Evaluating co-benefits of battery and fuel cell vehicles in a community in California

Abstract

Battery vehicles and fuel cell vehicles can facilitate the use of low-carbon energy sources in stationary applications, as well as for transportation. For instance, battery vehicles might enable peak load shifting and short-term electricity storage when connected to the electric grid. Hydrogen infrastructure that provides refueling of fuel cell vehicles might also absorb peak solar generation, and provide hydrogen to the natural gas network. Here, the cost and emissions impacts of these system-level effects are integrated into an overall cost-benefit analysis of battery vehicles and fuel cell vehicles.

An integrated analysis of a community energy system under various electric vehicle penetration scenarios is conducted, using a linear cost optimization model. The model determines the cost-optimal energy infrastructure mix in different penetration rate scenarios, using hourly time series data for the community's power generation and energy demand. The optimization considers a wide variety of technical and economic parameters, and determines results for 2025 and 2035.

The findings show, that while both battery vehicles and fuel cell vehicles can modestly reduce the community's overall carbon dioxide emissions, the latter carry higher overall costs, primarily due to the hydrogen generation infrastructure. Battery vehicles are therefore a more cost-efficient choice for reducing CO₂ emissions.