Tools
Below, you will find a collection of tools designed to address specific questions and challenges related to sustainable transport, helping to promote sustainable and equitable clean energy transitions worldwide.
Tool |
Description |
Key Questions |
Application |
EVI-Pro estimates how much electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is needed in a designated area to meet a given demand. |
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National Charging Infrastructure Analysis in Colombia: The EVI-Pro tool was customized for Bogotá, Colombia, using local travel data to estimate the EV charging infrastructure needed to support 600,000 EVs by 2030. This helped stakeholders plan for future charging station demand and facilitated the transition to electric mobility by guiding the development of charging stations where they would be most needed. |
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OpenPATH enables individuals to track their travel modes—by car, bus, bike, walking, etc.—and measure their associated energy use and carbon footprint. It empowers communities to collect and understand their own travel data while achieving place-based, locally relevant sustainable mobility goals. |
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Laos Transportation and EV Planning: To support Laos' ambitious EV deployment goals, NREL developed a Laos-specific version of OpenPATH. This app-based tool collects and analyzes travel data, aiding stakeholders in understanding travel patterns and informing sustainable and inclusive transportation and EV planning. A workshop was held to emphasize the importance of gender-disaggregated data and the tool's potential in achieving local mobility goals. |
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EVOLVE: Evolution of Net Load Variation from Emerging Technologies |
EVOLVE supports data analysis and visualization of electricity load data and potential impact of distributed energy resource (DER) technologies such as rooftop solar PV, battery energy storage, and EVs. |
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Distributed Energy Resource Integration in India: With support from USAID, an NREL team worked with Delhi's state utility, BYPL, to understand the evolution of net load profile with the growing adoption of DER technologies, such as EVs. The EVOLVE assessment with BYPL determined that distributed technologies could indeed create incremental shifts in demand throughout the day that, in aggregate, could accelerate BYPL's need to overhaul operation and planning. Using EVOLVE to understand how a utility's load may change with new DER technologies provides the utility an opportunity to plan for these overhauls in advance. |
EMERGE: Emerging technologies Management and Risk evaluation for distribution Grid Evolution |
EMeRGE integrates feeder-level power flow models to visualize the potential impact of DERs integration on power quality (network voltage, line and transformer loading, etc.) and asset lifetime. Visualization capabilities enable users to evaluate snapshot and time series simulation of network impact metrics. |
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Distributed Energy Resource Integration in India: With India’s ambitious renewable energy targets and decreasing rooftop solar prices, customer adoption of rooftop solar on Tamil Nadu’s distribution network is set to increase. To address the challenge of assessing the impact of these emerging DERs, NREL applied the EMeRGE analysis framework to help the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company (TANGEDCO) and other distribution companies in India analyze new interconnection applications and evaluate system risk impacts over time with new emerging DERs. |
I-JEDI: The International Jobs and Economic Development Impact Tool |
The I-JEDI model is a free tool for analyzing the economic impacts of renewable energy development worldwide. It estimates the employment, earnings, GDP, and output from the construction and operation of renewable energy projects across the domestic supply chain, including impacts by industry. |
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Biofuel Industry Impact Analysis in Thailand. Through the Advanced Energy Partnership for Asia, NREL and Thailand's Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) developed a custom tool based on I-JEDI to estimate the impacts of a complete EV transition on the local biofuels industry. This collaboration supports DEDE in designing EV deployment policies that consider the impacts on workers and economic activities. The project also built DEDE's capacity to conduct further studies and potentially expand the use of the model into other industries. USAID and NREL plan to continue advisory support for DEDE as they use the tool to address future transport challenges. |
To support effective and adaptable clean energy transitions, a range of tools is available for international application. The overview below includes tools that can be utilized globally, even in the absence of specific in-country project examples, and features both open-source and proprietary options. It is designed to guide users in selecting the most suitable tools for their needs, including USAID-NREL country partners involved in clean energy projects.
Vehicles and Mobility
Tool |
Description |
Key Questions |
AFLEET: Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation |
The AFLEET tool uses data from Argonne’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) fuel-cycle model to estimate petroleum use, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution emissions, and cost of ownership of light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. |
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ALTRIOS: Advanced Locomotive Technology and Rail Infrastructure Optimization System |
ALTRIOS is a simulation and optimization software tool to guide railway operators, locomotive manufacturers, government regulatory agencies, national labs, and universities in deep rail decarbonization. |
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CoolSim provides a transient heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) modeling tool in the MATLAB/Simulink environment for both integrated Autonomie and standalone simulation. |
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DRIVE: Drive-Cycle Rapid Investigation, Visualization, and Evaluation Tool |
DRIVE uses global positioning system (GPS) and controller area network (CAN) data to characterize vehicle operation and produce custom vehicle drive cycles based on real-world activity. |
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FASTSim provides a simple way to compare powertrains and estimate the impact of technology improvements on light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle efficiency, performance, cost, and battery life. |
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HIVE: Highly Integrated Vehicle Ecosystem Simulation Framework |
NREL's HIVE framework simulates the operations of mobility-service-provider fleets. |
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OpenPATH enables people to track their travel modes—by car, bus, bike, walking, etc.—and measure their associated energy use and carbon footprint. |
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This tool uses basic information about your driving habits to calculate total cost of ownership and emissions for makes and models of most vehicles, including alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. |
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Infrastructure and Grid Resiliency
Electricity |
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Tool |
Description |
Key Questions |
NREL's EVI-X modeling suite informs the planning and development of large-scale electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure deployments—from the regional, state, and national levels to site and facility operations. |
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EVI-Pro estimates how much electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is needed in a designated area to meet a given demand. |
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EVI-EDGES: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure — Enabling Distributed Generation Energy Storage |
NREL's EVI-EDGES Model configures optimal, cost-effective behind-the-meter-storage (BTMS) and distributed generation systems based on the climate, building type, and utility rate structure of potential electric vehicle (EV) charging sites. |
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EVI-EnSite: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure — Energy Estimation and Site Optimization Tool |
EVI-EnSite is a charging station design, modeling, and analysis tool. Researchers use EVI-EnSite to conduct studies related to the development of electric vehicle (EV) charging station infrastructure as well as the operation and quality of service at such stations. |
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EVI-FAST: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure — Financial Analysis Scenario Tool |
The EVI-FAST tool provides a quick and convenient, in-depth financial analysis for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. It includes multiple revenue streams, including advertisement and increased demand for retail goods. |
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EVI-InMotion: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure — In Motion Tool |
The EVI-InMotion tool is used for planning, optimizing, and analyzing the feasibility of charging EVs while driving on electric roads. |
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EVI-LOCATE) is a comprehensive design tool to get you started on your electric vehicle charging station deployments plans from layout to cost estimates. |
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EVI-OnDemand: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure — On Demand Tool (GitHub) |
EVI-OnDemand is a simulation platform which estimates fast-charging infrastructure requirements necessary to support ride-hailing electrification. |
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VICE: The Vehicle and Infrastructure Cash-Flow Evaluation Model |
VICE models are financial tools developed by NREL to help fleet managers assess the financial soundness of converting vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG) or battery electric buses (BEB). |
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Hydrogen |
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The Hydrogen Analysis (H2A) hydrogen production models and case studies provide transparent reporting of process design assumptions and a consistent cost analysis methodology for hydrogen production at central and distributed (forecourt/filling-station) facilities. |
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H2FAST provides a quick and convenient in-depth financial analysis for hydrogen and non-hydrogen systems and services. |
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The Hydrogen Filling Simulation (H2FillS) software is a thermodynamic model designed to track and report on the transient change in hydrogen temperature, pressure, and mass flow when filling a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). |
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Energy Storage
Tool |
Description |
Key Questions |
For plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), use NREL's battery second-use (B2U) calculator to explore the effects of different repurposing strategies and assumptions on economics. |
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The Battery Failure Databank features data collected from hundreds of abuse tests conducted on commercial lithium-ion batteries. Methods of abuse include nail penetration, thermal abuse, and internal short-circuiting. |
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Use this library of three-dimensional lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery electrode microstructures for microstructure characterization and microstructure modeling. |
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Pairing NREL's battery degradation modeling with electrical and thermal performance models, the Battery Lifetime Analysis and Simulation Tool (BLAST) suite assesses battery lifespan and performance for behind-the-meter, vehicle, and stationary applications. |
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LIBRA provides critical insight into lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery manufacturing, reuse, and recycling across the global supply chain under dynamic conditions. |
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Lithium-Ion Battery Secondary Pore Network Design Optimization Analytical Diffusion Model |
Use the Lithium-Ion Battery Secondary Pore Network (SPN) Design Optimization Analytical Diffusion Model to improve battery performance and enable fast charging. |
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NREL developed the Microstructure Analysis Toolbox (MATBOX) to analyze electrode microstructures for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and other 3D heterogeneous materials. |
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Data Analytics
Tool |
Description |
Key Questions |
The Fleet DNA clearinghouse of commercial fleet vehicle operating data helps vehicle manufacturers and developers optimize vehicle designs and helps fleet managers choose advanced technologies for their fleets. |
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The Fuel Properties Database contains a compilation of properties for various blend stock candidates, including pure compounds. |
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The NFCTEC is designed for secure management, storage, and processing of proprietary data from industry. Access to the off-network NFCTEC is limited to NREL's Technology Validation Team, which analyzes detailed data and reports on fuel cell technology status, progress, and technical challenges. |
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Data Searches
Tool |
Description |
Key Questions |
The AFDC provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decision makers find ways to reach their energy and economic goals through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, advanced vehicles, and other fuel-saving measures. |
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Find and compare alternative fuel vehicles, engines, and hybrid/conversion systems. |
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Create a custom chart comparing fuel properties and characteristics for multiple fuels. |
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