conference paper
research report
The goal of this research project is to evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of electric vehicles (EVs) in delivery vehicle fleets. We assume fleet operators have both EVs and conventionally fueled vehicles (CFVs) at their disposal for delivery services, and that fleet operators select a mix of EVs and CFVs that minimize overall costs. Moreover, we assume EVs offer a per mile cost advantage over CFVs due to the lower costs of electricity compared to gasoline/diesel, and government subsidies. We also assume that EVs have a shorter range than CFVs. We model the fleet operator’s decision problem as a mixed vehicle routing problem, wherein the decision levers include the routing of EVs and CFVs to serve all delivery locations at minimum cost. Using the Los Angeles (LA) and Orange counties as the study area with a single depot, we develop computational experiments to evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of EVs in delivery vehicle fleets. The results indicate that with EV range less than 100 miles, it is not possible for EVs to serve all the demand in the region. At a 200-mile EV range, and where the EV cost per mile is approximately 60% of the CFV cost per mile, the optimal fleet mix is all EVs. With EV range less than 200, or a tighter gap between EV and CFV costs, the optimal fleet includes both EVs and CFVs. Mostly importantly, the results indicate that increasing EV range is the most important factor, more so than reducing EV costs, in reducing CFVs in medium-duty delivery vehicle fleets, and reducing total emissions.
presentation |
Sep 2023
published journal article |
Apr 2024
research report |
Jan 2022
working paper
California has authorized four toll roads to be constructed and operated by private groups, and it is considering more. Construction on a similar 14-mile project in Virginia will begin in 1992. Florida, Texas, and Colorado are considering proposals for private toll roads, and there is talk of a 500-mile private connection between Chicago and Kansas City. Outside the United States, private groups are operating toll roads in France and Italy. Indeed, the idea of private toll roads is making a comeback.We say “comeback” because many regions of the United States were once laced with private toll roads. In the early 1800s turnpiking was the leading form of transportation improvement. At mid-century an elaborate system of short turnpikes and plank roads served as feeders to the canals and railroads. In Colorado and California private toll roads served the early mining camps. By the year 1900 scores of rustic toll roads continued to traverse rural areas nation-wide. During the 19th century at least 2,000 private companies operated toll roads.
working paper |
Dec 1994
working paper |
Sep 1994
working paper |
Oct 1993
working paper |
Jan 1997
book/book chapter |
Oct 1998
published journal article
working paper
The economic theory behind congestion pricing relies on using the revenues to help compensate highway users. But can practical methods of using revenues come close to achieving this compensation, and still have salient appeal to important political groups? This paper investigates the possibilities for designing a package of revenue uses that can achieve these twin goals. The suggested approach returns two-thirds of the revenues to travelers through travel allowances and tax reductions, and uses the rest to improve transportation throughout the area, including affected business centers. By replacing regressive sales and fuel taxes, this approach offsets the tendency of the prices alone to have a regressive distributional impact. By lowering taxes, funding new highways, improving transit, and upgrading business centers, the package provides inducements for support from several key interest groups. The potential amounts of money involved are discussed using nationwide data, and in more detail using a case study of ubiquitous facility pricing throughout the Los Angeles region. Illustrative calculations of the effects on various individuals confirm that such a package can create net benefits for a wide spectrum of people and interest groups.
working paper |
Jun 1991
working paper |
Jun 1989
working paper |
Nov 1991
working paper |
Nov 1988
working paper |
Sep 1991
published journal article
conference paper
conference paper
published journal article
Although two-part tariffs are widely studied, only three papers consider three-part tariffs, which consist of an access fee in return for an allowance consumption level along with a unit “overage” price for consumption beyond the allowance. Moreover, none of these papers addresses some elementary and fundamental questions concerning the optimal features of the tariff in the presence of heterogeneous users: (1) How does the overage price (and thus marginal benefit for a high-demand user) compare to the marginal cost of the service? (2) How does marginal benefit compare to marginal cost for a low-demand user consuming at the allowance level? (3) How large is the access fee relative to benefits from the service? The purpose of this paper is to answer these questions by using a simple model with two types of consumers and a constant marginal cost. The analysis is carried out for a monopoly provider and then for the duopoly case, with the outcomes under the two market structures compared.
published journal article
