@article{35027,
  author = {Natalie Popovich and Deepak Rajagopal and Elif Tasar and Amol A Phadke},
  title = {Economic, environmental and grid-resilience benefits of converting diesel trains to battery-electric},
  abstract = {<p>Nearly all US locomotives are propelled by diesel-electric drives, which emit 35&thinsp;million tonnes of CO2&nbsp;and produce air pollution causing about 1,000 premature deaths annually, accounting for approximately US$6.5&thinsp;billion in annual health damage costs. Improved battery technology plus access to cheap renewable electricity open the possibility of battery-electric rail. Here we show that a 241-km range can be achieved using a single standard boxcar equipped with a 14-MWh battery and inverter, while consuming half the energy consumed by diesel trains. At near-future battery prices, battery-electric trains can achieve parity with diesel-electric trains if environmental costs are included or if rail companies can access wholesale electricity prices and achieve 40% use of fast-charging infrastructure. Accounting for reduced criteria air pollutants and CO2&nbsp;emissions, switching to battery-electric propulsion would save the US freight rail sector US$94&thinsp;billion over 20&thinsp;years.</p>},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Nature Energy},
  volume = {6},
  pages = {1017 - 1025},
  month = {11/2021},
  url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-021-00915-5},
  doi = {10.1038/s41560-021-00915-5},
  language = {eng},
}