Thomas Wenzel

Thomas Wenzel

Tom Wenzel is a Research Scientist in the Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts (EAEI) Division at Berkeley Lab working in transportation energy and environmental policy analysis since 1992. He is recognized as an international expert on the evaluation of state vehicle emission inspection and maintenance programs, and the relationship between vehicle weight/size and safety, in support of federal U.S. regulations on light duty vehicle fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Tom has managed several projects for the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Energy Efficient Mobility Systems (EEMS) program, including: the net energy impacts of ridehail and shared micromobility (bike, electric bike, and electric scooter) services, based on analysis of millions of individual trips; simulations of scenarios that incorporate planned enhancements to the transit systems in the SF Bay Area, using LBNL’s Behavior, Energy, Autonomy, and Mobility (BEAM) model; and assisting in engagement with stakeholders to use the BEAM Comprehensive Regional Evaluator (CORE) suite of models to explore different sensitivity cases and transportation system scenarios.

Tom managed the implementation of the BEAM model in New York City to assess the effect of travel on the regional public transit system on the spread of the COVID-19 virus during different stages of the pandemic, for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Path Forward project funded by FTA. Tom has established an interagency agreement with EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality to use the BEAM model to assess the effect of different scenarios regarding linking micromobility to conventional fixed route transit on mobility and energy use in the San Francisco Bay Area, and to use a variety of data sources to study consumer behavior regarding the acquisition and use of high efficiency vehicles (hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and battery electric vehicles). Recently Tom has managed a project with Cruise to use BEAM to evaluate the effect of widespread passenger service in a shared automated vehicle fleet on mobility, congestion, and energy use in San Francisco.

Contact Information

Phone: 510-486-5753

Education

Public Policy, MPP, University of California Berkeley, 1992
Urban Studies and English Literature, BA, University of Pennsylvania, 1985

Publications

2024

Evaluating disease surveillance strategies for early outbreak detection in contact networks with varying community structure

Authors: Browne, Axel; David Butts; Edgar Jaramillo-Rodriguez; Nidhi Parikh; Geoffrey Fairchild; Zachary Needell; Cristian Poliziani; Thomas P Wenzel; Timothy C Germann, and Sara Del Valle.
10/2024

Technology progress and clean vehicle policies on fleet turnover and equity: insights from household vehicle fleet micro-simulations with ATLAS

Authors: Jin, Ling; Connor P Jackson; Yuhan Wang; Qianmiao Chen; Tin Ho; C Anna Spurlock; Aaron Brooker; Jake Holden; Jeff Gonder; Mohamed Amine Bouzaghrane; Bingrong Sun; Shivam Sharda; Venu Garikapati; Thomas P Wenzel, and Juan Caicedo.
05/2024

A Modeling Framework for Behavior, Energy, Autonomy and Mobility (BEAM)

Authors: Laarabi, Haitam; Zachary Needell; Rashid Waraich; Cristian Poliziani, and Thomas P Wenzel.
02/2024

Behavior, Energy, Autonomy & Mobility Comprehensive Regional Evaluator: Overview, calibration and validation summary of an agent-based integrated regional transportation modeling workflow

Authors: Spurlock, C Anna; Mohamed Amine Bouzaghrane; Aaron Brooker; Juan Caicedo; Jeff Gonder; Jake Holden; Kyungsoo Jeong; Ling Jin; Haitam Laarabi; Zachary Needell; Cristian Poliziani; Shivam Sharda; Bingrong Sun; Paul Waddell; Yuhan Wang; Rashid Waraich; Thomas P Wenzel, and Xiaodan Xu.
02/2024

2023

BEAM: The Modeling Framework for Behavior, Energy, Autonomy & Mobility - The Open-Source Agent-Based Regional Transportation Model Unpacked: Concepts, Mechanisms, and Inner Dynamics

Authors: Laarabi, Haitam; Zachary Needell; Rashid Waraich; Cristian Poliziani, and Thomas P Wenzel.
08/2023

Micro Transit Simulation of On-Demand Shuttles Based on Transit Data for First- and Last-Mile Connection

Authors: Poliziani, Cristian; Gary Hsueh; David Czerwinski; Thomas P Wenzel; Zachary Needell; Haitam Laarabi; Joerg Schweizer, and Federico Rupi.
04/2023

2022

What Makes You Hold on to That Old Car? Joint Insights from Machine Learning and Multinomial Logit on Vehicle-level Transaction Decisions

Authors: Jin, Ling; Alina Azar; Caitlin Brown; Bingrong Sun; Venu Garikapati; Srinath Ravulaparthy; Qianmiao Chen; Alex Sim; Kesheng Wu; Tin Ho; Thomas P Wenzel, and C Anna Spurlock.
06/2022

2021

A methodology to develop a geospatial transportation typology

Authors: Popovich, Natalie; C Anna Spurlock; Zachary Needell; Ling Jin; Thomas P Wenzel; Colin Sheppard, and Mona Asudegi.
05/2021

The impact of Uber and Lyft on vehicle ownership, fuel economy, and transit across U.S. cities

Authors: Ward, Jacob W; Jeremy J Michalek; Constantine Samaras; Inês Lima Azevedo; Alejandro Henao; Clement Rames, and Thomas P Wenzel.
01/2021

2019

Travel and energy implications of ridesourcing service in Austin, Texas

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P; Clement Rames; Eleftheria Kontou, and Alejandro Henao.
01/2019

2018

Assessment of NHTSA’s Report “Relationships Between Fatality Risk, Mass, and Footprint in Model Year 2004-2011 Passenger Cars and LTVs” (LBNL Phase 1)

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
03/2018

Elasticity of Vehicle Miles of Travel to Changes in the Price of Gasoline and the Cost of Driving in Texas

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and K Sydny Fujita.
03/2018

An Analysis of the Relationship between Casualty Risk Per Crash and Vehicle Mass and Footprint for Model Year 2003-2010 Light-Duty Vehicles

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
01/2018

2016

Comments on Docket No. NHTSA-2016-0068 and Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2015- 0827, Draft Technical Assessment Report: Midterm Evaluation of Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Model Years 2022

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
09/2016

Effect of using Different Vehicle Weight Groups on the Estimated Relationship between Mass Reduction and U.S. Societal Fatality Risk per Vehicle Miles of Travel

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
08/2016

Assessment of NHTSA’s Report “Relationships Between Fatality Risk, Mass, and Footprint in Model Year 2003-2010 Passenger Cars and LTVs”

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
06/2016

Effect of Accounting for Crash Severity on the Relationship between Mass Reduction and Crash Frequency and Risk per Crash

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
05/2016

Sensitivity of Light-Duty Vehicle Crash Frequency per Vehicle Mile of Travel to Additional Vehicle and Driver Variables

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
02/2016

2015

Comments on NRC Committee report Assessment of Technologies for Improving Fuel Economy of Light-Duty Vehicles, Phase 2

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
01/2015

2013

The estimated effect of mass or footprint reduction in recent light-duty vehicles on U.S. societal fatality risk per vehicle mile traveled

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
10/2013

The effect of recent trends in vehicle design on U.S. societal fatality risk per vehicle mile traveled, and their projected future relationship with vehicle mass

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
07/2013

Relationships between Mass, Footprint, and Societal Risk in Recent Light-Duty Vehicles

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
06/2013

2012

Relationships between Vehicle Mass, Footprint, and Societal Risk

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
11/2012

An Analysis of the Relationship between Casualty Risk Per Crash and Vehicle Mass and Footprint for Model Year 2000-2007 Light-Duty Vehicles - Final Report

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
08/2012

Assessment of NHTSA’s Report “Relationships Between Fatality Risk, Mass, and Footprint in Model Year 2000-2007 Passenger Cars and LTVs” - Final Report

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
08/2012

Peer Review of LBNL Statistical Analysis of the Effect of Vehicle Mass & Footprint Reduction on Safety (LBNL Phase 1 and 2 Reports)

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
08/2012

Analysis of Casualty Risk per Police-Reported Crash for Model Year 2000 to 2004 Vehicles, using Crash Data from Five States

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
03/2012

2011

An Analysis of the Relationship between Casualty Risk Per Crash and Vehicle Mass and Footprint for Model Year 2000-2007 Light-Duty Vehicles - Preliminary Report

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
12/2011

Assessment of NHTSA’s Report “Relationships Between Fatality Risk, Mass, and Footprint in Model Year 2000-2007 Passenger Cars and LTVs” - Preliminary Report

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
09/2011

2010

Analysis of the Relationship Between Vehicle Weight/Size and Safety, and Implications for Federal Fuel Economy Regulation

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
03/2010

2009

Comments on the Joint Proposed Rulemaking to Establish Light- Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards Docket No. NHTSA–2009–0059 and

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
10/2009

Improving the Carbon Dioxide Emission Estimates from the Combustion of Fossil Fuels in California

Authors: de la Rue du Can, Stephane; Thomas P Wenzel, and Lynn K Price.
02/2009

2008

Safer Vehicles for People and the Planet: Response to a Letter to the Editor of American Scientist

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Marc Ross.
05/2008

Safer Vehicles for People and the Planet

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Marc Ross.
03/2008

2007

Sipping Fuel and Saving Lives: Increasing Fuel Economy Without Sacrificing Safety

Authors: Gordon, Deborah; David L Greene; Marc Ross, and Thomas P Wenzel.
06/2007

2006

Increasing the Fuel Economy and Safety of New Light-Duty Vehicles

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
09/2006

2005

The effects of vehicle model and driver behavior on risk

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Marc Ross.
05/2005

2004

Short-term emissions deterioration in the California and Phoenix I/M programs

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P; Brett C Singer; Robert R Slott, and Donald H Stedman.
03/2004

Big and Bad - How the S.U.V. ran over automotive safety

Authors: Gladwell, Malcolm; Thomas P Wenzel, and Marc Ross.
01/2004

2003

Estimated Emission Reductions from California’s Enhanced Smog Check Program

Authors: Singer, Brett C, and Thomas P Wenzel.
06/2003

Use of remote sensing measurements to evaluate vehicle emission monitoring programs: results from Phoenix, Arizona

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
04/2003

Comment on ‘‘Statistical modelling of vehicle emissions from inspection/maintenance testing data: an explanatory analysis’’

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Marc Ross.
01/2003

2002

Are SUVS Really Safer Than Cars?

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Marc Ross.
09/2002

An Analysis of Traffic Deaths by Vehicle Type and Model

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Marc Ross.
03/2002

2001

Evaluating the long-term effectiveness of the Phoenix IM240 program

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
12/2001

Reducing emissions from in-use vehicles: an evaluation of the Phoenix inspection and maintenance program using test results and independent emissions measurements

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
12/2001

Losing Weight to Save Lives: A Review of the Role of Automobile Weight and Size in Traffic Fatalities

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Marc Ross.
07/2001

Can More Frequent Testing Improve I/M Program Effectiveness? Analysis ofthe Effect of Annual Testing in the Phoenix IM240 Program

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
06/2001

Can More Frequent Testing Improve I/M Program Effectiveness? Analysis of the Effect of Annual Testing in the Phoenix IM240 Program

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Nancy J Brown.
06/2001

2000

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Alternative Fast Pass, Fast Fail, and Retest Algorithms in the Phoenix IM147 Program

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
10/2000

Some Issues in the Statistical Analysis of Vehicle Emissions

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P; Brett C Singer, and Robert R Slott.
09/2000

Analysis of a State Data on In-Use Emissions from Motor Vehicles (EPA Interagency Agreement DW89938103-01-1): Review of Work Completed

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Robert Sawyer.
08/2000

Evaluation of the Enhanced Smog Check Program: A Report to the California Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P; Brett C Singer; Etan Gumerman, and Robert Sawyer.
06/2000

Development of a Comprehensive Modal Emissions Model

Authors: Barth, Matthew; Feng An; Theodore Younglove; George Scora; Carrie Levine; Marc Ross, and Thomas P Wenzel.
04/2000

1999

Using Program Test Result Data to Evaluate the Phoenix I/M Program

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.

1998

Real-World Emissions from Conventional Passenger Cars

Authors: Ross, Marc; Rob Goodwin; Rick Watkins; Thomas P Wenzel, and Michael Q Wang.
12/2011

Analysis of a Remote Sensing Clean Screen Program in Arizona

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Robert Sawyer.
10/1998

Review of Sierra Research Report “Development of a Proposed Procedure for Determining the Equivalency of Alternative Inspection and Maintenance Programs”

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
09/1998

Real-World Emissions from Conventional Passenger Cars

Authors: Ross, Marc; Rob Goodwin; Rick Watkins; Thomas P Wenzel, and Michael Q Wang.
06/1998

SAE Technical Paper Series Characterization of Recent-Model High-Emitting Automobiles

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P, and Marc Ross.

1997

Energy Data Sourcebook for the U.S. Residential Sector

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P; Jonathan G Koomey; Gregory J Rosenquist; Marla C Sanchez, and James W Hanford.
09/1997

Analysis of Modal Emissions From Diverse In-Use Vehicle Fleet

Authors: Barth, Matthew; Theodore Younglove; Thomas P Wenzel; George Scora; Feng An; Marc Ross, and Joseph Norbeck.
01/1997

1995

Real-World Emissions from Model Year 1993, 2000, and 2010 Passenger Cars

Authors: Ross, Marc; Rob Goodwin; Rick Watkins; Michael Q Wang, and Thomas P Wenzel.
11/1995

Analysis of National Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance Systems and Other Variable Driving Charges

Authors: Wenzel, Thomas P.
07/1995

1992

Analysis of Federal Policy Options for Improving U.S. Lighting Energy Efficiency: Commercial and Residential Buildings

Authors: Atkinson, Barbara A; James E McMahon; Evan Mills; Peter T Chan; Terry W Chan; Joseph H Eto; Judy D Jennings; Jonathan G Koomey; Kwok-Wai Ken Lo; Matthew E Lecar; Lynn K Price; Francis M Rubinstein; Osman Sezgen, and Thomas P Wenzel.
01/1992