California Awards $23.6 Million for Electric Drayage Trucks

[kscarbel2]

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  May 4, 2016

California is awarding $23.6 million to the South Coast Air Quality Management District for a statewide zero-emission, Class 8 drayage truck development and demonstration project.

The South Coast air district is partnering with air districts in the Bay Area, Sacramento, San Diego and San Joaquin Valley for a statewide demonstration of 43 battery electric and plug-in hybrid drayage trucks serving major California ports. The trucks will be used in all five air districts to target key areas of the state with drayage truck activity.

Manufacturers including Kenworth, Peterbilt, Volvo and BYD are involved in the project and will use their engineering resources, manufacturing capabilities and distribution networks to support drayage truck development.

The funding comes from the California Climate Investments project and will be aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, petroleum usage and pollution in areas where reduction is needed most. The project is also designed to accelerate the commercialization of heavy-duty advanced, zero-emission technologies, establishing a path for implementing SCAQMD’s clean air plan that is currently under development. The SCAQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

"This project will help put the very cleanest short-haul trucks to work where they are needed most, moving cargo from the state’s biggest ports to distribution centers and rail yards,” said Mary D. Nichols, Air Resources Board chair. “This is good news – and cleaner air – for all Californians, but especially those who live in neighborhoods next to these industrial facilities or along some of our state’s busiest trade corridors.”

The effort is part of a larger statewide investment in low-carbon transportation projects aimed at helping the state reach emissions reduction goals and improve air quality. Freight transport in California accounts for about half of diesel particulate matter, 45% of NOx emissions and 6% of all GHG emissions in California, according to ARB.

“This unique collaborative effort will accelerate the commercialization of advanced zero-emission truck technologies that are vital to improving air quality in communities near our busy freight corridors,” said Joe Buscaino, Los Angeles city councilman and SCAQMD board member. “Cleaner truck fleets on our roadways are important for air quality and climate goals, and essential to protecting public health.”

[kscarbel2]

Oddly, TransPower is not one of the 4 companies awarded free money, while two foreign companies were.

 

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/44484-a-100-electric-class-8-truck/#comment-328672

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38865-transpower-electruck/#comment-278316

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/35887-transpower-unveils-their-latest-generation-electric-heavy-truck/#comment-247157

 

[RoadwayR]

In a similar story, BYD (a Chinese company) was awarded a bid to supply the L.A.M.T.A. with electric buses, but U.S. firm Proterra was not.  Lots of controversy surrounding that one.  

[kscarbel2]

17 hours ago, RoadwayR said:

In a similar story, BYD (a Chinese company) was awarded a bid to supply the L.A.M.T.A. with electric buses, but U.S. firm Proterra was not.  Lots of controversy surrounding that one.  

Buffett-invested BYD is a leader in electric municipal bus design. Tesla could do better, but Musk is not in that market.

What's troubling is to remember how GM, Ford and other U.S. companies used to lead the world in technology, particularly during the 1960s. The rest of the world was soooo far behind the U.S., they couldn't even see our dust.

And fast forward to today, not a single US company, including Proterra, can create/produce a cutting edge electric bus.

This is alike the US truck market which is dominated by foreign truckmakers. That we no longer have the ability to lead/dominate our own truck market, that foreign truckmakers are more skilled/successful in the US truck market than American brands, is damning.

[Red Horse]

64 dollar question is why?  What took our initiative away?  My first thought is we (American business) remain too focused on short term results.  Unless a payout is right around the corner, it seems no one has the stomach for the long haul.. Its all about looking good for the next quarterly report.

I remember when Ford after spending millions redesigning the class 7/8's, sells out to Daimler for a mere 300 million.  I remember press coverage applauding Ford for its "short term focus"!  I don't think thast was the train of thought when I was in school.

Shows you how old I am right?

[kscarbel2]

Mack Trucks to Demonstrate Practicality of Zero-Emissions Drayage Trucks

Transport Topics  /  May 19, 2016

Mack Trucks announced that it will demonstrate two zero-emission capable Class 8 drayage trucks as part of a California-based heavy truck development project designed to help reduce air pollution at freight-intensive locations throughout the state.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District, which will lead the project, will receive funding through a $23.6 million grant from the state of California.

Mack said its efforts will build upon its experiences in designing and demonstrating a plug-in hybrid electric drayage truck based on a Mack Pinnacle day cab model.

The Mack drayage truck was built as part of an earlier SCAQMD-sponsored project and is capable of zero-emission operation using a Mack MP7 diesel engine with a parallel hybrid system and lithium-ion battery pack, according to the company.

Additional lightweight and aerodynamic-enhancing components were also included to extend the benefits of the hybrid technology and maximize zero-emission range, according to the company.

Plus, the trucks use geo-fencing capabilities similar to those enabled by Mack’s GuardDog Connect telematics platform to switch between zero-emission and hybrid operating modes, the company said. Geo-fencing establishes a virtual perimeter as determined by GPS coordinates. The onboard hardware can then identify each time the truck passes through the perimeter.

Mack said when inside the zero-emission geo-fence — which includes locations with the heaviest freight traffic, such as a port — the truck operates in pure electric mode, according to Mack. When outside the zero-emission geo-fence — such as on the way to a rail yard or distribution center — the diesel engine is enabled, allowing for hybrid operation and recharging of the batteries.

The drayage truck is undergoing evaluation and testing in a drayage fleet at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, according to Mack.

Volvo Group "Mack brand" press release - http://www.volvogroup.com/group/global/en-gb/_layouts/CWP.Internet.VolvoCom/NewsItem.aspx?News.ItemId=151886&News.Language=en-gb

[kscarbel2]

Mack to Demonstrate Zero-Emission-Capable Drayage Trucks

Trailer/Body Builders  /  May 20, 2016

Mack Trucks will demonstrate two zero-emission-capable Class 8 drayage trucks at freight-intensive locations throughout the state as part of a California-based heavy-duty truck development project designed to help reduce air pollution.

The project, which will be led by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), will receive funding through a $23.6 million grant from the State of California. The grant was announced during the Advanced Clean Technology (ACT) Expo 2016 in Long Beach.

SCAQMD will partner with four separate air quality districts in California to work toward the first large-scale demonstration of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks. As one of the truck manufacturers selected to receive funding, the Mack trucks will focus on ultra-low NOx technologies, while advancing plug-in hybrid and geo-fencing capabilities explored in previous and on-going projects.

“Mack looks forward to continuing our collaboration with SCAQMD and demonstrating two zero-emission capable drayage trucks,” said Dennis Slagle, president of Mack Trucks. “Mack has been a leader in powertrain innovation for decades, and we are excited to apply our knowledge to this project.”

The goals of the zero-emission capable drayage truck project include reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions at locations with heavy freight volumes, including ports, rail yards and the freight corridors connecting them.

“This unique collaborative effort is aimed at fostering the development of advanced zero-emission truck technologies that are vital to improving air quality in communities near our busy freight corridors,” said Joe Buscaino, Los Angeles City Councilman and SCAQMD Board Member. “Cleaner truck fleets on our roadways are important for air quality and climate goals, and essential to protecting public health.”

Mack’s efforts will build upon its experiences in designing and demonstrating a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) drayage truck based on a Mack Pinnacle daycab model.

The Mack drayage truck, which was displayed during ACT Expo 2016, was built as part of an earlier SCAQMD-sponsored project, and is capable of zero-emission operation thanks to the integration of a Mack MP7 diesel engine with a parallel hybrid system and lithium-ion battery pack. Additional lightweight and aerodynamic-enhancing components were also included to extend the benefits of the hybrid technology and maximize zero-emission range.

The truck utilizes geo-fencing capabilities similar to those enabled by Mack’s GuardDog Connect telematics platform to switch between zero-emission and hybrid operating modes. Geo-fencing establishes a virtual perimeter as determined by GPS coordinates. The onboard hardware can then identify each time the truck passes through the perimeter.

When inside the zero-emission geo-fence – which includes locations with the heaviest freight traffic, such as a port – the truck operates in pure electric mode. When outside the zero-emission geo-fence – such as on the way to a rail yard or distribution center – the diesel engine is enabled, allowing for hybrid operation and recharging of the batteries.

The Mack drayage truck, with its suite of integrated technologies, is currently undergoing evaluation and testing in a drayage fleet at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

.

[kscarbel2]

Volvo Group Displays Zero-Emission Capable Drayage Truck at 2016 SEJ Conference

Volvo Group Press Release  /  September 22, 2016

Volvo Group North America will display its Integrated Technology Truck – a zero-emission capable Mack Pinnacle model designed for port drayage applications – at the 26th annual Society of Environmental Journalists conference in Sacramento, California Sept. 21-25. Featuring an innovative diesel-electric hybrid system, the truck utilizes geo-fencing technology to switch between diesel and zero-emission operation.

The drayage truck, which was first displayed at the Advanced Clean Technology (ACT) Expo 2016, was built as part of a South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)-sponsored project and is capable of zero-emission operation thanks to the integration of a Mack MP7 [Volvo D11] diesel engine with a parallel hybrid system and lithium-ion battery pack. Other lightweight and aerodynamic-enhancing components were added to maximize the benefits of the hybrid technology and extend the truck’s zero-emission range.

“Congestion and the associated pollution at freight-intensive locations is a growing concern,” said Susan Alt, Volvo Group senior vice president of public affairs. “By taking a complete vehicle approach, we were able to design a package of technologies to maximize fuel efficiency and reduce emissions for a drayage application. We’re proud of our collaboration with SCAQMD to design and develop a unique solution to help them achieve their transportation and air quality objectives.”

The truck relies on geo-fencing capabilities similar to those enabled by Mack’s “GuardDog” Connect telematics platform to switch between zero-emission and diesel-hybrid operating modes. Geo-fencing establishes a virtual “fence,” or boundary, as determined by GPS coordinates. The onboard hardware can then identify each time the truck passes through the boundary.

When inside the zero-emission geo-fence – which includes locations with the heaviest freight traffic, such as a port – the truck operates in a zero-emission, pure electric mode. When outside the zero-emission geo-fence – such as on the way to a rail yard or distribution center – the clean diesel engine is activated, enabling hybrid operation and recharging of the batteries.

The Mack drayage truck, with its suite of integrated technologies, is currently participating in a project with a second truck funded by the California Energy Commission to expand the zero emission and geo-fencing capabilities in a drayage fleet at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Volvo Group also announced that it will be part of a SCAQMD-sponsored Zero Emission Drayage Truck Demonstration Project funded by the California Air Resources Board. That project will integrate additional technologies to the trucks, including a cooperative intelligent transportation system to help reduce air pollution at California ports.