A Replicable Infrastructure Blueprint for Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles in the South Coast Air Basin

The goals of the Replicable Zero-Emission Blueprint for Medium-and Heavy-Duty Fleets in the South Coast Air Basin (Blueprint) were to develop a replicable Blueprint for medium- and heavy-duty (MDHD) zero emission vehicle (ZEV) charging and hydrogen infrastructure within the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) with a focus on transit, drayage, and long-haul trucking. Through this effort, stakeholder input was gathered and considered. The Blueprint is available to the public, industry and community stakeholders. This report is the first step in developing a SoCAB regional blueprint for MDHD ZEV charging and fueling infrastructure.

The goal of this Blueprint is to outline a replicable framework for the build-out of MDHD ZEV infrastructure that can result in a cost-effective, reliable, and resilient charging and fueling network with consideration to disadvantaged communities. This is the final project report for the Blueprint. The goal of the Blueprint was to outline a replicable framework for the buildout of a cost-effective, reliable, and resilient charging and fueling network with consideration to disadvantaged communities. The Blueprint proposes a methodology for optimizing the placement of public hydrogen stations applying a location-allocation algorithm utilizing spatial travel demand data, candidate station sites based on existing truck stops, and station and vehicle parameters. By applying this algorithm, station placement is optimized to maximize demand coverage. To meet projected drayage and long haul truck hydrogen demand, this analysis estimates that at least five stations are needed in 2025, 42 in 2035, and 127 in 2045. Additional stations could provide improved network resiliency in the case of a station outage. While the data utilized in this analysis are specific to California, the framework can be applied to other regions using similar data. Private, fleet-based stations were also investigated using registration data and other publicly available data. Fleet-based stations are expected to be located at depot locations at or near fleet facilities.

This report also outlines the job potential and workforce training requirements for the rollout of MDHD ZEVs and their associated infrastructure in California. Job positions for a zero-emission future span numerous specializations and sectors, including but not limited to education, research, engineering, design and development, manufacturing, sales, and technical support.