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Research

Research

Research

Summary

Over the next several decades, countries transitioning from gasoline and diesel to alternative fuels will need to invest heavily in new refueling station infrastructures. Refueling stations will need to be located in places convenient for early adopters of alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs). What constitutes "convenience," however, has been a matter of debate. In particular, two groups of optimization models used to deploy new stations have taken divergent views of convenience. One group aims to minimize distance traveled from homes to stations, while the other locates stations "on the way" – on the routes people regularly travel from their origins to their destinations. Which approach best fits the actual behavior of AFV drivers is unknown, however. For insights into refueling behavior, researchers have looked to two studies from 1983 and 1984. Given the paucity of AFVs on the road at that time, these studies used diesel drivers as a proxy for the refueling patterns that early AFV drivers might exhibit given the relative scarcity of alternative-fuel stations. Patterns of refueling stations for contemporary alternate-fuel drivers are much sparser than the diesel-fuel networks of the 1980s, so new models are needed that are better suited to current conditions. This research project will survey drivers about their refueling patterns and behaviors to better understand the assumptions underlying the deployment of new stations. Drivers will be interviewed at stations while they refuel. The survey will ask for the geographic details of their current trip. Socioeconomic and demographic data will be gathered and drivers will be asked whether they detoured from their desired route, why they chose this station, and other questions. To investigate the effects of station site and situation, a number of AFV stations and a control group of gasoline stations will be sampled to represent a variety of geographic settings, including urban, suburban, interstate highways, and arterial streets. Geographic information system-based analyses will be used to measure distances from home, deviations from shortest paths, and geographic characteristics of station-service areas.

This project will improve understanding of evolving travel behavior for which past studies do not provide sufficient information or insights. Research conducted nearly 30 years ago will be updated and expanded to examine behaviors of actual alternative-fuel vehicle drivers. The project will contribute to the literatures on detouring behavior, distance decay, retail service areas, and adoption of AFVs, and it provide a much-needed empirical foundation to theoretical models for optimal station location. The project will contribute to wider-ranging efforts to combat global climate change and local air pollution by helping to overcome the foremost barrier to the use of alternate-fuel vehicles, namely the lack of a refueling infrastructure. Understanding where and when drivers refuel will enable industry to locate stations more efficiently. The U.S. will benefit by saving money on stations, increasing adoption of AFVs, reducing dependency on foreign oil, and developing green jobs and clean industries in the U.S.

Funding

National Science Foundation Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences

Timeline

September 2010 — February 2014