The Fuel and Emissions Calculator (FEC) is an operating-mode-based, life-cycle energy and emissions modeling tool developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Its primary purpose is to assist fleet owners and managers, regulatory agencies, and policy analysts in assessing the energy and emissions impacts of various fleet alternatives. The FEC assesses emissions and energy use based on engine load (which depends on vehicle operating parameters), enabling modelers to incorporate local on-road operating conditions as model inputs. FEC’s functional modules are embedded in an Excel spreadsheet platform for all current versions, to provide transparency and accessibility through visible input data and calculations. In addition to Versions 2.0 and 3.0, the research team developed an online Python version, enhancing model performance and offering advanced users the option to integrate the FEC with other modeling tools, such as travel demand or simulation models.
Version 1.0 of the Fuel and Emissions Calculator (FEC), known as ‘FEC for transit fleets,’ was developed for transit bus, shuttle bus, and rail systems, focusing on providing a specialized tool for assessing emissions and energy use within transit operations. FEC Version 2.0 expanded the model to include a heavy-duty truck calculator and introduced an online Python version for transit fleet models, significantly improving performance through updated emission rates, advanced methodologies, and error corrections. Version 3.0, dubbed “FEC for all transportation modes,” further broadened the model's scope by adding mode specific calculators for light-duty passenger vehicles, buses, heavy-duty trucks, and rail, making it a comprehensive tool for analyzing energy and emissions across a wider range of transportation modes.
This research will update to the spreadsheet version of the Fuel and Emissions Calculator (FEC) to Version 4.0. The update will incorporate the emission and energy use rates from the latest version of the EPA's MOVES 4.0 regulatory model for conventional and electric vehicles, utilizing the latest matrices from MOVES-Matrix 4.0 (also developed by the research team) and associated source type technology parameters. The team plans to calibrate hybrid vehicle parameters and vehicle cost profiles and update the online web-based version of FEC 4.0 in the second year of this project (slated to being in Fall 2024). This project will also coordinate with another outreach project designed to encourage the use of the FEC in student analyses for presentation at conferences.