The Ray and Geotab ITS Partner to Launch Freight Electrification Clinic
Toronto, ON and Atlanta, GA – September 28, 2023 – The Ray, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing net-zero transportation and energy infrastructure, has partnered with Geotab Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to showcase how aggregate data analysis can efficiently and effectively position zero-carbon fueling stations for medium and heavy-duty trucks for success across the nation. Building on the success of the 2022 data-driven analysis of truck movement patterns pilot, The Ray and Geotab ITS have launched a series of freight electrification clinics tailored for transportation agencies. These clinics provide valuable aggregate insights, enabling agencies to strategically determine optimal locations and designs for high-powered EV charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure.
“In an era where the demand for sustainable progress is escalating, the necessity to strategically allocate EV infrastructure — which can be a considerable expense — is critically important.” said Nate Veeh, Senior Business Development Manager Geotab ITS. “By collaborating with The Ray and leveraging best-in-class aggregate data from Geotab ITS, our goal is to support transportation agencies across the country to help ensure that infrastructure materializes at locations where its impact will resonate the most, facilitating a more meaningful, sustainable and efficient movement of goods.”
The mass electrification of America’s commercial fleet and freight vehicles will require significant planning for and investment in infrastructure upgrades and expansion to be implemented rapidly as a permanent, reliable transformation. The National Grid’s Electric Highway Study, performed by Geotab ITS and other partners, informs how best to build the charging infrastructure. With some examples of this infrastructure requiring similar power demands of a small town, optimal location and design are paramount to grid implementation.
In addition, states like Georgia have taken proactive steps in preparing for the development of hydrogen fueling infrastructure to support commercial fleets. They have initiated a request for information (RFI) directed at the private sector to gain further observations of opportunities that can expedite the adoption of hydrogen-powered trucks.
State DOTs across the country are currently working to deploy charging infrastructure focused on passenger vehicles through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. These clinics will provide state agencies with insights to help them plan for medium and heavy-duty charging infrastructure in tandem with their NEVI deployments, allowing them to make data-driven decisions for a multi-modal electrified future.
“The Ray and Geotab ITS are meeting the moment by working closely with transportation agencies across the nation to analyze truck travel trends within their jurisdictions,” said Laura Rogers, deputy director of The Ray. “The clinics and resulting analysis informs investments in zero-carbon fueling stations, ensuring the highest utilization rates possible.”
Transportation agencies will have a unique opportunity to participate in these clinics and leverage a wealth of aggregated data insights from more than 3.8 million connected commercial vehicles and trucks, made available through the Geotab ITS Altitude platform. In addition to identifying optimal locations for zero-carbon fueling stations, The Ray can provide agencies with perception on ideal locations for right-of-way (ROW) solar installations and opportunities for ROW transmission, the energy infrastructure that is urgently needed in parallel with increasing supply and demand. The capability to produce ecosystem analyses is crucial as the U.S. moves to large-scale deployment of electrified truck fleets, ensuring that the increased energy generation needs are met with renewable resources, along with the transmission infrastructure to move that energy to where it is needed. Through this collaboration, agencies can chart a course towards constructing fueling sites that will achieve complete transportation electrification.
“Altitude, the aggregate transportation analytics platform from Geotab ITS, provides contextualized insights on fleet and freight vehicle movement. It offers both a micro and macro picture of truck journeys to help distinguish where vehicles are coming from and going to, the purpose of their trips, and their stops along the way. The aggregate insights gained from Altitude can be used to understand how fleets and goods move throughout the nation in order to uncover the most optimal medium and heavy-duty EV charging infrastructure and better comprehend the energy demand these vehicles will need in order to operate as efficiently as possible,” added Veeh.