policy brief

What Factors Drive Commuters’ Demand for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure?

Publication Date

November 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

Factors Affecting Demand for Plug-in Charging Infrastructure: An Analysis of Plug-in Electric Vehicle Commuters

Author(s)

David Bunch, Debapriya Chakraborty, Gil Tal, Jae Hyun Lee

Areas of Expertise

Zero-Emission Vehicles & Low-Carbon Fuels

View policy brief

Abstract

Government agencies, utilities, automakers, and charging network companies are increasingly investing in charging infrastructure to encourage the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), which include both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Public infrastructure is particularly important for those without access to home charging and for vehicles with driving range limitations. However, it is difficult to quantify the optimal number and location of public chargers needed for a growing number of PEVs. Finding the answer will depend on a mix of behavioral and economic factors that drive charging demand. Much is at stake. Too little infrastructure could cause congestion at the chargers and inhibit the adoption and use of PEVs, while developing more infrastructure than is needed would create unnecessary costs. For example, Level 2 public chargers can cost up to 15 times more than Level 2 at-home chargers. Researchers at UC Davis analyzed the choice of charging infrastructure of more than 3,000 PEV commuters who had access to home, work, and public locations to understand the importance of various factors driving demand for charging infrastructure at the three locations. Key factors include the cost of charging, driver characteristics, accessibility of charging infrastructure, and vehicle characteristics.

Related Publications

research report

Factors Affecting Demand for Plug-in Charging Infrastructure: An Analysis of Plug-in Electric Vehicle Commuters

policy brief

Electric Vehicle Subsidies Appear to Have Modest Pollution Reduction Benefits

Publication Date

November 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

Estimating the Pollution Abatement Potential of Electric Vehicle Subsidies

Author(s)

David Rapson, Erich Muehlegger

Areas of Expertise

Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice Zero-Emission Vehicles & Low-Carbon Fuels

View policy brief

Abstract

California has adopted aggressive vehicle electrification goals as a means of reducing urban air pollution, carbon emissions, and overall petroleum consumption. The state has several programs to encourage electric vehicle adoption, including the Enhanced Fleet Modernization Program, which was initially piloted in two California air districts and recently expanded to other regions. The program offers subsidies to low- and middle-income residents to scrap their old higher-polluting vehicle and purchase lower-polluting hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles, with more generous incentives for residents in disadvantaged zip codes. The extent to which this and other incentive programs help to achieve environmental policy goals depends on the emissions reduced by electric vehicles, and the emissions of the vehicle that would have been purchased had the consumer not chosen an electric vehicle. A household that purchases an electric vehicle will generate a larger environmental benefit if it would have otherwise purchased a gas guzzler rather than a gas sipper. The choice of replacement vehicle also has important implications for projecting future fuel tax revenues. If EVs replace gas sippers, fuel tax revenues will decline more slowly. If they replace gas guzzlers, fuel tax revenues will decline more quickly. To answer these questions, researchers at UC Davis compared the average fuel economy of vehicles purchased in disadvantaged zip codes inside and outside of air districts participating in the Enhanced Fleet Modernization Program, before and after the program began. This quasiexperimental design gives a reasonable estimate of what would have happened without the subsidy.

Related Publications

research report

Estimating the Pollution Abatement Potential of Electric Vehicle Subsidies

research report

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mobility Needs of an Aging Population in Contra Costa County

Publication Date

November 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mobility Needs of an Aging Population in Contra Costa County

Author(s)

David Ragland, Glenn Schorr, Grace Felschundneff

Areas of Expertise

Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View research report

Abstract

In 2018, SafeTREC conducted a survey on transportation mobility issues among older adults in California. A follow-up survey planned for 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic changed life for all residents, was redesigned to assess mobility needs and changes during the Shelter-in-Place order and focused on COVID-19 impacts. Results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent Shelter-in-Place orders have had a major impact on senior mobility. Communications for many were restricted to phone, email, texts, social media, and video chats. Among those with a medical problem, just over 60% called a doctor or nurse line or went to a doctor’s office, while 11.2% went to an emergency room, and 8.6% did nothing. A total of 8% of respondents said they had run out of food or other important items during the Shelter-in-Place order. Rates of exercise outside the home dropped 20% between January and June 2020, and while over 60% sought outside entertainment in January 2020, by June 2020, nearly 70% accessed their entertainment online at home. Almost 80% of working respondents feared spreading or contracting COVID-19 because of their work or related transportation. Almost 20% felt a lack of companionship or closeness sometimes or often. Over 30% were worried about their current or long-term finances. A total of 84.5% strongly agreed or agreed that the Shelter-in-Place order was necessary. None of the respondents to the follow-up survey were diagnosed with COVID-19, and 88.2% were not concerned about the risk of exposure from any member of their household.

Related Publications

policy brief

COVID-19 has Significantly Impacted the Mobility and Activities of the Senior Population in Contra Costa County

research report

Effects of Increased Weights of Alternative Fuel Trucks on Pavement and Bridges

Publication Date

November 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

Effects of Increased Weights of Alternative Fuel Trucks on Pavement and Bridges

Author(s)

Alissa Kendall, Arash Saboori, Ashkan Saboori, Changmo Kim, John Harvey, Jon Lea, Marshall Miller, Miguel Jaller

Areas of Expertise

Freight, Logistics, & Supply Chain Infrastructure Delivery, Operations, & Resilience

View research report

Abstract

California’s truck fleet composition is shifting to include more natural gas vehicles (NGVs), electric vehicles (EVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), and it will shift more quickly to meet state greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals. These alternative fuel trucks (AFTs) may introduce heavier axle loads, which may increase pavement damage and greenhouse gas emissions from work to maintain pavements. This project aimed to provide conceptual-level estimates of the effects of vehicle fleet changes on road and bridge infrastructure. Three AFT implementation scenarios were analyzed using typical Calif. state and local pavement structures, and results from a federal study were used to assess the effects on bridges. This study found that more NGV, EV, and FC trucks are expected among short-haul and medium-duty vehicles than among long-haul vehicles, for which a range of issues arise with electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. But the estimates predicted that by 2050, alternative fuels would power 25–70% of long-haul and 40–95% of short-haul and medium-duty trucks. AFT implementation is expected to be focused on the 11 counties with the greatest freight traffic—primarily urban counties along major freight corridors. Results from the implementation scenarios suggest that introducing heavier AFTs will only result in minimal additional pavement damage, with its extent dependent on the pavement structure and AFT implementation scenario. Although allowing weight increases of up to 2,000 lbs. is unlikely to cause major issues on more modern bridges, the effects of truck concentrations at those new limits on inadequate bridges need more careful evaluation. The study’s most aggressive market penetration scenario yielded an approximate net reduction in annual well-to-wheel truck propulsion emissions of 1,200–2,700 kT per year of CO2 -e by 2030, and 6,300–34,000 kT by 2050 versus current truck technologies. Negligible effects on greenhouse gas emissions from pavement maintenance and rehabilitation resulted from AFT implementation.

Related Publications

policy brief

Heavier Alternative Fuel Trucks Are Not Expected to Cause Significant Additional Pavement Damage

research report

Carbon Neutrality Study 1:Driving California’s Transportation Emissions to Zero

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

Carbon Neutrality Study 1: Driving California’s Transportation Emissions to Zero

Author(s)

Austin Brown, Bernadette Austin, Colin Murphy, Daniel Coffee, Elliot Martin, Gil Tal, Jean-Daniel Saphores, J.R. DeShazo, Juan Carlos Garcia Sanchez, Kelly Fleming, Lewis Fulton, Mark Delucchi, Marshall Miller, Michael Hyland, Susan Handy, Susan Shaheen, Timothy Lipman

Areas of Expertise

Freight, Logistics, & Supply Chain Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation Transportation Economics, Funding, & Finance Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment Zero-Emission Vehicles & Low-Carbon Fuels

View research report

Abstract

The purpose of this study overall is to explore the policy pathways to achieve a zero-carbon transportation system in California by 2045. The purpose of this synthesis report is to describe the existing state of knowledge and policy related to energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector, especially in California. It is an interim product of the larger study, which will use this report as the baseline and policy context sections. The report comprises four sections. Section 1 provides an overview of the major components of transportation systems and how those components interact. Section 2 explores key underlying concepts in transportation, including equity, health, employment, and environmental justice (EJ). Section 3 discusses California’s current transportation-policy landscape. Section 4 analyzes projected social, environmental, and economic outcomes of transportation under a “business as usual (BAU)” scenario—i.e., a scenario with no significant transportation-policy changes.

Related Publications

policy brief

Driving California’s Transportation Emissions to Zero

research report

Driving California's Transportation Emissions to Zero

policy brief

Why Do Some Transit Agencies Form Shared-Use Mobility Partnerships while Others Do Not?

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

Partnerships between Ridehailing Companies and Public Transit Agencies: An Exploration of Inter-agency Learning about Pilot Programs, Influential Factors in the Formation of Partnerships Between Ridehail Companies and Public Transportation

Author(s)

Sara Kazemian, Susan Pike

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation

View policy brief

Abstract

Ridehail services such as Uber and Lyft present new, flexible travel options. Integrating these services with existing public transit could reduce costs, facilitate more transit use, and improve access. To realize these benefits, a growing number of transit agencies are exploring partnerships with ridehail and other shared-use mobility companies, such as bikesharing and carsharing services. Under such partnerships transit agencies typically subsidize shareduse mobility services for passengers connecting to transit stations or traveling when transit service is limited or unavailable. If successful, these partnerships could serve as part of a new model of environmentally sustainable, costeffective, and equitable public transportation. However, only a few jurisdictions have implemented successful partnerships. Transit agencies that have not pursued these partnerships have expressed concerns about cost, liability, regulatory issues, and data sharing. Little is known about what prompts some transit providers to pursue these partnerships while others do not. Researchers at UC Davis surveyed 37 transit agencies and interviewed seven transit agency professionals over two years to better understand why transit agencies pursue shared-use mobility partnerships, the factors that influence partnership formation, and barriers that prevent or slow the formation of partnerships.

Related Publications

research report

Partnerships between Ridehailing Companies and Public Transit Agencies: An Exploration of Inter-agency Learning about Pilot Programs

policy brief

When is Public Transit Too Crowded, and How Has This Changed During the Pandemic?

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

Making Transit Safe to Ride During a Pandemic: What Are The Risks and What Can Be Done in Response?

Author(s)

Brian D. Taylor, Tianxing Dai

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice

View policy brief

Abstract

One of the first measures that U.S. public health authorities recommended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was social distancing; U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines recommended that people “stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people who are not from [their] household in both indoor and outdoor spaces.”1 Public transit agencies had to then figure out what social distancing meant for their vehicles and riders. To track and evaluate transit operator implementation of social distancing recommendations, UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) researchers searched for and reviewed the websites of 200 transit agencies across the U.S. There is no industrywide standard for vehicle crowding before the pandemic, nor is there one now — as definitions of socially distanced transit vary widely. This policy brief summarizes what the researchers learned about agency definitions of crowding before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related Publications

book/book chapter

Pandemic Transit: A National Look at the Shock, Adaptation, and Prospects for Recovery

published journal article

Examining Shifts in the Balance of Riders and Bus Service Before and During the Pandemic in Boston, Houston, and Los Angeles

published journal article

Three’s a Crowd? Examining Evolving Public Transit Crowding Standards Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

other

Changes in Metropolitan Transit Supply

policy brief

Using Real-Time Crowding Data as a Rider Communication Strategy in the COVID-19 Pandemic

policy brief

What Does Public Health Research Tell Us About the Risks of Riding Public Transit During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

research report

Examining US Transit Vehicle Passenger Loads during the COVID-19 Pandemic

research report

Making Transit Safe to Ride During a Pandemic: What Are The Risks and What Can Be Done in Response?

policy brief

A Checklist of Immediate Actions for Addressing COVID-19 as Part of Evacuation Planning

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

Double the Trouble: A Playbook for COVID-19 and Evacuations

Author(s)

Jaquelyn Broader, Stephen Wong, Susan Shaheen

Areas of Expertise

Infrastructure Delivery, Operations, & Resilience Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice

View policy brief

Abstract

Well planned and coordinated evacuations are critical to saving lives during natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, wildfires) and human-caused disasters (e.g., chemical spills, terrorism). To complicate matters, recent wildfires in the western United States (U.S.) and multiple hurricanes in the Gulf Coast have coincided with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As of mid-October 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to over 7.9 million positive cases and over 217,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. Stay-at-home orders and social distancing measures that were introduced to address COVID-19 may conflict with evacuation orders that employ high-capacity evacuation vehicles (e.g., buses), congregate shelters, and resource sharing (e.g., carpools, relief supplies, food distribution). Evacuations may become spreading events for the virus if destinations (or origins) have high trans-mission rates, compounding the risks of COVID-19 and the disaster. The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the risks to vulnerable populations, who may have limited mobility and lack access to essentials such as jobs, food, healthcare, and COVID-19 testing.

Related Publications

research report

Double the Trouble: A Playbook for COVID-19 and Evacuations

policy brief

UC Berkeley Develops New User-Friendly Tool to Expedite the Evaluation of Connected Automated Vehicle Technologies

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

Development of an Open Source Tool to Streamline Connected Automated Vehicle (CAV) Test Data Collection and Evaluation

Author(s)

Hao Liu, Xiao-Yun Lu, Zhe Fu

Areas of Expertise

Intelligent Transportation Systems, Emerging Technologies, & Big Data

View policy brief

Abstract

Connected Automated Vehicles (CAVs) are similar to other automated vehicles with the distinguishing difference being that CAVs obtain information about road conditionsdirectly from other vehicles and infrastructure (e.g., traffic signals, road sensors) rather than relying solely on onboard sensors. Different CAV technologies are currently being tested and evaluated to assess the prospects for future implementation. These tests involve moving CAV-equipped vehicles on a physical test track and recording how the vehicles operate under different traffic conditions (Figure 1). Since it is difficult and expensive to recreate multiple real-world driving conditions on a single test track, virtual environments are typically used to simulate different traffic conditions, such as traffic signal operation, actions by other vehicles on the road, and other scenarios. These virtual hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests can expedite CAV performance evaluation and inform future system implementation; however, existing HIL test systems often lack the ability to manage large amounts of test data, which limits the value and use of these tests.

Related Publications

research report

Streamlining Connected Automated Vehicle Test Data Collection and Evaluation in the Hardware-in-the-Loop Environment

policy brief

The Benefits and Challenges of Incorporating Uber and Lyft in Subsidized Ride Programs that Serve Vulnerable Populations

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Associated Project(s)

Examining the Potential for Uber and Lyft to be Included in Subsidized Mobility Programs Targeted to Seniors, Low Income Adults, and People with Disabilities

Author(s)

Elizabeth Deakin, Jeremy Halpern, Madeleine Parker

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice

View policy brief

Abstract

Cities, transit agencies, and social service providers across the U.S. have implemented programs that provide taxi subsidies for people who have difficulty driving a car or using the regular transit system. These programs usually serve older residents and people with disabilities, though a few also serve low income users. Taxi subsidy programs provide curb-to-curb or door-to-door transportation at a fraction of the cost of paratransit.1 However, as Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, have entered markets around the country, taxi availability has declined, resulting in lower levels of service. In response, many public agencies are considering the addition of TNCs to subsidized ride programs; however, the inclusion of TNCs in these programs is not straightforward. For example, agencies must evaluate the extent to which their clients need wheelchair accessible vehicles or other personal assistance. In addition, TNC platforms require users to request rides through a smartphone and use debit or credit cards for payment, which is problematic for unbanked customers and those who do not own or have access to a smartphone.

Related Publications

research report

Examining the Potential for Uber and Lyft to be Included in Subsidized Mobility Programs Targeted to Seniors, Low Income Adults, and People with Disabilities