FROM WELL TO WHEEL: A COMPREHENSIVE COMPARISON OF TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE VEHICLE-FUEL SYSTEMS

The objective of this project is to determine the advantages of the modern alternative fueled vehicles over traditional vehicles on a well to wheel basis. Alternative fueled vehicles are often lauded for their advantages during vehicle operation. This project evaluates vehicles according to their relative values on a broader scale. This project compares traditional, alternative fuel, and hybrid vehicles for use in the U.S. from the complete fuel cycle standpoint using points of comparison that include energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and the emission of five principal pollutants. GREET software used in this study was developed at Argonne National Laboratory specifically for modeling these types of points. Financial considerations and social benefits outside the purview of GREET are also incorporated. The comparisons account for the attributes of each vehicle-fuel combination considering the feedstock, fuel production, and vehicle operation stages in order to provide a complete view of the fuel cycle. By comparing vehicles in this way, this project highlights the advantages of each combination and provides insight into the overall effect of operating these vehicl