California Air Resources Board

Scope of Work

Objective

The objective of this research project is to characterize Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) real-world activity, energy consumption, charging needs and patterns, air quality co-benefits, and pollution burden equity due to lower greenhouse gas and air pollution emission with ZEV adoption. The research will use data loggers and onboard sensors to collect and monitor relevant parameters. This research will analyze the real-world speed and mileage accrual of ZEVs, energy consumption including motive, regenerative, and auxiliary components, as well as tailpipe emissions such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), ammonia (NH₃), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) specifically for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Moreover, the study will characterize charging patterns, including charging time, location, accessibility, duration, charger specifications, and charging energy. The study will also investigate equity considerations in ZEV adoption and the subsequent reduction of emissions, utilizing location data to quantify the proportion of time spent operating in disadvantaged communities (DACs). The data collected as part of this project will contribute to the development of a numerical energy simulation model for ZEVs. The creation of this model will provide the agency with the ability to simulate energy and charging requirements for ZEVs as more advanced and energy-efficient technologies emerge in the market, filling outstanding data gaps for ZEV energy use. With upcoming regulations mandating the sale and purchase of heavy-duty ZEVs, it is critical to understand the activity and energy needs of heavy-duty on-road and off-road vehicles. The results of this study are anticipated to inform several on-road and off-road ZE programs and emission inventories, establishing a baseline for the performance of heavy-duty ZEVs compared to their conventional technology counterparts during in-use operations.

Background

In the State, the transportation sector alone accounts for 41 percent of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (50 percent when upstream emissions from fuel are included) and is a major contributor to oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles contribute a quarter of the transportation sector’s GHG emissions and a third of the transportation sector’s NOx emissions, a disproportionately high share considering these vehicles count only about 1.8 million of the 30 million registered vehicles in the state. Furthermore, off-road diesel engines are the largest source of carcinogenic diesel PM and the second largest source of NOx, contributing to 36 percent and 35 percent of statewide PM and NOx emissions, respectively. The relative contribution to NOx emissions from off-road engines is projected to increase while the contribution from on-road vehicles is projected to decrease.

To meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone (O₃) by 2037 and PM by 2025 for both the South Coast Air Basin and the San Joaquin Valley, there is a critical need to significantly reduce NOx and PM emissions from heavy-duty on-road trucks and off-road equipment. To address this pressing challenge, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has enacted several on-road regulations, including the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT), Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF), and Innovative Clean Transit (ICT). These regulations are integral components of a comprehensive strategy aimed at expediting the adoption of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) within the medium- and heavy-duty truck sector.

These regulatory measures mandate specific fleets to integrate ZEVs into their operations beginning in 2024 and establish a definitive end date for the sale of new medium- and heavy-duty internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040. The ACT regulation applies to a broad spectrum of vehicles, ranging from heavy-duty pickups and work trucks to semi-trucks used in drayage and long-haul applications. Truck manufacturers are required, starting with the 2024 model year, to progressively produce and sell ZEVs in increasing numbers within California's market. Together, the ACF and ACT regulations create a demand-and-supply framework for ZEVs, with anticipated ZEV projections of 510,000, 1,230,000, and 1,590,000 ZEVs in California by 2035, 2045, and 2050, respectively. These projected quantities of ZEVs are expected to mitigate criteria and GHG pollutants within the state substantially.

Furthermore, CARB is developing the off-road Targeted Manufacturer Rule (TMR). This measure is expected to require manufacturers of off-road equipment to make ZE equipment an increasing percentage of their sales portfolio in California. The measure would apply to all manufacturers of off-road equipment, including construction, mining, agricultural, industrial, cargo handling, and portable equipment types, except for those equipment types already subject to zero-emission regulations or federally preempted equipment.

CARB staff believe that several heavy-duty ZE vocational trucks are ready to be electrified because of their low daily mileage demands (<100 mi). Long-haul Class 8 trucks continue to be a challenge to fully electrify because of the long operation range (300+ mi) and on-demand charging need. The availability of on-road heavy-duty ZE trucks has increased in recent years, but their numbers remain significantly lower than their diesel and natural gas counterparts. As of 2022, an estimated 2,300 on-road ZE medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are operating in California, with the vast majority located in South Coast Air Bassin (Figure 1). On-road heavy-duty ZE transit buses account for the majority of all on-road heavy-duty ZEVs in California, but, as of 2023, sales of ZE heavy-duty trucks and medium-duty step vans have outpaced other vocations, indicating that these vehicles will be more prevalent in fleets in the near future[1]. Furthermore, ZE off-road equipment, including yard tractors, forklifts, cargo handling equipment, small agricultural tractors, and small construction equipment (e.g., mini excavators), have been successfully produced and adopted by fleets[2].

Figure 1. Medium- and heavy-duty ZEV population in California as of end of 2022[3].

Given the upcoming increase of ZE heavy-duty vehicles and off-road equipment, it is critical to characterize their activity, energy, and charging patterns within California’s in-use fleet. This will allow CARB to shape and adjust regulatory and environmental justice programs, establish achievable emission reduction targets, reduce community exposure, and meet GHG reduction targets.

One challenge in electrifying the mobile source sector is to ensure an equitable transition in the adoption and operation of ZEVs in DACs; 99 percent of DACs are located in O₃ non-attainment areas. Furthermore, people of color mostly residing in DACs are disproportionately burdened by the cumulative health impacts from poor air quality due to their proximity to major freeways, freight corridors, seaports, warehouses, and railyards – all major sources of PM and NOx. Ensuring a transition to ZEVs in and around DACs will be critical to address equity in ZEV adoption and their associated co-benefits.

Scope of Work

The Contractor is tasked with instrumenting 120 ZE heavy-duty on-road trucks and 40 ZE heavy-duty off-road equipment, powered by battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell technologies. The objective is to characterize their real-world activity, energy consumption, charging needs and patterns, emission co-benefits of ZEVs, and equity in ZEV adoption. The instrumentation of vehicles shall cover a duration sufficient to fully characterize their respective duty cycles, with a minimum duration of one (1) month. The vehicles shall be chosen from in-use fleets operating across California. The Contractor shall prioritize fleets that regularly operate in DACs (e.g., near port entries, railyards, warehouses). The Contractor shall procure data logging equipment for capturing 10 Hz parameters broadcasted by the vehicle control unit (VCU), engine control unit (ECU), GPS data, and vehicle weight data. Additionally, the Contractor shall have the capability to make on-board measurements of tailpipe emissions for NOx, PM, ammonia (NH₃), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) for ZE plug-in hybrids under all operating conditions whenever the internal combustion engine is active. While the Contractor has the option to integrate all onboard measurements into a unified data logging system, the Contractor shall retrieve recorded data regularly to avoid the risk of data loss. Furthermore, the Contractor is tasked with developing a survey to assess fleets’ readiness to transition to ZEVs. The Contractor shall leverage existing literature and the data collected in this project to develop a numerical energy simulation model, auditing every step of energy transfer from charging to battery and to wheels.

Task 1. Literature Review and Development of an Energy Simulation Model

Task 1a. Literature review of trends in ZE component technology

The Contractor shall prepare a report summarizing evolving trends in technology, with a particular focus on the efficiency of components such as electric motors, regenerative braking systems, electric transmissions, voltage conversion components, and other auxiliary power elements, including but not restricted to, battery management systems and vehicle cooling and heating systems. The Contractor shall outline a strategy for data collection, including peer-reviewed publications, market research reports, proprietary data, and consultations with industry leaders and partners. The efficiency metrics derived for different components in ZEVs will be used to develop a numerical energy simulation model (Task 1b).

Task 1b. Develop a numerical energy simulation model

The Contractor shall develop a numerical energy simulation model to simulate energy and charging requirements for ZEVs. This model will be capable of operating in both on-road and off-road mode. The inputs for the model will include component efficiencies related to electric transmission, regenerative braking, the onboard charger (which converts incoming AC electricity to DC power for charging the battery), DC/DC converter, battery thermal management system, and the heating and cooling system for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)[4]. Additionally, the model will account for efficiencies of other components present in Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV). Furthermore, the model shall take as input a duty cycle, including road grade, and output second-by-second energy expenditure of the vehicle. The Contractor is tasked with assessing, through literature review, the extent to which the input efficiency values of the model are influenced by parameters such as driving conditions, weather, vocation, and power requirements, and incorporating this variability into the numerical model. The numerical energy model may also encompass charger efficiency, addressing energy losses during the charging process. The efficiency values input into the model should align with those identified in the literature review task (Task 1a). The Contractor shall leverage vehicle technology data at a component level (e.g., battery energy density, battery weight, charging efficiency, auxiliary energy losses, DC/DC converter losses, e-powertrain losses) that are available from previous ZEV demonstration and pilot projects. These include the Zero and Near Zero Emission Freight Facility (ZANZEFF) projects, Clean Drayage Truck projects, and Clean Delivery Truck projects[5] as well as the Evaluation of Battery Electric Trucks and Connected Vehicle Technologies for Drayage Application project[6] part of the USDOT CARTEEH center.

To build this energy simulation model, the Contractor could use an “EV energy consumption model” as a platform that is under development through a companion research project of “Assessment of Electric Vehicle Technologies Associated with Improving Energy Efficiency or Reducing Brake- and Tire-wear Emissions (CARB Contract #23RD002).

Deliverables: An interim summary report containing summarizing trends in on-road and off-road ZE technology and energy efficiencies for the various components in EV systems. The report shall be written in ADA format. Additionally, the Contractor shall submit the numerical energy simulation model to CARB staff for testing and evaluation. The model shall be submitted either in executable format with a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) or in a spreadsheet format. This deliverable shall be submitted and approved by the CARB contract manager prior to beginning Task 2.

Task 2. Develop a Data Collection Plan

Task 2a. Identify on-road truck and off-road fleets

The Contractor shall identify and contact ZE heavy-duty on-road truck and off-road equipment fleets operating in California. The Contractor shall leverage established relations with fleet operators and prioritize fleets that operate in or around DACs. The Contractor is encouraged to contact fleet operators and obtain letters of commitment,with the understanding that these letters will factor into the contract awarding process. It is suggested to find the fleets across the state, but the following counties shall be considered for identifying the fleets as having the largest number of on-road ZE heavy-duty vehicles: Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Sacramento, and San Fransisco (Figure 1).

The Contractor shall instrument 120 ZE heavy-duty trucks and 40 ZE heavy-duty off-road equipment for a duration sufficient to fully characterize their respective duty cycles, with a minimum duration of one (1) month. The Contractor shall instrument yard trucks, cargo handling equipment, and construction equipment for off-road equipment. The Contractor shall instrument local delivery trucks, drayage trucks, school buses, coach buses, transit buses, regional haul trucks, and line haul trucks for on-road heavy-duty vehicles. Furthermore, instrumenting battery electric and fuel cell vehicles and equipment shall be prioritized before considering instrumenting plug-in hybrid. The vehicle testing matrix shall be approved by the CARB contract manager prior to proceeding to Task 3.

CARB staff recognize the limited number of non-preempted ZE ORE operating in California (approximately 200 total ZE ORE with power ratings exceeding 175 HP, according to the DOORS database) along with the difficulties in locating and instrumenting ZE ORE. Should the Contractor encounter challenges instrumenting 40 ZE ORE, the Contractor shall develop an alternative plan and seek approval from the CARB contract manager.

Task 2b. Procure data logging equipment and weight sensors

The Contractor shall procure data logging equipment to record 10-Hz Global Positioning System (GPS) information, Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), and Engine Control Unit (ECU) parameters. The Contractor shall use GPS information to calculate vehicle speed and road grade. At a minimum, the Contractor shall collect broadcasted parameters, including vehicle wheel-speed, motor RPM, motor nominal and friction torques, accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position, brake switch, battery current, battery voltage, battery state-of-charge, ambient temperature and humidity, trip indicator, battery thermal management power, cabin heating and cooling power, and any power-take-off application power consumption. Due to the absence of standardized communication protocols on ZEVs, the Contractor shall be responsible for contacting OEMs in order to secure proprietary CAN data that is not publicly broadcasted. In addition, the Contractor shall collect engine-out and tailpipe NOx sensor data, PM, NH₃, CO₂, Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) temperature, fuel consumption rate, air intake mass flow rate, engine RPM, engine nominal and friction torques, and any OBD stored fault codes from plug-in hybrid electric heavy-duty vehicles when the internal combustion engine in active. For plug-in hybrids and fuel cell EVs, the Contractor shall reliably estimate fuel consumption if this parameter is not directly reported by the vehicle ECU. For instance, the Contractor may estimate fuel consumption for fuel cell EVs by using the recorded hydrogen tank pressure or by recording the amount of added fuel when the vehicle is refueling. Furthermore, the Contractor shall acquire and install real-time vehicle weight sensors on all ZE heavy-duty trucks operating on-road. The specific methodology for sensor installation, including the number of sensors per vehicle and their placement on vehicle axles, will be determined by the Contractor at their discretion but should be discussed and approved by the CARB contract manager.

The Contractor may integrate all on-board measurements into a unified and streamlined data logging system. However, the recorded data shall be retrieved at regular intervals to avoid the risk of data loss. Installation of the data logging system on the vehicle is required for the entire measurement period.

Task 2c. Develop fleet operator survey

The Contractor shall develop a short survey targeted to assess the readiness of fleet operators to transition to ZEVs. As part of this survey, the Contractor shall assess:

• The number of operating ZEVs compared to their conventional technology counterparts for on-road and off-road fleets.
• The daily mileage accrual and operating hours of ZEVs compared to their conventional technology counterparts.
• Route modification for on-road ZEVs and task assignment modification for off-road ZEVs compared to their conventional technology counterparts.
• Availability and adequacy of charging infrastructure for ZEVs, both on-site and at public locations.
• The duration of inactivity (or downtime) for ZEVs in comparison to conventional technologies.
• If fleet operators are providing training and awareness programs to their drivers regarding ZEVs operation.
• The fleets’ ZE transition plan to comply with California’s Advanced Clean Truck and Advanced Clean Fleets regulations.

Deliverables: The Contractor shall submit a list of all parameters to be collected from the GPS/VCU/ECU and outline the strategy to instrument on-road ZE heavy-duty trucks with vehicle weight sensors. These documents shall be reviewed and approved by the CARB contract manager. Additionally, the survey questions and format shall be reviewed and approved by CARB staff prior to proceeding to Task 3.

Task 3. Data Collection

The Contractor shall collect 10 Hz ECU/VCU-broadcasted parameters, GPS data, real-time vehicle weight data, and tailpipe emissions data, including NOx, PM, NH₃, and CO₂ for plug-in hybrids electric vehicles (PHEVs), from 120 ZE on-road trucks and 40 ZE off-road equipment. The Contractor shall demonstrate to CARB staff that onboard sensors used to collect tailpipe emissions from PHEVs can capture both cold-start and hot-start emissions, signifying instances when the internal combustion engine is activated. The vehicles shall be instrumented for a duration sufficient to fully characterize their respective duty-cycles, with a minimum duration of one (1) month. Additionally, the Contractor shall administer the survey (developed in Task 2c) to all participating fleets. To the extent possible, the Contractor shall prioritize routes and locations that include DACs (e.g., port and railway locations).

Upon completion of the data collection phase, the Contractor shall perform Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) on the data and assess data completeness for all collected parameters (e.g., percentage of time when broadcasted data is considered valid). In addition, the Contractor shall calculate vehicle speed using GPS data and shall rely on ECU/VCU-broadcasted vehicle wheel-speed data only when the GPS signal is lost.

Deliverables: The Contractor shall provide CARB staff with an interim report summarizing data quality assurance/quality control procedures and a table summarizing data completeness for each parameter. The report must be submitted to CARB before initiating Task 4. The CARB project manager will review the report and provide feedback.

Task 4. Data Analysis

Following the completion of Task 3, the Contractor shall present CARB contract manager a detailed and comprehensive data analysis plan before conducting it. The Contractor shall characterize real-world ZEV activity, energy consumption, charging needs and patterns, co-benefits, and equity in ZEV adoption and emission reductions (Task 4a). Furthermore, the Contractor is tasked with summarizing the results of the fleet survey and providing recommendations to CARB staff for potential pathways to accelerate the adoption of ZEVs within key fleets (Task 4b). Additionally, the data collected will be used to validate and update the existing numerical energy simulation model (Task 4c).

Task 4a. Characterize ZEV activity

The Contractor shall address all the below points:

• The Contractor shall characterize on-road ZEVs speed and mileage accrual patterns and evaluate mileage accrual patterns on a trip basis, daily basis, and cumulatively across the entire duration of measurement. In addition, the Contractor shall quantify idle time of on-road ZE heavy-duty vehicles.
• The Contractor shall characterize the speed and torque demand for ZE heavy-duty off-road equipment. The evaluation shall be performed on a task basis.
• The Contractor shall quantify energy consumption and energy recovery of ZEVs under different in-use operating conditions.
  • For on-road ZE heavy-duty trucks, the Contractor is tasked with analyzing motive and overall energy consumption, including energy utilized by the heating and cooling system, battery thermal management system, and other parasitic loads. Additionally, the total energy recovered through regenerative braking applications should be characterized. The Contractor shall aggregate the energy consumption data based on speed bins, power bin, and vehicle vocation.
  • • Furthermore, the Contractor shall also use GPS data to calculate road grade and characterize ZEV energy consumption when navigating on uphill terrain.
  • For off-road ZE heavy-duty equipment, the Contractor shall characterize the total energy required to perform a given task. The energy consumption will be aggregated based on power bins, speed bins, and by task.
  • The Contractor shall calculate individual vehicle fuel economy (accounting for the internal combustion engine fuel economy of PHEVs) for all vehicles tested in this project. The data shall be aggregated by vocation (e.g., line-haul trucks vs. school buses), sector (on-road and off-road), and speed bins.
• The Contractor shall calculate vehicle-specific tailpipe emissions factors for NOx, PM, NH₃, and CO₂ from PHEVs. The Contractor shall choose appropriate emission characterization metrics (g/hr, g/mi, g/bhp-hr, and g/ton-mile) in the analysis. The Contractor shall also identify operating conditions that contribute disproportionately to emissions from on-road and off-road PHEVs, including when the combustion engine is activated.
• The Contractor shall characterize charging needs and patterns of ZEVs, including the percentage of time spent charging, the specific time of day for charging activities, the duration of charging sessions, the overall charging energy consumed, charger specifications including type and power (if feasible), charging location (utilizing either public or behind-the-fence charging infrastructure), and the accessibility to charging infrastructure, indicating whether the charger is located within or outside a disadvantaged community. The Contractor shall present a summary of ZEV charging needs and patterns categorized by vocation and sector (on-road vs. off-road).

Task 4b. Summarize fleet survey results

The Contractor shall compile and present a summary of the fleet survey results in an interim report, which will be submitted for review by CARB staff. This interim report should encompass fleet-provided data, including statistics related to the proportion of ZEVs in the total fleet, daily mileage accumulation, and the total operating hours of ZEVs compared to conventional technologies. Additionally, the report must provide a detailed account of operational distinctions between ZEVs and conventional technology vehicles, covering aspects such as route and task selection, downtime due to maintenance, and charging patterns and accessibility. Furthermore, the report should outline driver training initiatives and the ZEV transition plan for each fleet. The Contractor is also expected to utilize all gathered information to recommend accelerating the adoption of ZEVs in ley fleets where feasible.

Task 4c. Characterize equity in ZEV adoption

The Contractor is tasked with assessing the equity in the adoption of ZEVs and the subsequent reduction of emissions from ZEV operation. To that goal, the Contractor shall employ GPS data to quantify the proportion of time that on-road and off-road heavy-duty ZEVs spend operating in disadvantaged communities (DACs) and understand travel patterns within DACs. The Contractor shall also characterize charging infrastructure accessibility in DACs, including truck route modification due to lack of charging access. Utilizing this information, the Contractor shall compute and compare the overall reductions in NOx, NH3, and PM tailpipe emissions when ZEVs operate in DACs compared to their operations in non-DACs.

Task 4d. Refine the numerical energy simulation model

The Contractor shall compare the energy efficiency and fuel economy of ZEVs by vocation and sector (on-road vs. off-road) obtained from the numerical energy simulation model (Task 1b) with those measured in this study during real-world, in-use, operations (Task 4a). Based on this comparison, the Contractor shall revise and update the modeling assumptions and inputs to align model output with measurements.

Deliverables: The Contractor shall provide CARB staff with an interim report containing information regarding real-world ZEV activity, energy consumption, charging needs and patterns, co-benefits, and equity in ZEV adoption and emission reductions. The Contractor shall also list the model parameters that were revised based on real-world measurement. The CARB project manager will review the report and provide feedback.

Task 5. Comparison of ZE and Conventional Technology Vehicle Operations

The Contractor shall conduct a comparative analysis of activity, including duty cycles, energy consumption, the impact of charging infrastructure placement on their operation, and PHEV emissions (including NOx, PM, NH₃, and CO₂ for PHEVs) compared to conventional technology counterparts (diesel and natural gas). The data collected in this project and the numerical energy simulation model developed under Task 4c will serve as the foundation for ZEV vehicles, while existing or proprietary data will be relied upon for conventional vehicle technology. The Contractor shall:

• Characterize differences in speed, acceleration, and mileage accrual patterns between ZEVs and their conventional technology counterparts. The Contractor shall develop vocation-specific ZEV chassis-dynamometer and engine-dynamometer duty cycles and compare them to their counterparts such as Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS), Nonroad Transient Cycle (NRTC), high-speed and vocational chassis and engine duty cycles that were developed with diesel and natural gas vehicle and engine activity data.
• Calculate real-world energy efficiency ratio (EER)[7], defined as the ratio of ZEV fuel economy and fuel economy of their conventional technology vehicle counterparts at different speed bins, by ZEV technology, vehicle vocation, and sector. Calculated EER values from this project shall be compared to literature estimates of EER from several ZANZEFF projects. The Contractor shall simulate EER values using the energy simulation model and ZEV duty cycles developed in this task. Subsequently, the Contractor shall compare these EER values with their conventional technology counterparts based on their respective duty cycles.
• Evaluate the impact of charging infrastructure placement on the routes of ZEVs. To that goal, the Contractor shall quantify increases in energy consumption and the additional miles traveled by ZEVs when taking longer routes to access sub-optimally positioned charging stations. The Contractor may utilize GPS data in conjunction with any geospatial analysis software to quantify these metrics.
• Evaluate differences in tailpipe emissions factors for NOx, PM, NH₃, and CO₂ between PHEVs and their conventional technology vehicle counterparts during in-use operations.

Deliverables: The Contractor shall provide CARB staff with an interim report containing a comparative analysis of activity, including speed and acceleration profiles, mileage accumulation, energy consumption, real-world EER values, simulated EER values when applicable, and emissions (for PHEVs) between ZEVs and those from their conventional counterparts. Additionally, when applicable, the Contractor shall submit to CARB staff vocation-specific duty cycles for ZEVs. The CARB project manager will review the report and provide feedback.

Task 6. Reporting and Data Sharing  

Task 6a. Interim reports 

Upon completion of each task, the Contractor shall deliver interim reports in ADA format. These interim reports will discuss in detail the project’s status to date, the progress since the previous interim report, significant problems addressed, significant problems to be addressed, and work planned for the next task. The interim report should also quantify the percentage of work accomplished to date and the percentage of budget used to date. Finally, the interim report should make a statement about any need to revise the schedule or budget to reflect changes needed over the existing schedule or budget. Templates for developing these documents will be provided by the CARB project manager. 

Task 6b. Final report 

At least six (6) months prior to the contract end date, the Contractor will submit a draft final report (DFR) in ADA format to CARB for review. The DFR must comprehensively cover all elements expected in a final report, including the objectives, methodologies, findings, and conclusions derived from the conducted work. In addition, the DFR should go through a copy-editing process, for example by leveraging the contractor’s institutional resources, to provide a document that is clearly written and absent of grammatical errors and formatting inconsistencies. After the review, CARB staff will provide feedback to the Contractor regarding any edits. Once finalized, along with the final report, the Contractor shall deliver all raw data, analyses, analytical methods, and simulation models developed through the course of this project. The DFR will incorporate the results from all aspects of the project, including all the relevant tasks, analyses, data used, and results. This includes results from Tasks 1 through 5. The DFR will also have a comprehensive summary of the work performed, discussions, analyses, data used, and results for all preceding tasks.  

Note: The draft final report shall be submitted via email to CARB in a format mutually agreed upon and approved by the CARB project manager or designee. 

Other Contract Deliverables Meetings

During the project, the Contractor shall participate in meetings as follows: 

Initial meeting: prior to beginning the contracted work, the Contractor shall meet with the CARB project manager and other CARB staff to cover the overall project plan, details of performing the tasks, the project schedule, items related to personnel or changes in personnel, and any issues that should be resolved before work can begin. 

Progress review meetings: the Contractor shall participate in regular progress meetings with the CARB project manager and other CARB staff. The interval between meetings should be no more than one month and may be more frequent as deemed necessary by the CARB project manager or as requested by the Contractor.  The contractor shall participate in quarterly large progress meetings to be submitted through the duration of the agreement to include updates on all tasks, and information on overall progress and funds spent on each task.

The Contractor should be prepared for open, two-way communication with the CARB project manager and/or other CARB representatives throughout the project to discuss project concerns and provide interim project status updates.  

Final Seminar: The Contractor will present the project results to CARB staff and a possible webcast at a seminar at CARB facilities in Riverside or Sacramento.  The seminar should be lay-friendly. 

Deliverables

The project proposal must include but is not limited to the following deliverables:

At Pre-Proposal Stage

• Provide a cultural competency statement in the pre-proposal.

At Beginning of Contract

• All researchers must undergo cultural competency training (examples include implicit bias training, racial equity training, etc.). Trainings should be completed or scheduled within 30 days of contract execution.

During Active Contract Period

• Quarterly Progress Reports and conference calls; The progress reports will include plain-language summaries that can be posted publicly. A progress report template will be provided.
• Consultation calls with CARB and key stakeholders. Suggested frequency is monthly.
• Interim reports, as needed. It is strongly recommended to require interim reports or deliverables at the end of tasks to ensure that progress is being made.

Prior to Contract Close

• All data, analyses and analytical tools generated through the course of this project.
• Produce plain-language fact sheets, including suggestions for preventative actions (if such information is available) and these will be translated into Spanish.
• Draft final report
  • 6 months prior to contract close, provide a draft final report reviewed and approved by the Principal Investigator.
  • Include a plain language summary in draft final report.
  • Include an equity implications section in draft final report.
  • Must be copy-edited.
• Work with CARB to create plain-language outreach deliverables for public summarizing results and impact of project (available in multiple languages).
• Final Report and virtual or in-person seminar.
• Peer reviewed publications should be publicly available (please budget for this expense; submission-ready publications shall be reviewed by CARB staff).
• Additional deliverables to be determined in consultation with CARB staff.

Timeline

It is anticipated that this project will be completed in thirty-six (36) months from the start date. This allows thirty (30) months for the completion of all tasks and preparation of a draft final report. The last six (6) months are for an extensive review of the DFR by CARB staff, modification of the DFR by the Contractor in response to CARB staff comments, and delivery of a revised final report and data files to CARB. The total cost should not exceed $750,000.

[1]https://californiahvip.org/industryinitiatives/#cazevdashboard

[2]https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2021-10/2022_SSS_October_Workshop_Presentation.pdf

[3]https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/zero-emission-vehicle-and-infrastructure-statistics/medium-and-heavy

[4]https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/how-do-all-electric-cars-work

[5]LCTI: Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects | California Air Resources Board

[6]https://www.carteeh.org/projects/development-and-evaluation-of-connected-vehicle-application-for-alternative-fuel-trucks/

[7]https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/180124hdbevefficiency.pdf

Scoring Criteria

Responsiveness to the goals and objectives outlined in the proposal solicitation(15 points)

Proposers should demonstrate a clear understanding of the policy objectives and research needs that CARB seeks to address with this project, and should convey their knowledge of the subject. The proposal should have a clear research question or testable hypothesis. The proposal should consider various aspects of the research need and identify or acknowledge biases. The proposal should spell out, in adequate detail, exactly what the Proposer proposes to do to satisfy the requirements of the Solicitation. The draft proposal must propose work that would satisfy the objective(s) stated in the Research Solicitation: this proposed project will characterize Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) real-world activity, energy consumption, charging needs and patterns, air quality co-benefits, and pollution burden equity due to lower greenhouse gas and air pollution emission with ZEV adoption.

Policy relevance/benefits to the state(10 points)

Does the proposal describe how the project will provide data, information, and/or products to help CARB accomplish its mission? With upcoming regulations mandating the sale and purchase of heavy-duty ZEVs, it is critical to understand the activity and energy needs of heavy-duty on-road and off-road vehicles. The results of this study are anticipated to inform several on-road and off-road ZE programs and emission inventories, establishing a baseline for the performance of heavy-duty ZEVs compared to their conventional technology counterparts during in-use operations.

Previous work (15 points)

Do the researchers have relevant experience in this area? Is the team composed of a multidisciplinary team of experts? Do they discuss how they will build upon previous relevant work that was funded by CARB, other state agencies, and any other organizations you believe are appropriate? If including community engagement, the relevant research partner should describe previous experience in community engagement and provide letters of support, references or a community impact statement, describing how previous work impacted communities. 5 points will be reserved for project teams that meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. The project team is multidisciplinary.
2. The project team contains an equity expert.
3. The project team members come from various universities or include non-academic institutions or community-based organizations.
4. The project team includes one or more members, contributing significantly to the project (i.e. a principal investigator, co-co-principal investigator or co-investigator, contributing 25% or more of their time to the project) who have not worked with CARB in the past 5 years.

Technical merit (25 points)

Describe the submission's technical strengths and/or weaknesses. Proposers should demonstrate the logic and feasibility of the methodology and technical approach to the project, spell out the sequence and relationships of major tasks, and explain methods for performing the actual work. The proposal should provide an explanation of how the proposed methods are robust and how results will be validated. Please factor in how well the draft proposal describes these areas:

1. Give specifics of what you want reviewers to consider:
2. e.g. is this the correct measurement approach, are these appropriate technologies being examined, will their proposed analysis produce the relevant results, etc.
3. Does the proposed work address all the deliverables required in section “Deliverables”? If not, the proposal should not be considered for funding.
4. The review team will be selecting only one draft proposal for development into a full proposal. If this draft proposal has potential, what areas or topics should be prioritized or better explained in the full proposal?

Level and quality of effort to be provided(15 points)

Does the proposal allocate time and resources in such a way that the objectives of the study will be met? Have the researchers contacted fleet operators and secured letters of commitment to instrument ZEVs? Is supervision and oversight adequate for ensuring that the project will remain on schedule? Is the distribution of workload appropriate for activities such as research, evaluation and analysis, data reduction, computer simulation, report preparation, meetings, and travel?

Cost effectiveness (20 points)

Does the cost seem appropriate for the proposed work?  Does the proposed work seem feasible within the requested budget?  Projects that provide co-funding should be evaluated more favorably.

Scoring Criteria Scoring Guidance

91-100 points. Exceptionally strong. The submission is technically strong, meets stated research objectives, is cost-effective, and has a high potential to be successfully completed.

81-90 points. Strong. The submission is technically sound.

71-80 points. Mixed. The submission has either strong technical merit or strong policy significance, but not both.

61-70 points. Weak. The submission is not sufficiently linked to needs of the Board and offers limited technical merit.

60 points or below. Unacceptable. The submission is not linked to interests or needs of the Board and lacks technical merit.