. 21, 2015
NREL has teamed with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Efficient Drivetrains Incorporated to evaluate the performance of a unique Class 5 plug-in hybrid electric bucket truck. The innovative utility vehicle is equipped with batteries and an electric generator that can export up to 120 kW of power—enough to power a neighborhood while repairs are being made by electric crews. NREL test results will help PG&E fine-tune the design of such vehicles before expanding their use.
