Heavy Duty Vehicles
Why do we care about truck electrification?
Trucks are a small share of vehicles but a large source of GHG and local air pollution.
What type of energy is used by most power plants to generate electricity?
Kinetic energy via spinning turbines.
What is the most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted from vehicles?
Carbon dioxide (CO2).
What is environmental justice (EJ)?
Fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens.
What is the ZEV mandate?
A requirement for automakers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles.
How efficient is the Tesla Semi?
About 0.6 miles per kWh, or 20 MPGe.
What is the name of the auction system that decides which power plants run?
Electricity dispatch or marginal cost-based dispatch system.
What pollutant is especially dangerous due to its small size and link to mortality?
PM2.5 (fine particulate matter).
What historic practice contributed to inequity in infrastructure investment?
Redlining.
What policy provides rebates for EV buyers using oil company funds?
A: The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).
What’s the main tradeoff with increasing truck battery size?
More weight reduces range and cargo capacity.
What is "smart charging"?
Charging based on time or location to reduce cost, emissions, or grid stress.
What is the difference between GHGs and local pollutants?
GHGs cause climate change; local pollutants harm health and air quality locally.
What CA law requires 40% of climate investment go to underserved communities?
The Justice40 Initiative.
What is a “feebate”?
A fee on polluting vehicles funds rebates for clean vehicles (revenue-neutral).
What does the “Advanced Clean Trucks” regulation require by 2045?
zero-emission truck sales.
What is "Vehicle-to-Grid" (V2G)?
A system where EVs send stored electricity back to the grid.
What kind of emissions calculation depends on what generator turns on?
Marginal emissions rate.
What tool is used to identify Disadvantaged Communities in CA?
CalEnviroScreen.
What class of policies includes things like mandates, incentives, and tax credits?
Regulatory and market-based instruments.
What’s one case study of a city using electric school buses effectively?
Unitrans in Davis, CA plans full electrification by 2032 using 525 kWh buses.
What protocol supports communication for V2G and smart charging?
ISO 15118.
$500: Why can charging an EV in Texas be worse than in California?
Texas has more fossil-fuel-based generation, especially natural gas and coal.
What did priority populations in surveys say they needed?
More clean mobility options, trusted info in their language, and visible EV infrastructure.
What major challenge does California face despite its strong EV policy?
Reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT).