Alternative Fuels and Vehicles

Vehicles that run on natural gas, biofuels, hydrogen, and electricity can be cleaner and domestically produced alternatives to cars and trucks powered by gasoline and diesel. Experts at RFF are examining the costs and benefits of integrating these alternative fuels and vehicles into regulations, subsidies, and trading markets.

Resources Article
Is the Future Now? Autonomous Vehicle Technology and Consumer Demand
Sep 28, 2017
How much are people willing to pay for self-driving cars? RFF’s Benjamin Leard discusses his work on consumer demand for autonomous vehicles and the potential implications for society of wider adoption of these new technologies.

Transportation
Resources Article
The Effect of Standards for New Vehicle Fuel Economy and GHG Emissions on US Consumers
Sep 28, 2017 | Benjamin Leard, Joshua Linn, Yichen Christy Zhou
US federal regulations aim to increase the fuel economy of new automobiles and reduce their GHG emissions. How do the standards affect vehicle consumers?

Transportation
Working Paper
The Effects of Market Size and Fuel Costs on Fuel-Saving Technology Adoption in Passenger Vehicles
Dec 13, 2016 | Thomas Klier, Joshua Linn, Yichen Christy Zhou | 56 pp.
Passenger vehicle fuel economy standards require substantial new vehicle fuel economy improvements over the next decade. We demonstrate a strong link between a vehicle's market size (sales) and automakers' adoption of fuel-saving technology.

Transportation
Blog Post
RFF on the Issues: Improving Electric Vehicles
Feb 26, 2016 | Shannon Wulf Tregar
Is it possible to create a new transportation system where electric vehicles are the norm? Lawrence Burns, former vice president of research & development and planning at General Motors, says yes.

Transportation
Resources Article
The Impacts of Biofuel Mandates on Food Prices and Emissions
Jan 7, 2016 | Ujjayant Chakravorty | 2 pp.
Renewable fuel standards have been blamed for rising food prices, but population growth and dietary shifts play a significant role.

Energy and Electricity
Working Paper
The Long-Run Impact of Biofuels on Food Prices
Oct 30, 2015 | Ujjayant Chakravorty, Marie-Hélène Hubert, Michel Moreaux, Linda Nøstbakken | 50 pp.
The conversion of pasture and forest land to farming due to biofuels mandates may cause a modest increase in food prices—although population growth and income-driven preferences for meat and dairy over cereals may play as much of a role.

Energy and Electricity
Blog Post
Research Questions for the Midterm CAFE Review: Credit Trading and Flexibility under the New Rules
Jun 9, 2014 | Alan J. Krupnick, Joshua Linn, Virginia McConnell
This is the fourth and final blog post in a series by RFF’s transportation team that addresses some of the key research questions for the midterm CAFE review.

Environmental Economics Topics Transportation
Blog Post
Research Questions for the Midterm CAFE Review: Will the Footprint-Based CAFE Standard Work as Expected?
Apr 25, 2014 | Alan J. Krupnick, Joshua Linn, Virginia McConnell
This is the third in a series of blog posts by RFF’s transportation team that addresses some of the key research questions for the midterm CAFE review.

Environmental Economics Topics Transportation
Blog Post
Research Questions for the Midterm CAFE Review: The Fuel Efficiency Gap
Mar 20, 2014 | Alan J. Krupnick, Joshua Linn, Virginia McConnell
This is the second in a series of blog posts by RFF’s transportation team that will address some of the key research questions for the midterm CAFE review.

Environmental Economics Topics Transportation
Blog Post
Research Questions for the Midterm CAFE Review
Mar 13, 2014 | Alan J. Krupnick, Joshua Linn, Virginia McConnell
Our country is about to enter the most important period this decade for the future of transportation and its associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Environmental Economics Topics Transportation

Monetizing Global Pollution Impacts for The Lancet’s New Report

Informing Transparency in the Paris Agreement: The Role of Economic Analyses

Economic Reregulation, Environmental Deregulation, and the Future of US Coal-Fired Generation

A Conversation with Dr. Hoesung Lee, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Pathways to Animal Domestication: A Continuing Journey

Designing Shale Gas Leases for Landowner and Environmental Protection

Richard G. Newell

Ann M. Bartuska

Raymond J. Kopp

Terri O'Brien

Tamara Sperling

Decommissioning US Power Plants: Decisions, Costs, and Key Issues

Systems Analysis in Electric Power Sector Modeling: Evaluating Model Complexity for Long-Range Planning

US State and Local Oil and Gas Revenue Sources and Uses

Alternative Fuels and Vehicles

Is the Future Now? Autonomous Vehicle Technology and Consumer Demand

The Effect of Standards for New Vehicle Fuel Economy and GHG Emissions on US Consumers

The Effects of Market Size and Fuel Costs on Fuel-Saving Technology Adoption in Passenger Vehicles

RFF on the Issues: Improving Electric Vehicles

The Impacts of Biofuel Mandates on Food Prices and Emissions

The Long-Run Impact of Biofuels on Food Prices

Research Questions for the Midterm CAFE Review: Credit Trading and Flexibility under the New Rules

Research Questions for the Midterm CAFE Review: Will the Footprint-Based CAFE Standard Work as Expected?

Research Questions for the Midterm CAFE Review: The Fuel Efficiency Gap

Research Questions for the Midterm CAFE Review