Transportation Research News
Explore our archive of transportation and mobility research news stories.
Dec. 28, 2021
NREL researchers and staff reached countless goals and achieved numerous successes in science, partnerships, and technology commercialization in 2021. Here are just a few of the highlights.
Dec. 16, 2021
NREL fuel and vehicle regulations expert Ted Sears has been tasked by the White House's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to lead efforts to convert the federal fleet to zero-emission vehicles.
Dec. 15, 2021
A recent breakthrough by NREL and the University of Ulm advances the way researchers measure and analyze battery materials using an artificially generated representative architecture of a Li-ion electrode particle in sub-particle grain detail.
Dec. 8, 2021
To discover materials for better batteries, researchers must wade through a vast field of candidates. New research demonstrates a machine learning technique that could more quickly surface ones with the most desirable properties.
Dec. 2, 2021
Driven by the growing popularity of shared micromobility—which typically involves the use of electric bicycles and scooters as well as regular bicycles—a research team from NREL is exploring the energy impacts of such travel modes versus the conventional modes they may replace.
Oct. 27, 2021
Electric vehicles have surged in popularity during recent years as car companies continue to bring new models to market. Reaping the benefits relies on having somewhere to charge that is convenient, affordable, and reliable. A new NREL report sheds light on the potential for residential charging access.
Oct. 27, 2021
A new study from NREL compares load profiles from potential EV charging stations against those of big-box retail grocery stores to assess how the electricity demands of specific sites may change by adding EV charging.
Oct. 19, 2021
As manager of the Mobility Infrastructure and Impacts Analysis (MIIA) group, NREL's Maggie Mann will be the first to tell you that electric vehicles (EVs) alone are not a perfect solution to achieve sustainability within the transportation industry.
Oct. 13, 2021
Researchers at NREL are collaborating with leading industry and research partners on a new modeling framework that can be used to analyze and plan net-zero-emission and hybrid freight train systems: Advanced Locomotive Technology and Rail Infrastructure Optimization System (ALTRIOS) software.
Oct. 13, 2021
Rural areas are working to connect in new ways, through improved digital and cell phone networks, as well as alternative forms of transportation. Researchers from NREL are joining small towns across America to expand affordable, convenient, and energy-efficient transportation choices.
Oct. 8, 2021
October 8—10/08—is Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day! This year NREL is celebrating this symbolic date, chosen to represent the atomic weight of hydrogen (1.008), by highlighting innovative hydrogen and fuel cell research across the laboratory.
Oct. 6, 2021
A new podcast produced by NREL in partnership with the Clean Cities Coalition Network presents a fresh way to highlight how we can bring more affordable, accessible, and sustainable transportation to the streets today, while exploring strategies to improve the mobility options of tomorrow.
Sept. 28, 2021
A state-of-the-art thermal management system developed by NREL in collaboration with John Deere promises to significantly increase the power density of silicon carbide (SiC) inverters within heavy-duty EV applications.
Sept. 22, 2021
NREL researchers are at the forefront of silicon anode research, using cutting-edge facilities to explore the foundational science of organic electrolytes with silicon interfaces. However, recent findings highlight the importance of continued studies on the lifetime of silicon-based cells.
Sept. 21, 2021
A new report from NREL seeks to pinpoint the conditions for when battery electric or fuel cell electric commercial trucks offer economic advantages over traditional diesel-fueled trucks by examining a key metric—the total cost of ownership (TCO).
Sept. 15, 2021
When events like tropical storms or other unforeseen crises disrupt a state's primary supply of gasoline and diesel, emergency fleet efforts can become hampered as access to fuel is restricted or completely unavailable.
Aug. 31, 2021
Wind, solar, and battery storage appear to be a winning combination for clean electricity systems, but to make the leap to a sustainable energy system, another ingredient is necessary—low-carbon fuels.
Aug. 30, 2021
Electric vehicle industry experts and scientists at NREL are at work on a new high-power charging standard for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles called the Megawatt Charging System (MCS).
Aug. 24, 2021
A data-informed mobility modeling and analysis effort led by a crosscutting team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has identified pandemic-related travel changes--on the road and in the air--and informed regional vaccine administration site planning.
Aug. 10, 2021
A new report from the DOE Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative identifies potential big gains for big rigs and the environment by creating low-carbon renewable diesel fuel blends for use in truck engines.
Aug. 4, 2021
NREL's 2021 class of GEM fellows is the largest in the laboratory's history with the program.
July 29, 2021
Researchers at NREL have developed a rigorous new Storage Financial Analysis Scenario Tool (StoreFAST) model to evaluate the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), also known as the levelized cost of storage (LCOS).
July 29, 2021
This year, NREL joined the Department of Energy's Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) in celebrating just a few of the women making significant contributions within energy storage programs.
July 21, 2021
Now in the third year of the Athena project, the team has published a series of three journal articles sharing key results on shuttle bus route optimization and expanded parking choices to improve energy use and reduce operational costs at airports.
July 19, 2021
Leveraging its data science expertise and state-of-the-art modeling and analysis tools, NREL is helping the California Energy Commission pinpoint the number of electric vehicle chargers needed to meet the state’s ambitious zero-emission vehicle and greenhouse gas reduction goals.
July 15, 2021
Microstructure-scale modeling carried out by NREL over the past five years has culminated in the newly released Microstructure Analysis ToolBox (MATBOX) dedicated to the meshing, numerical generation, segmentation, and characterization of three-dimensional heterogeneous materials, such as battery electrodes.
July 1, 2021
The U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen Program recently honored nine National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers for their outstanding achievements at the 2021 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting.
June 21, 2021
Researchers recently studied a promising opportunity for near-term electrification within this segment through depot charging.
June 16, 2021
Researchers are working to expand access to electric vehicles by building more charging stations in neighborhoods that otherwise might be overlooked.
June 3, 2021
NREL was granted 40 U.S. patents during fiscal 2020, a bump from the 32 issued during the prior fiscal year.
May 25, 2021
The multiyear Electrification Futures Study concludes with first-of-its-kind national-scale modeling of power systems with widespread electrification, demand-side flexibility, and high renewable energy.
May 18, 2021
A report released this month highlights the most significant breakthroughs of the last year in the U.S. Department of Energy's Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative, with details on findings that could translate into significant greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions reductions.
May 17, 2021
A global effort to reduce sulfur and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships has researchers from NREL and other Department of Energy facilities investigating the potential use of marine biofuels.
April 27, 2021
NREL partnered with the Colorado Energy Office to assess the travel-behavior impacts of providing low-income essential workers with e-bikes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis shows e-bikes are an effective, energy-saving alternative to other travel modes.
April 22, 2021
With decreasing purchase prices, charging improvements, cleaner electricity, and consumer and industry support, the future of EVs has never been brighter.
April 22, 2021
Inching forward in bumper-to-bumper traffic, drivers bemoan the years of their lives sacrificed in bad commutes.
April 21, 2021
NREL will bring cross-cutting technical assistance to remote and island communities seeking resilient energy solutions as part of the DOE-funded, multi-lab, multi-partner Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP).
April 12, 2021
To take a bite out of transportation energy use and emissions and combat climate change, NREL is partnering with Google to develop more eco-friendly routing in Google Maps.
April 7, 2021
"We've put all this investment into energy technologies, and now we want to guide those innovations from the lab into the marketplace," said Shelly Curtiss, Energy-I-Corps program manager, on the program's rapid growth.
March 31, 2021
NREL has been consulting with the National Park Service on where to install electric vehicle charging stations at select sites in California. The last of the new charging stations is expected to begin operating by the end of this year.
March 29, 2021
With the Biden administration announcing a push to electrify the entire federal fleet, NREL's work supporting energy-savvy fleet management is more critical and timely than ever.
March 19, 2021
When a lithium-ion battery fails, it can become engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds.
March 16, 2021
Understanding what factors influence people's choices—specifically energy and mobility—choices can inform policy, technology rollout, and ultimately influence individuals to make cleaner choices.
March 15, 2021
A novel biorefining process using the untapped energy of food waste and other wet waste to produce a "drop-in" sustainable aviation fuel may lift net-zero flights off the runway sooner than you think.
March 4, 2021
Leveraging the newly developed Cyber-Energy Emulation Platform, NREL researchers evaluated a 50-kW fast-charge station in the ESIF to identify risks and challenges that fast-charge stations could potentially introduce to charging infrastructure.
Feb. 26, 2021
A new NREL-led multi-lab consortium addresses critical barriers to the development of smaller, cheaper, and better performing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles by investigating the use of silicon as an alternative to graphitic carbon anode material.
Feb. 22, 2021
The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, accounting for about 28% of total carbon emissions. Turning that metric to zero stands as a critical task in the global push to drive down emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Feb. 18, 2021
Energy storage scientists at NREL are turning to cutting-edge machine-learning techniques to strengthen understanding of advanced battery materials, chemistries, and cell designs.
Feb. 12, 2021
Conducted in partnership with USAID, an NREL study assessing the electrification potential of transit fleets in two Mexican cities determined that at least 80% of the operational bus days for the studied routes were suitable for electrification—with a 250-kWh battery in Mexico City and a 300-kWh battery in León.
Feb. 8, 2021
On December 17, 2020, the Department of Energy announced seven winners of the Phase II Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize. These winners advance to the third and final phase of the competition.
Jan. 22, 2021
More than 12 years ago, at the start of NREL's current management contract with the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC, NREL's partnership outreach accelerated. During that period, the laboratory has generated partnership projects totaling more than $1 billion in research-and-development contract value. In FY 2020, NREL delivered a single-year milestone, booking $102 million in new partnership agreements, and that activity continues to grow.
Jan. 12, 2021
The fifth report in the multiyear analysis reveals how widespread electrification could impact energy sector infrastructure investments, fuel use, system costs, and emissions.
