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Heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles still face technological and market challenges that need to be overcome to advance the adoption and commercialization of hydrogen technologies. In particular, the integration and packaging of the different components of a fuel cell electric powertrain is complex and remains costly. In addition, hydrogen fuel prices remain high, the cost of fuel cell stacks and hydrogen fuel storage solutions is still high, and there is a need to increase hydrogen storage energy density. Cummins proposes to design, build, test, and demonstrate a fuel cell electric powertrain for heavy-duty trucks and buses that can help reduce costs and advance the commercialization of hydrogen vehicles. The proposed fuel cell powertrain technology offers the following benefits: 1) Vertically integrated powertrain, 2) Modular and scalable, 3) Highly integrated and manufacturable, 4) Increased driving range, 5) Increased fuel economy, 6) Rapid refueling, 7) 1:1 replacement of conventional vehicles, and 8) Total cost of ownership reduction.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or Annual Merit Review presentation.

The objective of the Mid-Atlantic Electrification Partnership is to enable a regional ecosystem in Virginia (VA), District of Columbia (DC), Maryland (MD), and West Virginia (WV) allowing all sizes of electric vehicle (EV) use for fleets, Transportation Network Companies, and consumers. This ecosystem project connects the Capital Region's cities, employs multiple EV and infrastructure sub-projects, and includes multimodal hubs such as airports, seaports, mass transit hubs, and logistics centers while addressing equity issues of populations near these hubs and within cities and towns.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or the 2022 Annual Merit Review presentation and the 2023 Annual Merit Review presentation.

The Cold-Weather Operation, Observation and Learning with Electric Vehicles (COOL EVs) project will support the deployment of four medium- and heavy-duty battery electric vehicles (EVs) in three community fleets in Minnesota. This project is strategically designed to overcome the challenges of cold weather operation, which is crucial to advance EV fleet applications. The four all-electric vehicles included in this application are two box trucks with different applications, a medium-duty passenger van, and a school bus. The fleets will share some resources, including training, technology, and project management support.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or the 2022 Annual Merit Review presentation and the 2023 Annual Merit Review presentation.

The objective of the WestSmart EV@Scale project is to identify pathways to accelerate use of EVs. The pathways will be evaluated by researchers through the analysis of EV infrastructure gaps, EV workforce development training, EV infrastructure deployment and data gathering, freight and port load, and grid evaluations. WestSmart EV@Scale leverages lessons learned and best practices from the tremendous success of the WestSmartEV project in Utah. It facilitates successful expansion into a regional program covering portions of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and Arizona—covering all major corridors in and out of California. It encompasses five critical EV application focus areas of: Destination Highways (National Park and Recreation), Underserved Regions (EV Training, Rural Transit Hub, Electric Car Share at Affordable Housing), Urban Mobility (Transportation Network Company, Intermodal Hub), Freight (Airport, Inland Port), and Community/Workplace (Mobility Hub, Workplace Charging).

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or the 2022 Annual Merit Review presentation and the 2023 Annual Merit Review presentation.

This project purchases and deploys five propane-powered delivery trucks along with propane fueling infrastructure in the metro Denver area. The trucks are Ford's Class 7 (F-750) straight box trucks with Roush CleanTech's ultra-low (.02) NOx 7.3L V8 propane engines, commercially available across the United States, and certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB). The demonstration fleet, Hi-Pro, Inc., is located in Commerce City, a close suburb of Denver. This fleet moves mail from the United States Postal Service (USPS) main hub to the individual post offices daily. Hi-Pro, Inc., has a fleet of 35 vehicles in Colorado; five diesel trucks are being replaced by the trucks purchased as part of this project. By demonstrating the advantages of propane as a clean and cost-effective alternative to diesel and its viability in the test fleet, the project shares data, best practices, and lessons learned to catalyze other fleets nationwide to adopt propane trucks for mail delivery (and other applications). By reducing the risk of first adoption, the potential exists to transform the USPS mail delivery system into a low-carbon national fleet.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or the 2022 Annual Merit Review presentation and the 2023 Annual Merit Review presentation.

West Virginia University, multiple Clean Cities coalitions, and Wale Associates, Inc., are partnering to develop a tool to estimate the vocation dependent variations in maintenance costs of heavy- and medium-duty vehicles fueled by alternative fuels, including natural gas, propane, and electricity. Vocation Integrated Cost Estimate (VoICE) for maintenance and repair (MR) compares cost estimates of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) with conventional diesel vehicles of the same vocation to illustrate vocation-specific benefits of adopting AFVs. The study addresses medium- and heavy-duty vehicles operating in urban delivery, port drayage, school bus, refuse truck, and transit bus applications. The overall goal of the cost model estimate tool is to build a user-friendly application for fleets operating nationwide. The study will model the maintenance costs of AFVs as a function of duty cycle parameters, which is a critical knowledge gap for fleets that would consider adopting AFVs to replace conventional diesels.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or the 2022 Annual Merit Review presentation and the 2023 Annual Merit Review presentation.

The goal of DRIVE Electric USA (DEUSA) is to greatly accelerate statewide, state-led "Drive Electric" initiatives in multiple states by educating consumers, utilities, utility regulators, and government officials; engaging auto dealers and fleet leaders; conducting EV infrastructure planning; and developing local EV chapters. All of this is occurring under the banner of branded, statewide EV initiatives, guided by each state's stakeholders. DEUSA is creating a Replication Playbook based on outputs and lessons learned that incorporates results from the project work and highlights specific successes from all the participating states. The project conducts EV infrastructure planning sessions for corridors and urban and rural areas, including a focus on disadvantaged and limited-income communities, builds relationships with dozens of utilities and utility regulators, and creates incentives and investment opportunities.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or the 2022 Annual Merit Review presentation and the 2023 Annual Merit Review presentation.

St. Louis, Missouri, is a diverse Midwestern city that has encountered a half-century of economic downturn, with its population diminishing from 850,000 to 300,000 since 1950. Additionally, with no local or state incentives for electric vehicles (EVs), access to both EVs and charging infrastructure has been limited. The overall goal of the St. Louis Vehicle Electrification Rides for Seniors (SiLVERS) project is to increase EV adoption and reduce transportation-related operating expenses for social service agencies in low-income communities. The project seeks to increase EV adoption by validating that EV fleets can save social service agencies money on transportation operation costs while improving service delivery, providing access to electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) for employees and community members, and developing tools and best practices for use by community-based organizations and social service agencies nationwide, allowing them to replicate this approach.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or the 2022 Annual Merit Review presentation and the 2023 Annual Merit Review presentation.

This project introduces nine electric shuttles to Tulane University’s shuttles and transportation services. University transportation services connect members of the university community with several campuses in the New Orleans area on scheduled routes and provide transportation for classes visiting community partners; students fulfilling service-learning commitments across the metropolitan area; and on-demand ride service. The project develops a new electric vehicle (EV) charging area in a university-owned parking lot to support the fleet transition.

This project aims to provide fleet operators in the region with a local example of the viability and value of EVs; and to share locally based information on EV infrastructure development, EV operation, and associated maintenance costs.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or the 2022 Annual Merit Review presentation and the 2023 Annual Merit Review presentation.

In partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of Solid Waste Services (SWS) for the Municipality of Anchorage is implementing a pilot demonstration of two heavy-duty electric refuse trucks and an electric box truck. In addition, SWS will partner with the Alaska Energy Authority and eCamion, Inc., to install and test a battery-tied fast charging station that will charge both refuse trucks while mitigating costly demand charges.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or the 2022 Annual Merit Review presentation and the 2023 Annual Merit Review presentation.