UC Riverside’s College of Engineering - Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) has been awarded two major contracts totaling $1.1 million by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The funding will support vital research to better understand the real-world operation and performance of zero-emission medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles and off-road equipment, as well as to identify technologically and economically feasible solutions to help their widespread adoption.
Project 1: Determining Energy Use Patterns and Battery Charging Infrastructure for Zero-Emission Heavy-Duty Vehicles and Off-Road Equipment
Award Amount: $750,000
As the number of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and equipment grows rapidly across California, this project focuses on analyzing their real-world activity, energy consumption, and refueling/charging patterns. Led by Principal Investigator Kanok Boriboonsomsin and Co-Principal Investigators Tom Durbin, Kent Johnson, George Scora, and Zisimos Toumasatos, the research team will collect operational data from 120 zero-emission on-road vehicles and 30 zero-emission off-road equipment across a range of use cases. The research aims to compare energy efficiency and usage patterns between zero-emission and conventional technologies, assess refueling or charging demands, evaluate air quality co-benefits in terms of emissions reductions, and explore the equity implications of where and how those benefits are realized.
Project 2: Characterizing Alternative Charging Solutions for Zero-Emission Off-Road Equipment ($350,000)
Award Amount: $350,000
Also led by Kanok Boriboonsomsin, with George Scora and Michael Todd as Co-Principal Investigators, this project will identify and evaluate practical, cost-effective charging solutions for off-road applications in sectors such as construction, agriculture, and cargo handling. Given the limitations of installing fixed charging infrastructure—such as lack of grid access, limited grid capacity, or the temporary nature of construction sites—this research will collect performance data on existing alternative charging technologies, survey solution providers and fleet operators to assess technology readiness, functionality, and economic feasibility, develop a simulation model to evaluate energy use, costs, and benefits of deploying various alternative charging solutions in different use cases.
The findings from both projects will offer critical insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers as California accelerates its transition to zero-emission transportation. The research will help ensure that this transition is not only technically sound and economically viable but also equitable and environmentally impactful.