STEPS Book

STEPS Book Cover

Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways:

A Research Summary for Decision Makers

Edited by Joan Ogden and Lorraine Anderson

UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies

The STEPS 2007-2010 program conducted robust, impartial, comparative analyses of different fuel and vehicle pathways, drawing on engineering, economics, environmental science, and consumer behavior.  In this book, researchers synthesize key insights from the STEPS program, informing decision makers in industry and government about the potential costs and benefits of different fuel and vehicle pathways and illuminating viable transition strategies toward a sustainable transportation future.  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Book available for purchase and as a free download:

Purchase color version
Purchase B&W version
FREE **Download entire book (4MB pdf)**

Download chapters (free):

Introduction – Imagining the Future of Transportation

Part 1 – Individual Fuel.Vehicle Pathways
1: The Biofuels Pathway
2: The Plug-In Electric Vehicle Pathway
3: The Hydrogen Fuel Pathway

Part 2 – Pathway Comparisons
4. Comparing Fuel Economies and Costs of Advanced vs. Conventional Vehicles
5. Comparing Infrastructure Requirements
6. Comparing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
7. Comparing Land, Water, and Materials Impacts

Part 3 – Scenarios for a Low-Carbon Transportation Future
8. Scenarios for Deep Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
9. Transition Scenarios for the U.S. Light-Duty Sector
10. Optimizing the Transportation Climate Mitigation Wedge

Part 4 – Policy and Sustainable Transportation
11. Toward a Universal Low-Carbon Fuel Standard
12. Key Measurement Uncertainties for Biofuel Policy
13. Beyond LCA, Developing a Better Tool for Simulating Policy Impacts

Conclusion – Key Findings and Paths Forward

Acknowledgements
Authors and Researchers