BOARD MEETING DATE: September 7, 2007
AGENDA NO. 5

PROPOSAL:

Execute Contract to Cosponsor Demonstration of Heavy-Duty Hybrid Vehicle

SYNOPSIS:

As part of the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Action Plan adopted by the Board in April 2007, staff was directed to evaluate pathways to PHEVs. One pathway is to replace existing diesel applications with hybridized gasoline engines and further investigate duty-cycles appropriate for the plug-in technology. This action is to award a contract to WestStart-CALSTART and its partners to develop and demonstrate a heavy-duty gasoline hybrid for use in the FedEx fleet and evaluate heavy-duty applications for plug-in technology in an amount not to exceed $325,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund. The remainder of the $595,000 total project costs will be supported by FedEx and NREL.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, July 27, 2007, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with WestStart-CALSTART to develop and demonstrate a gasoline heavy-duty hybrid electric vehicle and evaluate applicability of plug-in technology for these vehicles in an amount not to exceed $325,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

The AQMD is currently sponsoring a program with EPRI and DaimlerChrysler to evaluate five plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) Sprinter delivery vans. Commercialization of this technology, however, will be determined at the conclusion of the demonstration project in approximately three years. In the interim, a bridging strategy to implement hybrid electric vehicles in this as well as other similar applications is necessary to garner immediate air quality and fuel economy benefits.

This was one strategy outlined in the PHEV Five-Year Action Plan approved by the Board in April 2007 to accelerate the deployment of PHEVs. By establishing hybrid pathways in the medium- and heavy-duty sectors, key applications and load-cycles for hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles can be targeted. Increased hybridization, even without plugging-in, can provide air quality and fuel economy benefits by displacing diesel emissions, eliminating idling, and utilizing an electric motor for part of the load. The development and implementation of hybrid drive systems in these vehicles also lays the foundation for further technology improvements in the future, such as plug-in, fuel cell, alternative fuel, or a combination of these technologies.

Proposal

This proposal is to develop and demonstrate a heavy-duty hybrid electric vehicle (Class 4) for a parcel delivery application. Current vehicles typically use a diesel engine; and diesel electric hybrids, being evaluated in this same vehicle class, are too large for the application. Fleet operators, driven by rising fuel costs, have expressed the desire to take full advantage of the electric motor in a hybrid strategy in order to reduce the engine size and further reduce fuel use.

WestStart-CALSTART will work with its partners, including Federal Express (FedEx), Azure Dynamics, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), to develop and demonstrate a heavy-duty gasoline hybrid electric vehicle for use in the FedEx fleet. The parallel hybrid drive system will be implemented on a Ford E-450 chassis, and up to three prototype gasoline hybrids will be demonstrated in the FedEx fleet for one year to characterize the fuel economy and performance of the vehicles. Data will also be collected on a representative number of conventional diesel vehicles as a comparison. Emissions from the gasoline hybrid will be measured using a chassis dynamometer and compared to existing diesel and diesel hybrid data for this same class of FedEx trucks. In-use emissions testing of the gasoline hybrid and conventional diesel trucks will also be performed to verify the chassis dynamometer results and ensure the emissions benefits are preserved.

The performance, fuel economy, duty-cycle, and emissions data will also be used in a study to identify different plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) medium- and heavy-duty fleet applications. This analysis will enable identification of a technology pathway from conventional, to hybrid, to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. WestStart-CALSTART, utilizing their existing Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF), will provide application-specific data, such as duty cycles for utility bucket trucks, refuse trucks, and municipal fleets. NREL, using existing PHEV simulation tools, will conduct the modeling to evaluate energy-use strategies to optimize both fuel economy and emissions for these different applications.

Benefits to the AQMD

If the hybrid electric vehicle project is successful, FedEx has committed to deploying 20 to 30 gasoline hybrid electric delivery trucks in the South Coast region. It is anticipated that similar emissions benefits as hybrid utility trucks can be achieved compared to conventional diesel trucks, which is on the order of 40% NOx and 30% PM reductions. Based on the parameters identified in the PHEV analysis, further emissions benefits could be achieved by targeting additional fleet implementation of PHEV technology.

This project was also included in the March 2007 Technology Advancement Office Clean Fuels Program 2006 Annual Report and 2007 Plan Update under “Develop and Demonstrate Medium- and Heavy-Duty Hybrid Vehicles and Systems” as well as the April 2007 Five-Year PHEV Action Plan as part of the identifying “Hybrid Pathways.”

Sole Source Justification

Section VIII.B.2 of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole source award may be justified. This request for a sole source award is made under provision B.2.d.: Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such waiver in the best interest of the AQMD. Specifically, these circumstances are: B.2.d.(1) Project involving cost sharing by multiple sponsors.

The detailed cost-share is provided in the following section; the other entities include FedEx and NREL.

Resource Impacts

The total cost for this project is $595,000, with the requested AQMD co-funding not to exceed $325,000, or 54% of the total project costs. The following table summarizes the funding sources and amounts for this project.  

Sufficient funds are available from the Clean Fuels Fund, established as a special revenue fund resulting from the state-mandated Cleans Fuels Program. The Clean Fuels Program, under Health and Safety Code Sections 40448.5 and 40512 and Vehicle Code Section 9250.11, establishes mechanisms to collect revenues from mobile sources to support projects to increase the utilization of clean fuels, including the development of the necessary advanced enabling technologies. Funds collected from motor vehicles are restricted, by statute, to be used for projects and program activities related to mobile sources that support the objectives of the Clean Fuels Program.