To meet sales requirements of zero-emission transit buses, medium-duty (MD) trucks, and heavy-duty (HD) trucks in California, improvements in battery performance and costs are necessary. Regulations surrounding these vehicles will be a challenge to meet given the unique constraints of transit vehicles and trucks. They must have low cost, sufficient range, fast charging times, longer battery life, and access to charging infrastructure. These all must be competitive with other types of vehicles to justify their use. This project will consist of an analysis of these characteristics and challenges. It will include a literature review of current and upcoming MD and HD electric trucks, finding their capabilities and shortcomings, assessing their competitiveness with diesel trucks, and analyzing potential low-cost battery technologies. Regarding the importance of charging infrastructure availability, the project will also involve identifying areas for electric truck charging stations, especially along truck routes in Los Angeles. Finally, the project will include a review of how vehicle routing and scheduling can minimize operating costs relating to charging times.
