California has long been the nation’s leader in the push for cleaner transportation, arising first from the critical need in the last century to alleviate smog that is exacerbated by the state’s unique geography and climate and later including a focus on reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions that influence both local air quality and contribute to our changing climate. The State’s emission and fuel-efficiency standards have for decades been de facto national standards. Today, zero-emission passenger vehicles have moved from the fringes to the mainstream with medium and heavy-duty vehicles now transitioning from demonstration to market scale deployment. However, significant challenges remain in planning for the infrastructure needed for full deployment of electric and/or hydrogen vehicles.
Since the 1990s, researchers at ITS-Irvine have contributed significantly to the understanding of the market for alternative-fueled vehicles, including natural gas, electric, and hydrogen solutions. Our work has considered the challenging domain of transitioning the heavy-duty vehicle sector to zero-emission vehicles, from both the individual fleet side, and planning at systems scale for the charging and refueling infrastructure to sufficiently meet the needs to keep California’s goods movement sector economically competitive while meeting the State’s sustainability goals. Subtopics in this area include:
- Electric and alternative fuel vehicles
- Transportation emissions and air quality
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation
- Sustainable transportation planning
Lead Experts
Director, ITS-Irvine • Chancellor's Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor, Department of Economics • Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering • Professor, Urban Planning and Public Policy
Recent Projects
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