Release date: 6/27/2023

Host: Jared Schnader

Producer: Jared Schnader

Guests: Orville Thomas and Alissa Burger from CALSTART

Orville Thomas and Alissa Burger talk about incentive structures for state governments in order to create programs that help accelerate zero-emission fleet transitions. This discussion touches on how to best structure incentive programs, an overview of their recently released white paper on government incentive programs, and ways to drive down the cost of zero-emission vehicles.

The discussion ranged from invcentive structure pitfalls to the porblematic practice of custimizing buses. Orville states that "...transit agencies look at buses like Christmas trees they can hang as many ornaments on as possible".  There are a number of really interesting points and areas of recommendation for state agencies, state and federal government, the FTA, and transit agencies.

• Guest: Kim Williams, Chief Innovation Officer for Houston Metro
• Host: Jared Schnader, Bus Initiative Lead for CALSTART
• Topics:
  • Houston Metro's commitment to zero emission buses planning for both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell
  • Kim Williams' role is Chief Innovation Officer
  • How Houston Metro evaluates emerging technologies 
  • The importance of knowledge sharing among transit agencies

Show Notes:

• Houston Metro is committed to achieving zero emissions by 2050.
• Kim Williams is the Chief Innovation Officer for Houston Metro. In this role, she is responsible for exploring new technologies and strategies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Houston Metro.
• Williams believes in being "leading edge, not bleeding edge." She and her team evaluate emerging technologies by starting with the problem and then looking for solutions that have been tested and proven in other industries.
• Williams is a strong advocate for knowledge sharing. She regularly travels to conferences and events to share Houston Metro's experiences with other transit agencies.
• Houston Metro is a leader in the adoption of new technologies. For example, the agency has deployed a fleet of electric buses and is installing solar panels at its facilities.
• Williams is confident that Houston Metro can achieve its zero emissions goal. She is committed to making public transportation a more sustainable option for Houstonians.
• Houston Metro is evaluating battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies by deploying both at the same time, which has created a number of challenges.
• Houston created a climate action plan called "EVolve". By tying this policy to Houston Metro's Climate Action Plan, it created a greater opportunity to getting a Low-No grant from the FTA.
• Williams also spoke about the equity concerns that can be addressed by zero-emission transit. While EVs are still relatively expensive, a person's first EV may be a Bus on their way to purchasing their own EV.
• There was also a discussion around planning for resiliency scenarios from the grid and also how buses can be utilized as power export.

Quotes from the episode:

• "We want to be a leader in sustainability." - Kim Williams
• "We're always looking for new ways to use technology to improve the customer experience." - Kim Williams
• "Knowledge sharing is essential for transit agencies." - Kim Williams
• "We're confident that we can achieve our zero emissions goal." - Kim Williams

Takeaways:

• Houston Metro is a leader in the adoption of new technologies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public transportation.
• The Chief Innovation Officer plays a critical role in evaluating emerging technologies and finding solutions that meet the needs of the agency and its riders.
• Knowledge sharing is essential for transit agencies to learn from each other and improve their operations.
• Public transportation can play a key role in reducing emissions and improving air quality.

In this episode we talk with Stefan Tongur of Electreon. The discussions focuses on the constraints and challenges that are posed by current infrastructure models and the possibilities of in-ground, inductive charging. The interesting part is not that charging inductively can be done, which has been done for quite some time (think of your cell phone on a charging pad), but rather that Electreon offers a dynamic chaging technology. 

They have piloted and demonstrated the technology across Europe and in Israel, and are now working with the city of Detroit to put in a wireless, dynamic charging along a route with both transit buses and commercial vans. 

One of the most interesting parts of the discussion is the thought process of how this technology can be applied to existing roads and the potential opportunities this poses for both municipalities and private industry. 

We sit down to talk with John Walsh, former VP at Proterra and now ZEV Consultant, and Jeff Madura, Director of Public Sales for VanHool North America. With decades of experience in manufacturing and sales between them, this conversation went through ways to streamline and reduce costs of ZEBs, the needs for Workforce Development, and the adaptation OEMs have had to do within the ever-changing market. 

One of the biggest take-aways should be the need to address "customization" of transit buses. The amount of delays, increased costs, and overall price increases from this practice are something that many have pointed to as a barrier to cost reduction and something the Federal Transit Administration should take notice.

Some may see a Department of Transportation as a pass-through entity, but some DOTs have expanded their role in supporting their transit agencies, and it is paying off in unexpected ways. From organizing monthly technical meetings to being the go-to government state agency for zero-emission transition information, these DOTs have proven that supporting their state's transit transition comes with more benefits than just cleaner air.

Michigan DOT's, Jean Ruestman, and Iowa DOT's, Travis Estep sit down and talk about how they are supporting their transit agencies and what they have learned. In this episode you will hear about how taking the lead as a state government agency has reduced silos within the state government, how DOTs address technilogical equity, and support an emerging workforce. 

Jared Schnader, CALSTART's Bus Initiative Lead, guides the conversation with both DOTs. His expertise in moderating and speaking on panels, and leading technical projects as a Subject Matter Expert in scalable zero-emission bus deployments lends an additional expertise to the conversation.

CALSTART, a non-profit consulting leader in zero-emission transportation technology planning and deployments, is bsaed in Pasadena, CA with offices across the US and Europe. With technical expertise in zero-emission Buses, Trucking, Off-Road, Agricultural, Innovative Mobility, Light-Duty vehicles, and supporting infrastructure, CALSTART also administers the nation's largest state incentive programs.

Additionally, CALSTART is hosting a member recption at the ACT Expo in Anaheim, CA. For more registration details, simply click the following link: Member Reception Registration