Instructions for Using LEV and NLEV 

Inputs for MOVES 
Instructions for Using LEV and NLEV 


Inputs for MOVES
 

Assessment and Standards Division 

Office of Transportation and Air Quality 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

EPA-420-B-10-003a 

August 2010 
Instructions for using LEV and NLEV Inputs for MOVES 

August 30, 2010 

This document provides instructions for using California Low Emission Vehicle 

(LEV) inputs, Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) inputs, and National Low Emitting Vehicle 

(NLEV) inputs in certain northeast states in MOVES. EPA has provided these inputs in 

the form of two databases and one spreadsheet file. The emission rates in these files are 

for use only in states other than California that adopted California LEV standards, and 

states in the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) that received early implementation of 

NLEV standards. 

OTC states that did not adopt California LEV standards but were subject to the 

early implementation of NLEV should follow the instructions in Section 1. 

OTC states that adopted California LEV standards prior to the 2001 model year 

should follow the instructions in Section 2. 

OTC states that adopted California LEV standards beginning with model year 

2001 or later should follow the instructions in Sections 1 and 2. 

All other states that adopted California LEV standards in any year should follow 

the instructions in Section 2. 

States that adopted the California ZEV standard in any year should also follow the 

instructions in Section 3. 

Section 1: Instruction for using NLEV inputs in Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) 

states 

The National Low Emission Vehicle Program was the result of a agreement 

between EPA, Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) states, and the auto manufacturers to 

introduce new emission standards in the OTC states beginning with the 1999 model year 

and in the rest of the country beginning with the 2001 model year (details of the NLEV 

program can be found at http://www.epa.gov/oms/lev-nlev.htm). 

The default emissions database that is included with MOVES2010 includes the 

effects of the nationwide NLEV standards beginning with the 2001 model year. 

However, it does not include the effects of the NLEV standards for the 1999 and 2000 

model years in OTC states. EPA has created a separate input database that allows OTC 

states to model the early introduction of NLEV standards in those states. This database 

provides a set of alternate hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and oxides of 

nitrogen (NOx) start and running emission rates based on EPA analysis of the NLEV 

program. The input database provides rates only for model years 1999 and 2000. These 

rates replace the rates in the default database for these particular pollutants. 

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The new database is called “early_NLEV” and is included in this zip file. Use of 

the new database is simple. 

Steps: 

1.	 Save the “early_NLEV” database to the MySQL data folder that also contains the 

default MOVES database (C:\mysql\data\). 

2.	 Open MOVES and create a RunSpec for the current analysis 

3. In the Manage Input Datasets Panel, locate the “early_NLEV” database. Be 

aware that the databases are sorted first by capital letter alphabetically, then lower 

case letter alphabetically. If you don’t see the database, press the refresh button to 

refresh the list. 

4.	 Select the database press the “Add” button. 

5.	 Complete the MOVES RunSpec and run as usual. 

Section 2: Instructions for using California LEV inputs in MOVES 

Beginning in the 1990s, a number of states chose to adopt California LEV 

standards in place of federal standards. The effects of these LEV standards are not 

included in the default MOVES emissions database. EPA has created a separate input 

database for those states that have adopted the California LEV program regulations. The 

California LEV input database provides a set of alternate HC, CO, and NOx start and 

running emission rates based on EPA and CARB analysis of the LEV programs. The 

input database provides rates from model year 1994 until model year 2050, including 

both the LEV1 and LEV2 California standards. These rates replace the rates in the 

default database for these particular pollutants. 

Because states adopted the LEV standards at different points in time, substituting 

the full set of LEV emission rates may not be appropriate. For example, if the user’s 

state adopted the LEV program starting in 1999, it would be incorrect to use the rates that 

apply to earlier model years. Along with the database, EPA has provided a MySQL 

script that users can tailor to select the appropriate model years from the LEV database. 

The script (MyLEVs.sql) is located in the ReadMe folder of the LEV_Standards folder 

which users should have placed in the MySQL data folder (default location: 

‘C:\mysql\data\LEV_Standards’). All states except those that adopted the LEV program 

in 1994 must customize and run the MyLEVs script. 

 The distributed version of the MyLEVs script lists all of the model years in the 

database, i.e., if the script is run without making any changes, all model years will be 

created in the database and LEV benefits will be calculated for model years 1994 to 2050 

(depending on the calendar year selected in the RunSpec). To properly use the database 

to calculate LEV program benefits for a given state, the user must delete the model years 

in which the LEV standards were not applicable. 

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Steps: 

1.	 Save the LEV_Standards database to C:\MySQL\data\ 

2.	 Open the MySQL Query Browser. 

3.	 Open a new script file (File Open Script). 

4.	 Locate the script file (C:\MySQL\data\LEV_Standards\ReadMe\MyLEVs.sql) 

5.	 Customize the script: 

a.	 Change the database name (if desired) and 

b.	 Delete the short codes for model years that the LEV program is not 

applicable. 

6.	 Run the script (click on the lightning bolt icon). A new database “MyLEVs” (or 

user-specified name) is produced. 

7.	 Use the following MySQL query (make sure the FROM clause has the correct 

database name) to check that the short codes (and the associated model years as 

found in the reference table in the script) are correct. The result of running the 

script should be the short codes of the model years that apply to the desired LEV 

program 

SELECT DISTINCT(MID(sourcebinid,8,2)) AS shortcode 

FROM mylevs.emissionratebyage 

ORDER BY mid(sourcebinid,8,2); 

8.	 If the table is not correct, return to step 3 and revise the script as needed. 

9.	 Open MOVES 

10. In the Manage Input Datasets Panel, locate the MyLEVs database (or the userspecified name, if changed). Be aware that the databases are sorted first by 

capital letter alphabetically, then lower case letter alphabetically. If you don’t see 

the database, press the refresh button to refresh the list. 

11. Select the database, and press the “Add” button. 

12. Complete the MOVES Run Spec and run as usual. 

Example 1: 

State A adopted LEV standards beginning with the 1999 model year, and will continue 

those standards in the future. 

-Edit the last statement in the script: 

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and mid(sourcebinid,8,2) in

(94,95,96,97,98,99,20,21,22,

23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,

33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,07); 

Delete the numbers 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 

The new script should now read: 

and mid(sourcebinid,8,2) in

(99,20,21,22,

23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,

33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,07); 

- Run the script. 

- Launch MOVES and add the database MyLEVs as an input database. 

Using this approach, the new script will provide a LEV database that includes model 

years 1999-2050. The database will not contain the 1994-1998 model years. 

Example 2: 

State B adopted LEV standards with the 1999 model year, but reverted to federal 

standards with the 2005 model year. 

-Edit the last statement in the script: 

and mid(sourcebinid,8,2) in

(94,95,96,97,98,99,20,21,22,

23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,

33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,07); 

Delete the numbers Delete the numbers 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 and numbers 25, 26, 27, 

28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 07. 

The new script should now read: 

and mid(sourcebinid,8,2) in

(99,20,21,22,23,24); 

- Run the script. 

- Launch MOVES and add the database MyLEVs as an input database. 

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Using this approach, the new script will provide a LEV database that includes model 

years 1999-2004. The database will not contain the 1994-1998 and 2005-2050 model 

years. 

Section 3: Instructions for modeling evaporative impact of the California Zero Emission 

Vehicle (ZEV) Program 

We assume that the ZEV mandate in the California program will be met primarily 

with Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEVs) or Advanced Technology Partial Zero 

Emission Vehicles (AT-PZEVs), which are certified to lower evaporative standards than 

their LEV counterparts. Exhaust emissions of these vehicles are already included in the 

LEV program emission rates described in Section 2 above. However, states that also 

adopt the ZEV mandate would get an additional benefit in evaporative emissions, which 

we have ascribed to permeation emissions. 

Reflecting both the LEV and ZEV programs requires two unique runs of 

MOVES. The LEV_Standards database, described in Section 2, accounts for the impact 

of the Zero Emission Vehicle Program on exhaust emissions. A different approach is 

needed to reflect the reduction in evaporative permeation emissions from the ZEV 

program. 

States adopting the ZEV program along with the LEV program will need to do a 

separate run for evaporative permeation that includes an Alternative Vehicle Fuels & 

Technologies (AVFT) file reflecting zero evaporative permeation emissions for ZEV and 

their equivalent. It is important that this run be for the evaporative permeation process 

only. Choosing any additional exhaust or evaporative processes in this run would result 

in incorrect emissions estimates; therefore, if other pollutants and processes are desired, 

they should be selected in the LEV exhaust run. The combined results of the LEV runs 

(without evaporative permeation emissions) done in Section 2 and the ZEV runs (only 

evaporative permeation emissions) done in this section provide the complete emissions 

for a LEV program including the ZEV mandate. 

The AVFT files bundled in this zip file (ZEV_AVFT.xls and 

ZEV_AVFT_2010a.xls) are Microsoft Excel files. ZEV_AVFT.xls should be used with 

MOVES2010; ZEV_AVFT_2010a.xls should be used with MOVES2010a. The files 

reflect ZEV program implementation beginning with the 2005 model year. States with 

later implementation dates will need to modify this file to remove the model years before 

implementation. This can be accomplished by modifying the coefficients in columns B 

and C in the ZEV_AVFT_Generator worksheet of the AVFT file. These coefficients 

represent the ZEV fraction of a particular model year. By setting these coefficients equal 

to zero, one may delay the implementation of the ZEV program. 

Please note that the ZEV_AVFT files distributed by EPA include fractions based 

on the default fuel and engine technology fractions in the default MOVES database. If 

users have developed their own fuel and technology fractions (see Section 2.9.1 of the 

MOVES Technical Guidance and Section 2.2.9.6 of the MOVES User Guide), the EPA5
 
distributed values may not apply. In this case, the user should develop their own 

ZEV_AVFT file that assigns the ZEV fraction from the appropriate EPA spreadsheet to 

electric vehicles. This fraction should be subtracted from the relevant sourcetype/fuel 

combinations that contain PZEVs. 

Once complete, the ZEV_AVFT file should be imported into the run 

specification file from the "Alternative Vehicle Fuels & Technologies" screen, under the 

"Strategies" menu item. The tab “AVFT” should be chosen. 

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