The Ray, a nonprofit testbed for sustainable transportation, has announced a fleet electrification study to analyze the movement patterns of medium and heavy-duty freight vehicles on select American interstates and highways.
Using data provided by Geotab, a provider of IoT and connected transportation solutions, The Ray will be able to determine the optimal locations and design for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and help make EVs more accessible.
The analysis performed by The Ray will begin with two pilot corridors: one regional along I-20 from Dallas, Texas, to Atlanta, Georgia, and the other local, from the Port of Savannah, Georgia, to the inland port in Atlanta.
Geotab will develop and provide data visualization tools, such as graphs and heat maps, allowing The Ray to easily dial into the analysis and leverage telematics-rich data insights to determine the most strategic locations to build medium and heavy-duty charging infrastructure, along the two corridors. The data will also help The Ray better understand where and what type of additional truck parking is needed for EVs.
“To support the movement toward electrification in the transportation sector, we need accurate data to begin the planning of freight charging infrastructure,” said Allie Kelly, The Ray’s executive director. “The data provided by Geotab gives The Ray access to world-class fleet movement data, as an overlay for our Esri ROW solar mapping tool, to prepare for the planning of EV charging infrastructure sites and medium/high voltage direct current transmission and distribution grid upgrades with our public and private partners.”
The Ray will also use the Geotab data to determine the land size needed to support medium and heavy-duty EV charging, optimize charging schedules, and create EV charging locations as close to the corridor as possible, to help increase efficiency while on the road and minimize miles driven.
“At Geotab, sustainability is one of our top priorities and for many years we have acknowledged the role that widespread electric vehicle adoption will play in achieving greater sustainability and cutting carbon emissions,” said Charlotte Argue, fleet electrification manager at Geotab. “By leveraging connected vehicle insights, Geotab and The Ray are able to help inform investments in a strong and robust charging infrastructure to help make EVs more accessible, affordable and efficient for fleet operators while also helping maintain the health of the electric grid.”
