Developing FleetCalc to Reshape Our Nation's Vehicle Fleets

IMPACT. 1: FleetCalc will be the first online tool to provide accurate information on alternatives for fleet vehicles based on real vehicle performance data and use patterns. Fleetcalc is a computer simulation that uses real vehicle data and sophisticated computer algorithms to provide fleet owners and policymakers with an ability to understand the impact of different technology options, fuel choices, driving styles, vehicle accessories and policy incentives on the cost and performance of various vehicles. Thus far, the team has: Completed comparison assessment of other fleet calculators. Evaluated vehicle technologies and options to determine technical inputs to program. Surveyed and interviewed various stakeholders for needs and wants for program. Determined input and output structures. Developed initial economic analysis. Completed discussion on user interface prototype. Built initial web-based interface prototypes. Completed initial fleet owner review. Developed preliminary framework for education.OSU PARTNERS: College of Engineering; Center for Automotive Research; John Glenn School of Public AffairsCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Various vehicle fleet ownersPRIMARY CONTACT: Giorgio Rizzoni ([email protected]); Beth-Anne Schuelke-Leech ([email protected])Fleet owners now have a plethora of fuel options, vehicle types and technologies to choose from. There is a huge amount of information available on these options, some of which is contradictory, hard to compare, misleading or false. This same gauntlet is faced by policy makers who look to formulate strategies to accomplish a particular goal, or who wonder what the implications are of a particular program or initiative. Complex fleet calculators have been developed, giving fleet owners detailed information on the implications of a particular vehicle option. These fleet calculators require large amounts of data, and their results are complex and difficult to interpret

Developing FleetCalc to Reshape Our Nation's Vehicle Fleets

IMPACT. 1: FleetCalc will be the first online tool to provide accurate information on alternatives for Fleet vehicles based on real vehicle performance data and use patterns. Fleetcalc is a computer simulation that uses real vehicle data and sophisticated computer algorithms to provide fleet owners and policymakers with an ability to understand the impact of different technology options, fuel choices, driving styles, vehicle accessories and policy incentives on the cost and performance of various vehicles. Thus far, the team has:. Completed Comparison Assessment of other fleet calculators. Evaluated vehicle technologies and options to determine technical inputs to program. Surveyed and interviewed various stakeholders for needs and wants for program. Determined input and output structures. Developed initial economic analysis. Initiated Discussion on user interface prototype. Built initial web-based interface prototypes. Initiated initial fleet owner review. Developed preliminary framework for education.OSU PARTNERS: College of Engineering; Center for Automotive Research; John Glenn School of Public AffairsCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Various vehicle fleet ownersPRIMARY CONTACT: Giorgio Rizzoni ([email protected]); Beth-Anne Schuelke-Leech ([email protected])Fleet owners now have a plethora of fuel options, vehicle types and technologies to choose from. There is a huge amount of information available on these options, some of which is contradictory, hard to compare, misleading or false. This same gauntlet is faced by policy makers who look to formulate strategies to accomplish a particular goal, or who wonder what the implications are of a particular program or initiative. Complex fleet calculators have been developed, giving fleet owners detailed information on the implications of a particular vehicle option. These fleet calculators require large amounts of data, and their results are complex and difficult to interpret

Potential Effects of Single Use Plastics Ban on Ontario Manufacturers

During the past few decades, plastics pollution has become a global concern. Governments are striving to find the best way to reduce plastics consumption and waste. The Government of Canada has proposed a ban on single-use plastics to be implemented in 2021, a potentially disruptive public policy. Many studies have been conducted on the environmental impacts of plastics and the benefits of a plastics ban, but little has been written about the potential effects of these policies on plastics manufacturers. An economic model was developed to analyze the effects on Ontario single use plastics manufacturers. Results of the model show that most plastics manufacturers would be able to recover their investments within three years for the costs of converting to an alternative material. However, there is an aggregated cost on manufacturers of approximately $262 million for the first three years. Additionally, a small number of specialized manufacturers would not be able to recover from the ban, potentially leading to some job losses. Overall, however, the results indicate that manufacturers would be able to adjust to the ban in the longer-term, providing for the environmental benefits of reduced plastics consumption and waste

Resources and Research: An Empirical Study of the Influence of Departmental Research Resources on Academic Researchers

Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy 2011The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of departmental research resources, on the behavior of academic researchers in STEM fields. Specifically, the paper develops three models to examine the influence of human, financial, and physical research resources on industry collaboration and technology transfer

R3D: Reconceptualizing the Innovation Process and the Role of Participants

Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy 2011The innovation process is reconceptualized beyond research and development to include the demonstration and the deployment of technology. Building capacity for invention and innovation requires understanding and strengthening each of the stages. The roles of the different participants in each stage and different funding sources are discussed