EPA Releases MOVES2010a Mobile
Source Emissions Model Update:
Questions and Answers
WhatisMOVES2010a?
MOVES2010a, released in August 2010, is a minor update to MOVES2010.
MOVES2010, released in December 2009, is EPA's state-of-the-art tool for estimating
emissions from highway vehicles. The model is based on analysis of millions of emission
test results and considerable advances in the Agency's understanding of vehicle
emissions. As EPA has stated in the past, the advanced software used for MOVES
allows EPA to easily incorporate new information. EPA is now releasing MOVES2010a
to allow MOVES users to easily account for emissions under new car and light truck
energy and greenhouse gas standards and to benefit from several improvements to
MOVES general performance.
What has changed from MOVES2010 to MOVES2010a?
MOVES2010a incorporates new car and light truck greenhouse gas emissions standards
affecting model years 2012-and-later (published May 7, 20101) and updates effects of
corporate average fuel economy standards affecting model years 2008-2011.2 MOVE-
S2010a includes reductions in greenhouse gases associated with those standards in
future calendar years, and small reductions in refueling and sulfur-related emissions
associated with the reductions in vehicle fuel consumption,
MOVES2010a also includes a number of other improvements. These are listed in
Appendix A. The net impact of these changes on criteria pollutant emissions is small,
with decreases of one percent or less in NOx, PM2.5, and CO emissions for regional
inventory runs using example local inputs. Compared to MOVES2010, most regional
inventory runs should see an increase in methane emissions and a small decrease
(less than five percent using example local inputs) in the associated Volatile Organic
Compound (VOC) and air toxics emissions. However, comparisons for runs that
focus on a particular project or sourcetype may vary.
1 www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480ae8a38
2 www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=09000064802cefcdand
www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=09000064809375ea
SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
EPA-420-F-10-050
August 2010
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When should MOVES2010a be used for state implementation plans and transportation
conformity analyses?
Because the impact of the changes in MOVES2010 on criteria pollutant emissions are small, we
are not considering MOVESZOlOa a new emissions model for state implementation plan (SIP)
and transportation conformity purposes under 40 CFR 93.1 1 1, and there will be no new grace
period for regional conformity analyses using MOVESZOlOa. The MOVES2010 grace period for
regional conformity analyses will apply to the use of MOVESZOlOa as well. It is important to
note that EPA has not yet approved any version of MOVES for use in project'level conformity
analyses, and will do so in the future when applicable conformity guidance is completed,
All states other than California should use MOVESZOlOa for future SIPs in order to take full
advantage of the improvements incorporated in this version. However, state and local agencies
that have already completed significant work on a SIP with MOVESZ010 can continue to use it,
To determine when to use MOVESZOlOa in transportation conformity determinations, refer to
the March Z, Z010 Federal Register notice which announced the grace period for MOVESZ010
(75 FR 9411) and the EPA's policy guidance on the use of MOVESZ010 for SIP development
and transportation conformity (www.epa.gov/otaq/models/moves/4ZOb09046.pdf). EPA's existing
guidance on the use of MOVESZ010 for SIPs and conformity applies to MOVESZOlOa as well,
We will work with state and local agencies to resolve any questions that come up regarding
differences in MOVESZ010 and MOVESZOlOa.
What needs to be done to switch from using MOVES2010 to MOVES2010a?
Instructions for downloading and installing MOVESZOlOa are available on the MOVES web
page www.epa.gov/otaq/models/moves/ . Users will find that runspecs and input databases
developed with MOVESZ010 may need modification to be able to run with MOVESZOlOa,
Users should regenerate fuelFormulation input files and Alternate Vehicle Fuels & Technologies
( AVFT) strategy files. Output databases will need to be recreated with a new name since several
new tables have been added. Users should always specify what version of MOVES was used to
create emissions results,
What other resources are available that apply to MOVES2010a?
The latest version of EPA's existing Technical Guidance for MOVESZ010 (available at
www.epa.gov/otaq/models/moves/4ZOblOOZ3.pdf) also applies to MOVESZOlOa. The
MOVESZ010 User Guide has been updated to reflect changes in MOVESZOlOa. The document
"EPA Releases MOVESZ010 Mobile Source Emissions Model: Questions and Answers"
(available at: www.epa.gov/otaq/models/moves/4ZOf09073.pdf) contains general information
QJ about the release of MOVESZ010 that also applies to MOVESZOlOa.
If you have technical questions about MOVESZOlOa, please contact the MOVES team at
J mobile@epa.gov. If you have SIP or conformity policy questions, please contact Rudy Kapichak
(kapichak.rudolph@epa.gov) or Meg Patulski (patulski.meg@epa.gov),
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Appendix A
Changes from MOVES2010 to MOVES2010a
Change from MOVES2010 to
MOVES2010a
Implication
1) Updated light duty energy and carbon
dioxide rates and algorithm to account for
new fuel economy/CO2 regulations.
Reduced energy consumption and carbon dioxide
emissions for light duty gasoline vehicles; reduced
hydrocarbon emissions from refueling and sulfate
emissions from fuel consumption.
2) Incorporated all data corrections
distributed in May 15, 2010 version of the
MOVES database (i.e. data in
MOVESDB20100515). See MOVES2010
Errata/Information Sheet (May 15, 2010)
for additional information.
For users who have switched to the May 15, 2010
database, these changes will have no impact.
Compared to MOVES2010 as released in
December 2009, MOVES2010a will change NO
and NO2 emissions (no change in NOx), decrease
hydrocarbon evaporative emissions slightly,
change diesel vehicle volatile organic compound
(VOC) and air toxics emissions for calendar years
1999-2006, change hydrocarbon emissions for
vehicles running on gasoline containing ethanol in
calendar years 1999-2004, and reduce particulate
matter emissions for 2021-and-later light-duty
diesel emissions.
3) Improved algorithm for brakewear and
tirewear so emissions are always zero at
idle.
Reduced brakewear and tirewear emissions.
Change is very small for regional inventories, but
larger for projects with substantial idling on steep
grades.
4) Improved MOVES algorithm for
calculating emissions on ramps.
Negligible changes for regional emissions
calculated using Inventory mode (emissions
inventory output). Increase in emissions on
highways (restricted access roadtypes) for those
using Emission Rate mode (rate-per-distance
emissions).
5) Improved methane algorithm and
updated methane rates. Better accounts for
methane variation with temperature,
driving activity, etc. Adds methane
emissions for some processes where it was
not calculated.
Methane emissions increased substantially. VOC
and other non-methane hydrocarbons are reduced
by about 3 to 5 percent. "Carbon Dioxide
Equivalent" emissions are increased less than 1
percent by this change and when combined with
the impact of the new regulations (see above), total
greenhouse gas emissions decline.
When methane output is desired, users now must
calculate total hydrocarbons also.
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Change from MOVES2010 to
MOVES2010a
6) Fixed error that reduced temperature
correction for temperatures greater than
100F.
7) Fixed error in pre-aggregation by month
that occurred in some FID runs.
8) Repaired an error in the ammonia
emissions calculations.
9) Improved calculation of air toxics
emissions, particularly for diesel vehicles.
10) Updated default national heavy truck
and bus sales-growth and VMT -growth
factors to account for more recent data and
updated projections.
11) Fixed errors in motorcycle scrappage,
migration and sales growth defaults.
12) Fixed error that increased emissions
when users selected "placeholder" fuel.
13) Added a new output option — emission
rates by SCC.
14) Changed units for project-level start &
extended idle rates (see Users Guide).
15) Improved MOVES user interface,
including run spec editor, importers,
summary reporter and "Multiple Run Spec
Creator."
16) Improved error checking in MOVES
importers.
17) Allow the batch creation of import
databases.
Implication
Increases hydrocarbon, CO, and NOx emissions
for temperatures greater than 100F. Users who
have modeled days with temperatures over 100F
should evaluate emission changes that result from
this revision.
Some runs will see an increase in emissions for
medium and heavy duty trucks and buses for VOC
and other hydrocarbons.
Increases ammonia emissions for passenger and
light commercial trucks.
Increases air toxic emissions from diesel vehicles.
Increased default population, sales and emissions
for buses and heavy trucks. This does not affect
emissions in runs using local inputs for bus and
truck populations.
Increases default population of motorcycles. This
does not affect emissions in runs using local inputs
for motorcycle populations.
Reduces emissions, sometimes substantially, in
runs where "Placeholder fuel" was selected. Even
with MOVES2010a, use of "Placeholder" fuel is
not recommended.
Eliminates some users' need to calculate SCC rates
in post-processing. Adds an additional column to
emission rate output tables.
Users may need to modify post-processing to
apply rates properly.
Many small changes that should make MOVES
easier to use.
A number of changes that should make MOVES
easier to use.
Makes it easier for users to create a group of
similar import databases.
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Change from MOVES2010 to
MOVES2010a
18) Allow user to add new fuel
formulations rather than just editing
existing formulations.
19) Made MOVES more compatible with
UNIX/Linux.
20) Updated the "Example" files
distributed with MOVES.
21) Improved MOVES run time and added
tools to better monitor MOVES
performance.
22) Improved MOVES robustness by
adding additional error checking.
23) Improved Custom Domain functioning.
24) Corrected a problem in which
evaporative permeation emissions were not
always aggregated correctly. Previous
output sometimes had rows with duplicate
key fields. Depending on the post-
processing method used, totals could have
been miscalculated.
25) Made the "DecodeMOVESOutput"
script compatible with new version of
MOVES.
26) Corrected several other minor errors in
the MOVES program.
Implication
Provide more flexibility for users changing default
fuel characteristics.
Makes it easier to adapt MOVES to run with
UNIX/Linux systems. While EPA does not have
the resources to provide or fully support such
adaptations, we encourage Linux/UNIX users to
contact us to share information.
Example file runs correctly with MOVES2010a.
MOVES runs slightly faster and users can better
diagnose performance problems.
Improved code that sometimes led to MOVES
crashes.
Allow users to calculate Custom Domain
emissions for "off-network" roadtype without
requesting output for other roadtypes.
More accurate post-processing.
Decode script should run without error.
Negligible impact on emissions.
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