Mission & Impact
Founded in 1993, the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is a member-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that develops and implements zero-emission vehicles and supporting infrastructure.
Our Mission
To improve the health of our climate and communities by bringing people together to develop and commercialize clean, efficient, and sustainable transportation technologies
Our Vision
A sustainable transportation ecosystem free of harmful emissions
CTE’s Impact
What’s at Stake?
A rapidly changing climate has the potential to drastically impact our lifestyles, markets, and interactions both domestically and around the world.
Climate
Human introduction of large quantities of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere drives the warming phenomenon responsible for our rapidly changing weather systems. While there are many sectors that contribute to the increase of greenhouse gas emissions, transportation is the largest emitting economic sector in the United States, accounting for nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
Health
Beyond introducing greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere, the burning of fossil fuels emits a myriad of poisonous particulates into the air we breathe, toxic to humans and our natural environment. The presence of these particles in our air sickens and, in some cases, kills thousands of Americans every year.
Equity
Climate change and poor air quality disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. In addition to being more vulnerable to extreme weather events, these communities are subjected to air pollution from a variety of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle emission sources.
What’s at Stake?
A rapidly changing climate has the potential to drastically impact our lifestyles, markets, and interactions both domestically and around the world.
Climate
Health
Equity
Services
CTE has deep experience developing, implementing, and administering advanced transportation technology projects, with a focus on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. We work with vehicle manufacturers, component providers, and fleet operators, including transit agencies and logistics organizations across the country. We take technology from concept to commercialization through our services:
Project Spotlights
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Transit Vehicle Innovation Deployment Centers: CTE's Impact on Transit Innovation
In 2017 CTE was selected to manage FTA’s Zero-Emission Research Opportunity, later evolving into Transit Vehicle Innovation Deployment Centers (TVIDC). With an initial obligation of $1.375 million in 2018, this program received substantial backing, reaching $10 million for FY 2022. TVIDC's core objectives involve fostering collaboration, supporting zero-emission fleet modernization, and serving as a hub for tech transfer and education. CTE's active role and ongoing commitment to industry research highlight its pivotal contribution to advancing zero-emission transit technologies.
A sample of 2024 TVIDC Projects:
- BEB Battery State of Health and Best Practices
- BEB Energy Use Prediction Proof of Concept
- Life-Cycle Maintenance Cost Comparison for Zero-Emission Bus Technologies
- Next Generation Mobility Modeling and Benefits Analysis
- ZEB Data Stream Validation and Standardization
NorCAL Zero Fuel Cell Electric Trucks
CTE organized a team of 16 key industry and community partners to obtain over $29 million in state and federal grants matched by an additional $25 million in private funding to launch the biggest deployment of Class 8 FCETs in North America through the NorCal ZERO project. Thirty fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs) are carrying freight to and from the Port of Oakland, to warehouses and distribution hubs in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and California’s Central Valley.
Additionally, as part of the project, CTE has managed the build of a heavy-duty hydrogen fueling station(one of the largest in the world) at the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Wastewater Treatment facility in Oakland, with the capacity to support 60 trucks in regular service. The project also includes a community outreach program in partnership with the University of California at Berkeley and the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, upgrades to maintenance facilities, and workforce training to provide service and support for the vehicles.
“The deployment of these trucks in northern California provides a groundbreaking opportunity to demonstrate the exceptional performance of fuel cell electric trucks for an industry that has traditionally relied on conventional diesel and CNG vehicles….We look forward to being a part of a new era for trucking across the U.S. – one marked by zero-emission vehicles that don’t force fleets to compromise on performance.”
