Zero-Emission Electric Vehicle Charging and Refueling Research and Projects
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) is funding projects across the United States that will improve and expand zero-emission and electric vehicle (EV) charging and refueling infrastructure for all Americans.
As the nation experiences the biggest transportation transformation in a century, more research and understanding are essential to address technical barriers to a convenient, accessible, and reliable zero-emission charging and refueling experience. The Joint Office is dedicated to partnering with National Laboratories, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, and Volpe National Transportation Systems Center on research and analysis projects that inform the deployment of zero-emission vehicle charging and refueling infrastructure, renewable energy generation, vehicle-to-grid integration, including microgrids, and related programs and policies.
The electric vehicle grid integration (EVGI) team at NREL performs evaluations of medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles to support the development of EV connectors.
Ongoing Projects
Below are descriptions and resources for ongoing Joint Office funded research and analysis projects ranging from soft costs related to building infrastructure to cybersecurity best practices.
The BILD-AQ is a modeling workflow that can be used to estimate air pollutant emissions, concentration, and mortality benefits of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funded EV infrastructure deployment. The tool can estimate national, or state-by-state, impacts of EV infrastructure deployment. Analysis using BILD-AQ can be conducted by the BILD-AQ development team of researchers at LBNL and NREL.
Labs Leading this Project
CalderaCast is a website tool that provides electrical-load and utilization forecasts for potential future EV charging station locations based on the types of chargers and the expected EV adoption. The tool relies on traffic volume data along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs) in the United States and is most accurate for locations along these corridors. CalderaCast can be used to help plan for public charging station projects, including National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) charging station locations along AFCs.
This tool is designed to aid potential funding applicants, local distribution utilities, state agencies, and other critical stakeholders in their efforts to plan and prepare for the installation of new charging stations. It requires basic information about charging station location, the types of chargers to be installed, and a date of operation (to account for future increased EV adoption). CalderaCast will then compute a forecast of the frequency of vehicles stopping to charge at the proposed station, and the expected electrical load on the power grid. This capability allows interested parties to estimate the appropriate size, scope, and supply equipment types for a proposed charging station to best meet the need of the proposed location.
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The National Charging Experience (ChargeX) Consortium convenes industry, national labs, consumer advocates, and other stakeholders to measure and improve public charging reliability in North America by 2025. Multiple task forces are developing technical solutions and recommended practices for improving charging and EV communications; hardware design, testing and diagnostics; and performance measurement. These solutions will be implemented by industry and codified into standards to improve the EV charging customer experience. The project began in June 2023, with an estimated completion date of June 2025.
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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Idaho National Laboratory completed a project to improve cybersecurity risk mitigations within EV charging systems, and further the adoption of EVs across America. This effort resulted in a national approach for EV Charging Protocols and Security Provisions for ISO 15118, OCPP, and OCPI, which can be found in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements (23 CFR 680) published in March 2023. PNNL also released Sample Cybersecurity Procurement Language Clauses for Request For Proposals and Electric Vehicle Service Provider Contracts in April 2023. This guidance has been used by NEVI funding recipients to develop robust contracts to last throughout their lifecycle. PNNL continues to work with the NASEO-AASHTO subcommittee on cybersecurity to transition this guidance to federal electric vehicle charging infrastructure grant recipients.
Labs Leading this Project
Project Resources
- Webinar: Sample Cybersecurity Procurement Clauses for EV Charging Infrastructure
- National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements (23 CFR 680)
- Cybersecurity Procurement Language Clauses for RFPs and EVSP Contracts
- Sample Cybersecurity Clauses for EV Charging Infrastructure Procurements
This project delved into the various business model archetypes in the EV infrastructure charging space, the barriers in manufacturing and deployment of EV infrastructure, and how policies at the local, state, and federal level can be used to enhance the visibility of these models. It helps stakeholders understand the drivers and sensitivities of each charging model, guiding state government and others in their electrification plans. The project ran from August 2023 to November 2023.
Lab Leading this Project
This project is analyzing the cybersecurity implications of the EV charging system standards required by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. The work aims to allow both government and industry to be aware of, and quickly begin to address, foundational public key infrastructure (PKI), cybersecurity, and other related limitations inherent to the NEVI buildout. The project began in September 2023 with simulation work ongoing.
Labs Leading this Project
Argonne National Lab developed and is maintaining an internal EV dashboard to show regional and national trends in Plug-in EV adoption, technology evolution, EV/battery supply chain, investments, fuel savings, and petroleum reduction. It aims to provide facts about EVs and EV batteries for use by the White House, the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy, and the Joint Office. The project launched in October 2022, with a project completion date of September 2024.
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The EVI-X modeling suite informs the planning and development of large-scale EV charging infrastructure deployments. It’s working to provide a more comprehensive understanding of transportation electrification investment needs and will potentially inform the allocation of Joint Office resources.
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Project Resources
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is working to identify, benchmark, and track the soft costs related to electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installations to better inform deployment. This work aims to provide more engagement activities to help stakeholders identify, track, and address the costs of EVSE implementation in their communities. This effort began in September 2023, with a projected end date of June 2026.
Labs Leading this Project
Argonne National Laboratory is working to identify gaps in the NEVI Formula Program buildouts within cybersecurity. This project aims to serve as a template for evaluating other NEVI buildouts and provide best practices for current and future deployments. This effort began in October 2023 and is continued with additional support from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Lab Leading this Project
This project is working to inform the development of more accessible and reliable charging networks and drive the widespread adoption of EVs throughout America. J.D. Power is sharing its EV IndexSM with Argonne National Laboratory researchers, offering valuable insights into the EV market, and a deeper understanding of the EV charging consumer experience. This project began in 2023 and is ongoing.
Lab Leading this Project
Project Highlight and Resource
Past Projects
Below are descriptions and resources for completed projects funded by the Joint Office, ranging from tools to white papers.
AFLEET is a standalone spreadsheet tool for state and local agencies to estimate emission from Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act proposals. It aims to enable them to easily quantify impacts of alternative fuels refueling infrastructure at specific locations by entering project data. This work began and was completed in 2023.
Lab Leading this Project
Project Highlights and Resources
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center released a white paper and summary of EV charging solutions serving multifamily housing (MFH) residents. The effort aims to serve as a primer on technologies and approaches to bring the benefits of electrification to MFH residents. This effort began in September 2023, with the white paper published in January 2024.
Lab Leading this Project
Project Highlights and Resources
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center is building a one-stop resource to help communities scope, plan, and identify ways to fund EV charging infrastructure. The project aims to clarify the scoping, planning, and funding process for stakeholders new to EV charging. It also supports community charging grant recipients through project implementation.
Lab Leading this Project
Project Highlights and Resources
Joint Office Funding Programs
Learn more about current and past funding programs from the Joint Office and how these awards are advancing clean transportation.