CLEAN CITIES LAUNCHES IMPROVED VICE MODEL

DOE’s Clean Cities program has announced that it has launched a new version of its Vehicle and Infrastructure Cash-Flow Evaluation (VICE) Model. The VICE Model helps fleet managers evaluate the financial soundness of investments in CNG vehicles and/or fueling infrastructure. The new version is applicable to a wider variety of vehicles and can also accommodate an incremental fueling station build out. `Using simple spreadsheet inputs, the VICE Model helps fleets estimate the financial and emissions benefits they can expect to achieve by transitioning to CNG. To use the VICE Model, users input fleet- specific data, including number of vehicles, vehicle types, fuel use, and planned vehicle- acquisition schedules. The tool then presents numerical and graphical presentations of return on investment, payback period, and annual GHG savings. To simplify the estimates for users, the model contains a number of default values for parameters such as vehicle prices, fuel prices, fuel taxes, and maintenance costs. However, fleets can replace the default values with their own data to obtain more customized results. The VICE Model can be accessed at DOE’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.