Vehicle Technology

The NCST is supporting the transition toward zero-emission vehicle and fuel technologies for light-duty passenger vehicles, transit vehicles, and heavy-duty freight vehicles through research on lifecycle emissions, private and social costs, consumer behavior, regulatory and market policies, and the equity of access to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. 

Simulator Evaluation of Emerging Countermeasures for Speed Management to Reduce Conflicts with Active Transportation Users

  • Principal Investigator Fengxiang Qiao, Ph.D.
  • Texas Southern University
This project will conduct a literature review and expert survey to investigate the most promising emerging technologies for advanced speed management, such as Connected and Autonomous Vehicle technologies, Advanced Driver-Assistance System messaging, Advanced Traveler Information Systems, Advanced Vehicle Location, remote sensing and detection technologies for pedestrians, bicycles, and other similar users; advanced signal timing technologies, etc.
Project Status
In Progress

Smart Charging of Electric Vehicle Fleets: Modeling, Algorithm Development, and Grid Impact Analysis, with Emphasis on Fleets of Transit and Heavy-Duty Freight Vehicles

  • Principal Investigator Christian Viteri
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
In the research, smart charging will be explored in the larger context of electric vehicle fleets carrying freight and/or people to assess its potential to again decrease charging costs, increase carbon-free energy usage, decrease spatially-concentrated peak demands on the grid, and lower infrastructure investment.
Project Status
Complete

Social Life Cycle Analysis of Zero Emission Heavy-duty Trucks

  • Principal Investigator Jiachen Zhang, Ph.D.
  • University of Southern California
Building on their previous research on environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) for heavy-duty trucks, the researchers will conduct a social LCA analysis to assess the social impacts of battery-electric and fuel cell trucks.
Project Status
In Progress

Strategic Interactions in Mixed-Autonomy Networks: Multi-Company AV/HV Fleet Operations and Policy Implications

  • Principal Investigator Ruolin Li, Ph.D
  • University of Southern California
This project will develop a two-level modeling framework to evaluate how competing autonomous vehicle and human-driven ride-hailing fleets respond to operational constraints and regulatory policies like permit caps, congestion pricing, and repositioning limits. This project will create solution methods, release an open-source solver, and test the framework on California networks to provide public agencies with a defensible decision-making tool.
Project Status
In Progress

Towards a Just Electric Vehicle Transition in North America: Analysis of Regional Trade and its Effects on Supply and Life Cycle Impacts

  • Principal Investigator Francisco Parés Olguín
  • University of California, Davis
With increasing electric vehicle (EV) demand, EVs have entered the international second-hand (SH) vehicle market, risking economic and environmental burdens through spent batteries. This research addresses challenges associated with the EV transition in North America.
Project Status
Complete

Understanding of Tire-Wear Gaseous Pollutants and their Impact on Secondary Aerosol Formation from On-Road Vehicles

  • Principal Investigator Georgios Karavalakis, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Riverside
In this study, the researchers will measure the gaseous pollutants from the off-gassing of tires during laboratory and real-world testing conditions. The researchers will also evaluate the secondary organic aerosol forming potential from the off-gassing of tires during only laboratory conditions using state-of-the-art instrumentation.
Project Status
In Progress
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