Electric Mobility Planning Resources: Cost Analysis
EV Charging Financial Analysis Tool
Atlas Public Policy – Calculator/Software
A sophisticated Microsoft Excel-based tool that performs a detailed financial analysis of owning and operating EV charging stations. Allows users to evaluate various business arrangements including P3s. Generates a summary dashboard as well as sensitivity analyses and financial accounting statements.
Link: https://atlaspolicy.com/rand/ev-charging-financial-analysis-tool/
Dashboard for Rapid Vehicle Electrification (DRVE) Tool
Electrification Coalition –Calculator/Software
Microsoft Excel-based tool that helps users compare their existing conventional fleet vehicles with EV alternatives. Outputs include cost of ownership and emissions based on the regional electric grid. Users can customize the market, charging, and procurement settings to explore different scenarios.
Link: https://www.electrificationcoalition.org/drve/
Vehicle and Infrastructure Cash-Flow Evaluation (VICE) Battery Electric Bus Model
NREL – Calculator/Software
Microsoft Excel-based tool to help bus fleet operators determine the cost and payback period of battery electric buses (BEB) and charging infrastructure. Considers the acquisition, fuel, maintenance, and operation costs of a baseline diesel bus fleet and an alternative BEB fleet with EV charging. Provides default input values that users can further customize.
Link: https://afdc.energy.gov/vice_model/
Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) Tool
Argonne National Laboratory – Calculator/Software
A tool to calculate the economic and environmental costs and benefits of alternative fuel vehicles including EVs. Estimates petroleum use, emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, and cost of ownership for a variety of vehicle types. Includes a function to calculate payback on EV infrastructure and incorporates EV charging infrastructure into calculations of total cost of ownership for fleets. AFLEET is available as both an online tool and a Microsoft Excel file.
Link: https://afleet.es.anl.gov/home
JOBS Model
Argonne National Laboratory – Calculator/Software
Spreadsheet-based tools to estimate the economic impacts of deploying alternative fuel equipment and infrastructure, including EV charging stations. The tools have default input values, but users are encouraged to input their own project-specific data for more accurate results.
Link: https://www.anl.gov/esia/jobs-models
Costs and Emissions Appraisal Tool for Transit Buses
World Resources Institute – Calculator/Software
Microsoft Excel-based tool to help bus operators assess the costs and emissions reductions from a transition to alternative fuel fleets. Considers financing, capital, infrastructure, overhaul, maintenance, fuel, and operations costs as well as several greenhouse gases and EPA criteria pollutants. Users can input their own fuel and fleet data or use the built-in defaults.
Link: https://www.wri.org/research/costs-and-emissions-appraisal-tool-transit-buses
National DERA Awarded Grants
EPA – Guidance/Reference
A list of previously awarded National DERA grants, searchable by keyword (example: “electric”). Users can generate ideas for project proposals or estimate project costs from past awards.
Link: https://www.epa.gov/dera/national-dera-awarded-grants
Low or No Emission Vehicle Program
FTA – Guidance/Reference
This competitive grant program provides funding for acquiring low- or zero-emission buses and related infrastructure. Users can view projects that have been awarded funding in previous fiscal years to brainstorm ideas for project proposals and estimate project costs from past awards.
Link: https://www.transit.dot.gov/lowno
Financial Analysis of Battery Electric Transit Buses (2020)
NREL – Guidance/Reference
Report to be used as a first screen to determine which fleets may be most suitable for BEB investment by using a model to determine the net present value and the payback period for investment in BEBs and charging infrastructure.
Link: https://afdc.energy.gov/files/u/publication/financial_analysis_be_transit_buses.pdf
Also in this Section
Resources for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Planning
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