The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and CALSTART have been awarded $13 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to jump start California’s high-power charging infrastructure for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. The two organizations will lead a first-of-its-kind collaboration to launch the country’s first zero-emission, freight-charging corridor network.
The multi-phase project, Research Hub for Electric Technologies in Truck Applications (RHETTA), will commence with a community-first engagement framework to ensure that pollution-impacted communities, low-income communities, and tribal communities are involved in creating and guiding the initiative.
Other key elements include the creation of:
· An online freight heatmap outlining freight hubs, travel patterns along major freight corridors, truck stops, and locations for truck charging in a web-accessible tool;
· Two high-power charging demonstration sites – one near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and one in the Inland Empire – to provide technology and operational data; and
· A plan for a statewide charging corridor network, including a workforce development strategy and templates for key freight corridors.
