With PEV use rising, it is crucial to plan for the changes that electric vehicles will bring to current transportation and energy systems. Replacing gasoline miles with electric miles can have significant environmental benefits due to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, but charging electric vehicles puts greater pressure on the electrical grid. Excellent analysis tools will be required to gain understanding of how an expanding PEV market may impact both environmental and technological arenas.
The PH&EV Center is working on improving and developing analysis tools that will model potential greenhouse gas reductions and electricity demand from PEV use, given sets of variables like PEV model, infrastructure availability, and policy. Real world travel and charging patterns will inform estimates of charging demand and future PEV adoption.
The NEPTUNE initiative is designed to help the US Navy improve energy conservation, generate renewable energy, and implement energy-efficient technologies. The tools developed through the project can aid the Navy in creating an infrastructure strategy to expand PEV use, and inform policymakers of the impacts to the market and the environment resulting from different policy decisions.
NEPTUNE and Energy Efficiency Center @ UC Davis Overview Presentation
Visit the EEC website for more information about NEPTUNE