MOVES2014 Overview for 


Experienced MOVES Users
 
MOVES2014 Overview for 


Experienced MOVES Users
 

Assessment and Standards Division 

Office of Transportation and Air Quality 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

EPA-420-B-14-059 

July 2014 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOVES2014 Quick Start Guide 3 

Introduction 

The purpose of this guide is to provide experienced MOVES users with a brief overview of 

the major functional changes included in MOVES2014. 

Can I still run MOVES2010b if I’ve downloaded MOVES2014? 

Yes. However, some users must download a patch that modifies MOVES2010b to 

communicate with the new version of MySQL. EPA has provided a patch that can be 

downloaded through the MOVES installation suite. If you skipped over this step, you may 

return at any time to the installation suite to install the patch. After the patch is installed, 

both MOVES2010b and MOVES2014 may be run from the same computer. 

How do I convert MOVES2010b databases into MOVES2014 

format? 

EPA has provided a database converter for both project and county scale databases. The 

converter can be accessed from the Tools menu of the GUI. Users are cautioned that 

because the fuels database has been updated, fuels tables that have been converted may 

not reflect the most recent fuel information. Additionally, the monthVMTfraction table may 

need to be re-imported if a leap-year is being modeled. EPA has removed leap years from 

MOVES, and consequently, monthVMTfractions for leap years will be deleted during 

database conversion. 

What changes have been made to the MOVES GUI? 

EPA has added several enhancements that will improve how you can develop Runspecs 

through the MOVES GUI. 

Password Prompt 

The first obvious GUI change is when MOVES is first opened. MOVES2014 now requires a 

password. This is in response to user feedback indicating many IT departments require a 

password protected interface between software programs and MySQL. The default user 

name is “moves” and the default password is “moves” (lowercase, no quotes). These may 

be changed at any time by the user. 

Non-Road 

MOVES2014 includes the option to model either onroad or nonroad emissions. Under the 

Scale panel of the GUI, users can select either the “Onroad” or “Nonroad” model. The 

NONROAD2008 model has been incorporated into the framework of MOVES2014. It will 

produce the same emissions estimates as NONROAD2008 assuming no inputs are changed 

by the user. 

Ethanol 

In the On Road Vehicle and Equipment panel, users now have the option to choose Ethanol 

(E-85) as a fuel type. Users should select ethanol, along with gasoline, diesel, and CNG for 

most modeling scenarios. MOVES assumes that the default fleet uses all of these fuels; 

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4 MOVES2014 Quick Start Guide 

omitting one may result in emissions being calculated for on a only sub-set of the complete 

vehicle fleet. 

Ramp Option 

In the Road Type panel, users now have the option of separating ramp emissions from 

highway (restricted road) emissions. By selecting the box “Provide separate ramp output”, 

emissions will be produced for seven road types (assuming all road types were selected): 

Road type 1 – Off-network 

Road type 3 - Rural Unrestricted 

Road type 5 – Urban Unrestricted 

Road type 6 – Rural Restricted without Ramps 

Road type 7 – Urban Restricted without Ramps 

Road type 8 – Rural Restricted only Ramps 

Road type 9 – Urban Restricted only Ramps 

This selection is completely optional, and will not affect the emissions calculations and the 

total emissions inventory. 

Auto-chaining 

A button has been added to the pollutant and processes panel to automatically select the 

prerequisite pollutants for a given selection. For instance, selecting “Primary Exhaust PM2.5 

– Total” will prompt the user to also select “Composite – NonECPM” and “Elemental
 

Carbon”. Clicking the button “Select Prerequisites” will automatically select those pollutants.
 

Regulatory Class Output Option 

In the output emissions detail panel, users now have the option to output by “Regulatory 

Class”. This can be selected instead of, or along with, source type output. Selecting this 

option will not affect the total inventory, but will provide a breakdown of emissions by 

regulatory class. 

What changes have been made to MOVES inputs? 

EPA has made several improvements and added flexibility to how users can provide local 

data to the model. The following are new or improved input options. 

Hotelling Importer 

In the county and project data manager, users will now have the option of providing local 

truck hotelling activity. Hotelling is specific to activity performed by long haul combination 

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MOVES2014 Quick Start Guide 5 

trucks (source type 62). The Hotelling importer has two panels; both are optional. The first, 

“hotellingActivityDistribution” allows users to specify the fraction of long haul combination 

trucks (by model year) that are in extended idle mode, Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) mode, or 

engine-off mode during the modeling period. National default data are available and will be 

used if no table is imported. 

The second panel allows users to define “hotellingHours” directly to the model. In 

MOVES2014, the number of truck idle hours are based on a national allocation to the 

county-scale. The amount of idling occurring in a given county is based on long haul 

combination truck VMT on rural restricted roadways. Consequently, a county with no rural 

highway VMT for long haul combination trucks with have no hotelling hours. If local data are 

available, the importer can be used to provide these values to the model. 

Starts Importer 

MOVES2014 offers the option to import local vehicle start information. Depending on the 

data available, users can use one or more of the following panels: 

startsPerDay – defines the number of starts per day 

startsHourFraction – specifies the distribution of starts throughout the day 

startsSourceTypeFraction – allocates starts to different source types 

startsMonthAdjust – adjusts start activity by month 

importStartsOpModeDistribution – defines vehicles soak times 

starts – allows users to provide the complete starts table (by source type, dayid, modelyear, 

monthid) 

The starts importer is optional. If no data are provided, MOVES will calculate starts based on 

the user defined source type population input. 

Fuel RegionID 

A new analysis of nationwide fuel use prompted a change in how fuels are defined at the 

county-level in the default database. Instead of each county having a unique fuel supply, 

the default fuel supply is divided into fuel regions. The obvious impact of this change is that 

the fuel supply table now has a column for fuelregionID rather than countyid. Using the 

MOVES2010b to MOVES2014 converter will automatically add the appropriate fuel region ID 

to the fuel supply table. 

Fuel Usage Importer 

MOVES2014 allows users to model ethanol (E-85) in the fleet. The new fuelusage table 

specifies the fraction of E-85-capable vehicles using E-85 vs. conventional gasoline. Default 

information is available, but this input is required for running MOVES. 

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6 MOVES2014 Quick Start Guide 

Fuel Wizard 

The Fuel Wizard is a tool available in the fuels tab of the county and project data manager 

where fuel properties can be modified in a manner consistent with refinery modeling. For 

instance, changing a given fuel’s RVP should affect other properties of that fuel. The Fuel 

Wizard will correctly modify the other fuel formulation properties based on the change made 

to RVP. 

VMT Changes 

EPA has removed leap years from the model. The monthVMTfraction table now has no
 

column for ISleapyear.
 

Additionally, when populating the HPMSvtypeyear table, users should be aware that EPA has 

combined HPMS class 20 and 30 into a new 25 class. The Federal Highway Administration 

changed their definitions of 20 and 30 classes from “passenger cars” and “other 2-axle 4-

tire trucks” to “short wheelbase” and “long wheel base.” There is mapping of wheel base 

length to EPA’s regulatory classes, so, EPA has combined 20 and 30 classes into the new 25 

class to represent light-duty vehicles under 10,000 lbs. Users should not import an 

HPMSVTypeyear table with the old 20 and 30 classes into MOVES2014. 

US Environmental Protection Agency – MOVES2014 Quick Start Guide