Transportation Energy Futures Study
Transportation accounts for 71% of total U.S. petroleum consumption and 33% of total greenhouse gas emissions. The Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) study examines underexplored oil-savings and greenhouse gas–reduction opportunities by aggregating transportation energy knowledge and estimating opportunities.
The study addresses high-priority questions to inform transportation energy strategies, priorities, and investments. Research and analysis identifies near-term actions that support long-term energy goals. The study looks beyond technology to examine the marketplace, consumer behavior, industry capabilities, and infrastructure. More information on the project can be found in the TEF fact sheet, analysis snapshot, annotated overview presentation, and slides-only overview.
The study is organized in four research areas: light-duty vehicles, non-light-duty vehicles, fuels, and transportation demand. Findings are detailed in a series of nine reports, including:
Light-Duty Vehicles
- Non-Cost Barriers to Consumer Adoption of New Light-Duty Vehicle Technologies
- Vehicle Technology Deployment Pathways: An Examination of Timing and Investment Constraints
Non-Light-Duty Vehicles
Fuels
- Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Expansion: Costs, Resources, Production Capacity, and Retail Availability for Low-Carbon Scenarios
- Projected Biomass Utilization for Fuels and Power in a Mature Market
Transportation Demand
- Effects of the Built Environment on Transportation: Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Other Factors
- Effects of Travel Reduction and Efficient Driving on Transportation: Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Freight Transportation Demand: Energy-Efficient Scenarios for a Low-Carbon Future
- Freight Transportation Modal Shares: Scenarios for a Low-Carbon Future
Data and Tools
More detail on project data and tools can be found on the NREL website.
More Information
For more information about TEF, contact eere.analysis@ee.doe.gov.
TEF is a collaboration between EERE, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The project benefitted from the input provided by a steering committee that included some of the nation's foremost experts on transportation energy from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), academic researchers, and industry associations.