News

There are many reasons to reduce our reliance on cars—they are polluting, inefficient, dangerous, and expensive to own. In dense urban areas, travel modes such as walking, bicycling, and public transit can be reasonable alternatives for many peoples’ transportation needs.

ITS-Davis contributed to a new study which argues that electrifying vehicles isn’t by itself enough to make transportation low-carbon by midcentury. But combined with a rethinking of how cities are designed, it could. Read more...

The Sustainable Freight (SF) Research Program is a growing research and policy program in the Institute of Transportation Studies of the University of California, Davis.

The Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle (PH&EV) Research Center launched in early 2007, with the support of the California Energy Commission’s allocation of Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) funds for transportation research. The Center collaborates closely with California utilities, automakers, regulators, and other research institutions to provide the rigorous research and impartial policy analysis that are needed to meet the climate environmental and equity goals of our society.

The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, Energy Futures (EF) Program is recruiting a postdoctoral Scholar to support our efforts to develop models of the transportation systems within the United States and internationally and conduct detailed analysis using those models. Particular emphasis will be on one or more of: transitions to net-zero transportation energy systems, modeling of electric and fuel cell cars and trucks within transportation systems, and modeling hydrogen systems in the context of transportation and stationery system decarbonization.

Beyond offering critical transportation analytics to planners and traffic engineers, StreetLight Data plays a key role in empowering the next generation of transportation leaders and researchers within academic settings, including at the University of California, Davis.

Much has been written about the three revolutions transforming transportation—automation, electrification, and sharing—and about their potential to shape the future sustainability of the transportation system. Yet it is also important to consider that these profound changes in travel options may also have varying impacts on the environment. Read more...

In a report jointly published by Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy and UC Davis's Institute of Transportation, energy and transportation experts analyze changes in government policy, technology, consumer behavior and shipping during the COVID-19 pandemic and, through simulated scenarios, the impact of the changes on future global oil demand. Read the report...

California has taken a leadership role in reducing carbon emissions, setting a goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. Decarbonizing transportation, the largest source of emissions in the state, will be key to achieving this goal. This webinar series highlights findings from a recently released state-commissioned study - Driving California’s Transportation Emissions to Zero - that identifies scenarios and related actions for achieving a carbon-neutral transportation system in California, while also improving equity, health, and the economy.

by UC Davis News and Media Relations

Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in California. In order to achieve the state’s goals of carbon neutrality by 2045 and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, decarbonizing this sector is essential. But such a transition is unlikely to occur rapidly without key policy intervention. Read more...

An interview with the godfather of transportation decarbonization

--Decarbonizing Transportation

By Debapriya Chakraborty, Scott Hardman, Seth Karten, Gil Tal

To design the best electric vehicle policies—affecting their sale, manufacturing, and charging—we need to know whether electric vehicles can function as replacements for gasoline vehicles. Addressing this question is controversial and important. Bringing clarity is critical because some interest groups opposed to electric vehicles state that less usage indicates that electric vehicles are an inferior substitute for gasoline cars, and thus not deserving of government support.

By Scott Hardman and Jiyoung Park

Here’s a major policy success of 2020 that probably slipped by most people in the United States: Korea, the sixth-largest producer of automobiles and home to the third-largest automotive group in the world (Hyundai-Kia), successfully implemented its own zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) sales regulation—with help from ITS-Davis researchers.

By Miguel Jaller, Anmol Pahwa, Seth Karten

With more states and individuals observing stricter limits on in-person shopping, and with holidays coming, what can we do to limit the environmental and societal impact of online shopping? And even beyond this moment, how do we minimize the harm—or maximize the benefit—of online shopping to society and life on our planet?

By Dan Sperling, Lew Fulton, and Vicki Arroyo