Hannah Behmaram, Build Momentum, Inc.; Nicholas Pieper, Build Momentum, Inc.
Abstract
From 1990 to 2020, the vehicle miles traveled by medium and heavy-duty trucks surged by 107 percent. Despite the advancement of fuel economy standards since 2005 mitigating greenhouse gas emission spikes, meeting emissions targets necessitates intensified efforts. The California Energy Commission is at the forefront of these national and state initiatives. The Pilot Company, North America's premier travel center operator servicing over 70,000 trucking fleets, has positioned itself to significantly influence greenhouse gas reduction within transportation. This report focuses on Pilot's blueprint for accelerating zero-emission vehicle adoption by leveraging travel centers for zero-emission vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling. The blueprint, informed by outreach and prior experiences, designs a state-of-the-art travel center tailored for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. The design merges electric charging, hydrogen refueling, and conventional fueling while integrating a resilient microgrid system. This system features a solar photovoltaic array, a battery energy storage system, and natural gas generators, resulting in cost savings and utility reductions. A pivotal part of this proposal is its retrofit site in Hesperia, chosen for its potential to seamlessly embed zero-emission vehicle infrastructure. The proposed layout promises to deliver almost 40 percent cost savings per mile for medium and heavy-duty vehicle users, moving away from conventional diesel. In sum, this blueprint presents a comprehensive, innovative, and sustainable approach for the future of medium and heavy-duty vehicle refueling, paving the way for a widespread transition to zero-emission vehicles.
