California Air Resources Board

Principal Investigator/Authors: Kanok Boriboonsomsin

Contractor: University of California, Riverside

Contract Number: 24RD009

Project Status: Active

Relevant CARB Programs: Mobile Source Emissions Research, Potential Phased Advanced Clean Equipment Regulation

Topic Areas: Non-Exhaust Emissions, Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure | California Air Resources Board, Off-Road Equipment

Research Summary:

California is working on helping move off-road equipment toward cleaner, zero-emission technologies to improve air quality and reduce emissions. There are already many zero-emission off-road equipment (ZE ORE) models available for smaller jobs, and the manufacturers are actively working on building higher horsepower equipment such as construction equipment with larger energy storage capacities. ZE ORE will be important in reducing emissions in California. However, limited charging infrastructure for ZE ORE is one of the main issues.  Many types of ZE ORE are used in remote or temporary locations – like construction sites - where it is hard or too expensive to build permanent charging stations.

To solve this, manufacturers are developing and demonstrating new ways to charge ZE ORE. These are called alternative charging solutions (ACS), and they can bring electricity or hydrogen energy to power ZE ORE in different locations. These charging solutions show promise, but we still don’t know how well they work in real life or if they are affordable for wide use. This research will study how ACS are used, how much energy they need, how much pollution they help reduce, and how much they cost to operate. The goal is to find practical and cost-effective charging options for different types of off-road equipment. The findings from this research will help guide California’s plan for cleaner equipment and support its goals to cut emissions and project the environment.

Keywords: zero-emission off-road equipment, alternative charging solution, battery charging infrastructure, battery electric off-road equipment, hydrogen fuel cell off-road equipment, mobile power station, energy use, emission reduction, activity patterns, cost-effectiveness