The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is leading the Culver City (CC) zero-emission bus (ZEB) pilot program, which also includes a fleet transition plan. CTE used its ZEB transition planning methodology to guide the creation of CC’s transition plan. The transition plan development included several key activities led by CTE, such as conducting a ZEB market analysis, data collection, assessing energy requirements through modeling and simulation, defining necessary facility upgrades, and developing a transition timeline and cost/benefit model in 2020. CC added scope to CTE’s contract in 2023 for transition plan updates.
CTE analyzed routes and service requirements to determine how ZEBs may best be used in CC service as part of the feasibility assessment within the ZEB transition plan. The feasibility assessment included an analysis of CC facilities to determine how the facilities could accommodate charging infrastructure. The transition plan assessed the costs of the fleet, fuel, maintenance, and facilities purchases required to transition to a 100% battery electric bus fleet by 2040. CC’s ZEB transition plan was completed in 2021. In 2023, CTE began the process of revising the transition plan to include changes to Culver City’s fleet size and ZEB technology selection.
Currently, CTE is employing ZEB smart deployment methodology to support CC’s efforts to deploy four battery electric zero-emission buses and supporting infrastructure. The four buses were delivered, and one temporary charger was installed in 2022 as part of the pilot. CC began operating the buses in revenue service in May 2022. CTE is working with CC to conduct key performance indicator analyses for the buses and charger.
CTE also supported the infrastructure design and deployment for the facility build-out and is coordinating with AECOM, Sage, and Southern California Edison to develop a spaceframe structure and permanent charging infrastructure in the bus yard. CTE supported CC in releasing an invitation for bids for the yard build-out in September 2022. The bid evaluation process began in November 2022. CC has selected a construction manager for the first phase of construction.
CTE’s final scope under this contract was to help CC understand the requirements for a hydrogen fuel cell electric bus pilot project and to update the CC’s transition plan to reflect fleet expansion and a transition to a mixed fleet. This work concluded in September 2024.
