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The Vehicle Electrification Group at Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë was founded by Professor Jeremy Michalek and Professor Jay Whitacre in 2009 to study systems-level issues of hybrid and plug-in vehicles. We have since expanded to study other vehicle and transportation trends, like ridehailing. Research areas include:

1. Technology: Vehicle, battery, and electric power systems, design, control and optimization
2. Life-cycle: economic, environmental, and energy security implications
3. Behavior: technology adoption and driver behavior
4. Policy: policy-relevant technical findings and policy analysis

Top Findings

Technology

EV Batteries

• Mobilizing grid-scale energy storage via EV trucks can improve profitability, reduce grid congestion []
• Big factories won't make EV batteries cheap [] []
• EV batteries degrade faster in hot weather, aggressive driving []
• Battery experts see incremental engineering driving near term costs down, not breakthrough technology []
• EV range, efficiency better in mild weather regions [] [] [] []

EV Charging

• EVs cheaper to charge if electricity providers control charging speed [] [] []

Parking Systems

• Parking reservation systems increase accommodation in ideal conditions but can make things worse when arrival times are uncertain [, ]

Life Cycle

Environment

• EV life cycle emissions are trending down, but where they go next depends on battery design and emissions policies [] [] []
• Cleaner grid needed in some regions for EVs to have lower carbon emissions than the cleanest gasoline vehicles []
• Where electric vehicle carbon footprint beats gasoline (U.S. maps) [] [] [] []
• Coal retirement needed for EVs to reduce air pollution in Chicago-Philly-DC region [] [] []
• Charging EVs at night can cause more harm than good [] [] [] [] []
• Small-battery plug-in hybrids offer more benefits [] [] [] [].

Economics

• EV battery supply chain vulnerabilities depend on battery chemistry [] []
• Electrifying Uber & Lyft helps climate, hurts traffic & pollution, offers overall externality benefits to society []
• Uber and Lyft are cleaning air but clogging streets and increasing climate change [] []
• Three studies optimize plug-in vehicle fleets for minimum cost & GHGs [] [] []

Behavior

Electric Vehicle Adoption

• Consumers haven't changed -- technology advancement is driving EV adoption [][]
• Drivers may be willing to try other fuels, pay for climate benefits []
• China may adopt EVs first [] [] []
• Limited residential parking a barrier to widespread EV adoption [study] [press release]
• Vehicle sales predictions hinge on how competitors are represented [] []
• Combining sales & survey data can improve understanding of vehicle purchase behavior, under the right conditions []
• Consumer preferences for one automobile can be shifted by the presence of another automobile []
• For automotive sales forecasts, bias isn't always bad []

Ridehailing

• Ridehailing tech mitigates effects of driver racial bias on riders, but residential segregation effects persist [][][]
• Uber & Lyft increase car ownership in car-dependent & slow-growth cities; displace transit more in cities with high income or few children [][][][]

Autonomous Vehicles

• Autonomous grocery delivery drops average willingness to pay for delivery, but most consumers are indifferent []

Public Policy

EV Policy

• US industrial policy may reduce electric vehicle supply chain vulnerabilities []
• Transportation policy effects on used car fleet externalities may be smaller than previously assumed []
• State zero-emissions vehicle mandates increase GHG emissions due to features in federal standards []
• Problems with the rollback of federal car and light truck fuel economy standards [] [public comment]
• US alternative fuel vehicle adoption triggers higher-emitting fleets [] []
• Public charging infrastructure an expensive way to save gasoline [] [].

Ridehailing Policy

• When optimal Uber/Lyft fleets pay the cost of their emissions, they electrify more & reduce emissions by 10% (NYC) to 22% (LA) [] []