Project Summary
California has a number of programs and regulations intended to result in the introduction of zero- and near-zero emission technologies into the medium- and heavy- duty (MD/HD) truck sector. Meeting these goals will require the sale of large numbers of advanced technology transit buses and MD/HD trucks before 2025 and beyond. There are a number of advanced technologies (e.g., battery/electrics, hydrogen/fuel cells, plug-in hybrid electrics, electrified roadways, and dual fuel/diesel/biogas engines) that can be used in these vehicles to reduce their emissions by large factors. For each of the technologies, there are a number of issues that must be evaluated to determine if and when they will become marketability to the trucking community in the various truck classes. In this project, the advanced technologies cited above will be studied in detail to systematically compare them in terms of their initial and operating costs, utility to the users, and fuel and infrastructure costs. At an early stage of this research, a number of MD/HD zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandates for trucks of various classes will be postulated in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) requirements and fraction of trucks that must meet the GHG requirement in specific years. The postulation of the mandates will be done in consultation with California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff. The performance, fueling, cost, and durability characteristics of trucks in the various truck classes using the different alternative technologies will then be assessed and the marketability of those trucks will be estimated. The factors influencing truck purchases for various types of MD/HD vehicles will be considered using a computerized truck choice model developed by the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways (STEPS) Truck Symposium held at UC Davis. These results will be used to study in detail the issues associated with establishing ZEV mandates for the various classes of MD/HD trucks and how effective different ZEV mandate options will be at reducing GHG emissions.
