Knowledge is power: Electric vehicle calculator for cold climates

Abstract

We used crowdsourced data in Alaska and the literature to develop a light-duty electric vehicle model to help policymakers, researchers, and consumers understand the trade-offs between internal combustion and electric vehicles. This model forms the engine of a calculator, which was developed in partnership with residents from three partner Alaskan communities. This calculator uses a typical hourly temperature profile for any chosen community in Alaska along with a relationship of energy use vs. temperature while driving or while parked to determine the annual cost and emissions for an electric vehicle. Other user inputs include miles driven per day, electricity rate, and whether the vehicle is parked in a heated space. A database of community power plant emissions per unit of electricity is used to determine emissions based on electricity consumption. This tool was updated according to community input on ease of use, relevance, and usefulness. It could easily be adapted to other regions of the world. The incorporation of climate, social, and economic inputs allow us to holistically capture real world situations and adjust as the physical and social environment changes.