NSF MUSES Greenhouse Gas Automotive Policy

This project was made possible by National Science Foundation Grant CMMI: 0628162; Project PIs: Steven Skerlos (UM) and James Winebrake (RIT)

The overarching goal of this project was to produce decision modeling tools and methods that can be used to design next generation policies and technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from passenger cars and light trucks. This goal was being achieved by building and validating a set of linked models that account for producer and consumer behavioral responses to GHG reduction policies, and integrating these forecasted market responses into a novel design framework for consequential life cycle analysis.

The major outcomes of this project were: 1) to model vehicle design options and materials use for their costs and performance; 2) to evaluate the market penetration of these options by modeling their performance in the context of market-based and regulatory policy instruments, producer objectives, and consumer preferences; and, 3) to evaluate the consequences of market responses on global materials flows and life cycle emissions. These tasks were connected together via software based design tools that allow analysts to simultaneously consider market and policy objectives with respect to meeting climate change mitigation goals.

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Peer reviewed journal research products from this project can be accessed below: