The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is the prime recipient and project manager of a grant to support the deployment of 30 Hyundai XCIENT Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks(FCET) in Northern California. The grant is partially funded by CaliforniaClimate Investments and was awarded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and The California Energy Commission (CEC) Clean Transportation Program.Funding from CARB will support vehicle financing while funding from CEC will support the infrastructure and maintenance facilities. The project is also funded by $7 million in cost-share funding provided by the Alameda CountyTransportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The vehicles were designed and manufactured by Hyundai MotorCompany (HMC). Glovis America will operate the FCETs around the Port of Oakland with a heavy-duty hydrogen fueling station built and operated by FirstElement Fuel (FEF) located at the East Bay Municipal UtilitiesDistrict (EBMUD) facility in Oakland. With fuel provided by Air Liquide, the station will support up to 200 trucks and back-to-back fueling. With engineering and design support from the Fiedler Group, Papé Trucks upgraded its existing maintenance facility with hydrogen detection and ventilation equipment to safely service the FCETs. The University of California, Berkeley, and the West OaklandEnvironmental Indicators Project are assisting the project team with data collection, community outreach efforts, and communications with port officials, local agencies, and Oakland neighborhood groups.
CTE is serving as the project manager, convening team members in regular subteam meetings, managing the flow of funds and all communications with project team members, and leading the development of key project deliverables. CTE has successfully led the team in drafting a vehicle production plan describing the vehicle delivery timeline and plans for obtaining required certifications. CTE led a maintenance facility assessment to determine the upgrades for maintaining hydrogen-fueled vehicles at Papé Trucks and also led the team in drafting a community outreach plan detailing procedures for engaging the local community, including residents of West Oakland and local truck drivers that operate in and around the Port.
As of Q3 2023, Glovis has deployed an initial rollout of 10trucks supported by interim fueling options from FEF, while the permanent fueling station is under construction. FEF passed all inspections for underground electrical and mechanical work to prep for the concrete pouring and continued station build. FEF is scheduled to complete the station commissioning inNovember 2023. In August 2023, the project team completed the final designfor wrapping the trucks. HMC shipped the remaining 20 trucks to Glovis and they will be hauling freight and utilizing the temporary fueler provided by FEF that is now located at the Port of Oakland.
