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This paper presents an integrated vehicle model to simulate simultaneously the driver, powertrains, chassis, body, road condition, vehicle dynamics and the Active Suspension (AS) system with/without an energy harvesting module. The developed model is used to investigate the ride comfort and influences of energy harvesting AS system on the total energy consumption of battery Electric Vehicles (EVs) relative to EVs with a passive suspension system. Preliminary simulation results show that compared to EVs with a passive suspension system, the ones with AS system improve ride comfort, up to 31% reduction of the vehicle body acceleration RMS value, with an expense of higher energy consumption. This expense can be reduced to about 2.8% when using an energy harvesting AS system. Simulation results also demonstrate that the available energy for recuperation during the AS system operation is significant in relation to the regenerative braking energy of the propulsion system, up to approx. 70% on bumpy road surfaces.

Expectations and visions are known to be forceful elements in the governance of emerging innovations. However, visions and expectations are prone to change, thus creating challenges for strategy and policy processes. Actors have to deal with the dynamics of expectations, either ex-post when expectations have changed, or ex-ante, for instance by taking possible future changes into account in the design of policy measures. This article follows the dynamics of fuel cell expectations in the German policy discourse (1994–2011). Firstly, we study how fuel cell expectations were discursively related to a wider network of expectations regarding developments in the context of fuel cells. Secondly, we examine whether and how policy measures referred to these expectations, and how policy dealt with the dynamic evolution of expectations. We show that fuel cell expectations alone were not sufficient to trigger substantial policy support; only once they linked up with visions and expectations about the future energy system and further context developments were supportive policy measures initiated. Furthermore, although we observed dedicated and successful efforts to stabilize policy support for fuel cells pre-empting possible changes in expectations, governance still had to adapt to changes in the network of expectations, in particular the rise in expectations for battery-electric vehicles.

This document describes the general specifications for each of the pilots that will be part of the INVADE Project. The pilots are located in five countries: Norway, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Germany and Spain. It´s specified a list of sections for each one of the pilots. A general description, grid topology, flexibility services, technical details and a list of the general equipment that will be necessary in the execution of the project. For each of the pilots, the use cases will be related to the PUCs defined in D4.1 which has been a good input in order to identify the possible use cases for all the different pilots.

Considering the role of transport for a 1.5 Degree stabilization pathway and the importance of light-duty vehicle fuel efficiency within that, it is important to understand the key elements of a policy package to shape the energy efficiency of the vehicle fleet. This paper presents an analysis focusing on three types of policy measures: (1) CO2 emission standards for new vehicles, (2) vehicle taxation directly and indirectly based on CO2 emission levels, and (3) fuel taxation. The paper compares the policies in the G20 economies and estimates the financial impact of those policies using the example of a Ford Focus vehicle model. This analysis is a contribution to the assessment of the role of the transport sector in global decarbonisation efforts. The findings of this paper show that only an integrated approach of regulatory and fiscal policy measures can yield substantial efficiency gains in the vehicle fleet and can curb vehicle kilometres travelled by individual motorised transport. Using the illustrative example of one vehicle model, the case study analysis shows that isolated measures, e.g. fuel efficiency regulation without corresponding fuel and vehicle taxes only have minor CO2 emission reduction effects and that policy measures need to be combined in order to achieve substantial emission reduction gains over time. The analysis shows that the highest level of impact is achieved by a combination regulatory and fiscal policies rather than only one policy even if this policy is more aggressive. When estimating the quantitative effect of fuel efficiency standards, vehicle and fuel tax, the analysis shows that substantial gains with regard to CO2 emission are only achieved at a financial impact level above 500 Euros over a four year period.

The dynamic behavior and ride quality of railway vehicles are influenced by track quality. Monitoring riding comfort and safety is a major task of the Austrian Federal Railway’s Infrastructure Division. The track testing and recording car EM 250 provides a proven measuring instrument for modern track maintenance. Equipped with an inertial measuring system and an optical track gauge measuring system, the track testing and recording car can measure the track alignment and rail profiles at speeds of up to 220 km/h. The measurements, taken every 25 cm, provide binary data files that can be processed offline. Track quality parameters are measured as functions of vehicle acceleration and are stored in a database from which they can be easily retrieved from any computer in the company. The Bureau for Applied Mechanics and Mathematics was commissioned by the Austrian Federal Railways to develop the SIMULAT program for analyzing rolling stock dynamics. In developing the model, special consideration was given to the exact mathematical description of all elements affecting vehicle dynamics. Using an optical measuring system, the track testing and recording car determines the rail cross section on the basis of readings at individual points. The simulation program links the curve with the track data, allowing the analysis of the impact of worn profiles on running stability. For the simulation, the line layout and the track geometry deviations excite the model of track and vehicle. In a followup phase, the vector of generalized degrees of freedom is evaluated, and the results are displayed with a visualization program. The simulation results were compared with data recorded during a test run and showed satisfactory correspondence.

A reluctance to switch to electric vehicles is observed in various countries despite national efforts to promote them. The question of whether electric cars are capable of meeting daily mobility requirements in Germany is investigated. The analysis is based on data from the German Mobility Panel Survey from 1995 to 2010 and the travel survey of 2009 and 2010 for the Stuttgart, Germany, area and combines a long-term travel behavior analysis with a region-specific verification. The focus is on individuals who exclusively drive a car and walk during the day and who rely on the car as a primary means of transport. For this group, the determinants of the decision to drive an internal combustion engine vehicle versus a battery electric vehicle (BEV) are analyzed, with a focus on driving range and energy costs. Results of the analysis suggest that around 80% of all daily travel by car drivers could be done with currently available models of electric cars and that charging them only at night would be sufficient in most cases. Therefore, the driving range of BEVs cannot be the restricting factor. In contrast, the current cost structure of BEVs (high investment cost, low energy cost) is not favorable for the large share of drivers with low annual mileage because the high investment cost is not compensated for by low operation costs. In the Stuttgart region, drivers from the suburbs would benefit most from such energy cost savings; however, city dwellers would need other cost structures or incentives to switch to BEVs.

This paper outlines the key elements of a low‐carbon stabilization pathway for land transport, focusing on the potential of key policy measures at the local and national level, opportunities for synergies of sustainable development and climate change objectives, and governance and institutional issues affecting the implementation of measures. It combines several approaches to provide an integrated view on the decarbonization of the transport sector based on recent literature. It will assess the quantitative basis potential climate change mitigation pathways and will then look into policy and institutional aspects that relate to the feasibility of these pathways. This combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis to measure the potential, options, and feasibility of climate change mitigation strategies in the transport sector aims to synthesize recent papers on the subject and draw conclusions for future research. WIREs Energy Environ 2017, 6:e257. doi: 10.1002/wene.257This article is categorized under: Energy Policy and Planning > Economics and Policy Energy and Development > Climate and Environment