On January 8, the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) announced the 2020 availability of grant funds through the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) Project. This current round will offer $1.4 million in support of clean transportation and alternative fuels projects. Learn more here.

In 2019, the CFAT project deployed $2.8 million in federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funding from the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT). Those funds stimulated 22 projects by a variety of public and private entities, all focused on reducing transportation-related air pollution emissions.

The 2019 projects included:

• Three propane conversations projects

• 11 electric vehicle charging station projects

• Six electric vehicles projects (five motorcycles, one PHEV)

• Two diesel locomotive upfit projects to reduce emissions

• One hybrid electric upfit project

• Three idle reduction projects (two ePTOs and one ZeroRPM).

In total, the awarded equipment is expected to displace 1.2 million gallons of diesel and gasoline per year and reduce air pollution emissions by 1,200 kilograms per day.

The electric vehicles and EV charging infrastructure projects help  North Carolina reach the goals set by Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 80 (EO80). With regard to transportation, EO80 urges the State of North Carolina to protect its environment while growing clean energy technologies, calling for a goal of 80,000 zero-emission vehicles (“ZEVs”, including electric vehicles) by year 2025.  The 11 electric vehicle charging station projects will make available 53 new Level 2 EV charging plugs (28 of which are replacements of defunct equipment), 16 solar-powered EV charging plugs and four new DC Fast Charge plugs (at two stations).

Learn more about each CFAT project below:

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (AB Tech)

 

Project: Two Level 2 chargers and one DC Fast charger on a community college campus near Asheville

In 2015, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) installed three EV charging ports in partnership with Nissan, Land of Sky Clean Fuels Coalition, Duke Energy and EATON. One of the Level 2 chargers and the DC Fast are inoperable, and the remaining Level 2 station is frequently down. With funds from this project, A-B Tech will work with one of three state-approved contractors to upgrade and replace two BTC Power Dual Port 30A-2p L2 Pedestal mounted EV Charging Stations and one BTCPower single port 50kW DC Fast Charger.

 

Accesso 

 

Project: Three solar-powered L2 chargers with two plugs each

Accesso owns and manages 10 commercial properties and managers of the Meridian Business Park Owners Association. Accesso will purchase three dual-port solar EV Chargers and expand local awareness on the availability and benefits of alternative fuel technologies and the benefits of reducing regulated emissions. The company’s plan is to place the three solar EV Chargers as equidistant as possible on the campus for the convenience of the tenants, residents and hotel guests.

 

Blackwell Street Management Company

 

Project: Two L2 EV chargers serving three spaces in a parking deck

Blackwell Street Management Company will replace, own and operate two inoperable Electric Vehicle Charging Stations on Julian Carr Street in Durham, NC. These are Level 2 stations that will serve every passenger vehicle available on the market. The stations will be located in a public access area close to amenities such as shopping, work, and other attractions. The stations are available to drivers via the most downloaded EV app in the country, and communicates status, availability, and any charges associated with use of the station to drivers. Additionally, the stations have the ability to collect and store utility-grade data for reporting purposes.

 

City of Charlotte Engineering Department

 

Project: Four solar-powered L2 EV chargers with two plugs each

City of Charlotte Engineering’s four EV Arc units are able to be deployed anywhere and will be moved to locations that need them most. They will be housed at the Fire Station Headquarters at 500 Dalton Ave Charlotte, NC. This is partly toward fulfillment of City of Charlotte’s Climate Action Plan, and not only does it shift away from fossil fuels, it also increases community resilience, due to the fact that these units can operate off-grid even during natural disasters that disrupt grid electricity.

 

City of Charlotte Water Department

Project: Twenty-five bi-fuel upfits to allow gasoline trucks to run on propane

Charlotte Water will install AutoGas propane conversion kits in 25 gasoline-powered Ford F-150s to lower emissions and its overall carbon footprint. Most of the units are driven by the Customer Service division and log numerous miles throughout the Charlotte metro area. This project will cost $145,000, which includes a 24 percent cost-share of $34,800. The shift from gasoline to propane will result in approximately 10 percent lower CO2 emissions.

 

City of Durham

Project: One electric PTO for a bucket lift truck

City of Durham will upfit one existing high-use bucket truck vehicle presently in operation with a product called SmartPTO manufactured by Viatec. This technology aids in the reduction of truck idle time, significantly reducing vehicle emissions.

 

City of Greensboro

 

Project: Two solar-powered L2 EV chargers with two plugs each

The City of Greensboro will be purchasing two Electric Vehicle Autonomous Renewable Chargers (EV ARC), to be deployed in parking lots located around the City’s governmental center for use by the public. These chargers are transportable and completely solar powered.

 

Cone Health

Project: Four L2 EVSE with 2 plugs each

Cone Health will install four CT4000 level 2 electric vehicle-charging stations from Chargepoint that may be utilized for public charging of environmentally friendly electric vehicles. The scope of the project will include purchasing and installing Level 2 charging stations at the Wesley Long campus of Cone Health, located at 2400 W. Friendly Avenue Greensboro, NC. The charging stations will be installed on the lower level of the existing parking garage located on the southwest portion of the campus.

 

Durham County

Project: Nine L2 EVSE with two plugs each

Durham County will purchase nine Level 2 dual-port EVSEs to replace nine single-port stranded EVSEs at four public locations. Stations will be free and open to the public 24/7. This will double the charging potential of these locations, as well as get them back in service. Learn more here.

 

Greenwood RRST Propane Autogas

 

Project: Twenty-five bi-fuel upfits to allow gasoline trucks to run on propane

Greenwood RRST will acquire the Prins autogas systems from Alliance Autogas. Greenwood RRST will oversee the installation of each system to each of the 25 SE&M fleet vehicles, and perform the system installations on SE&M vehicles. Greenwood RRST will provide onsite fueling at the SE&M headquarters (6441 NC-97 Elm City, NC).

 

MEDIC Mecklenburg EMS

 

Project: Twenty-two idle reduction devices to be installed on ambulances –  two will also be equipped with solar panels on top of the vehicles

Mecklenburg EMS Agency (MEDIC) was granted $400,000 from the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) program to upfit 22 existing Dodge 5500 Ambulances with Idle Reduction Technology manufactured by Zero RPM, Cullman Alabama, and demonstrate on two ambulances the use of Go Power solar panels provided by Zero RPM.

 

North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Rail Division

 

Project: Two BATS emissions reduction systems for diesel-electric locomotive engine

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will install two BATS emissions reduction systems for two more diesel-electric locomotives.

 

NC Propane Gas Association (NCPGA)

Project: Six propane bi-fuel systems

ICOM Alternative Fuel Systems installed propane bi-fuel on six vehicles that will be deployed with propane distributors. The six vehicles in four different air quality maintenance counties will be new vehicles expanding their current LPG fleets. One of the vehicles is a Bobtail used to deliver propane to customers in their assigned air quality maintenance county. The other five are service vehicles that will be used to install tanks and perform service work in their assigned air quality maintenance counties. ICOM is estimating that propane companies will use propane as the primary fuel 95 percent of the time for their 21 bi-fuel service trucks and 100 percent of the time for the dedicated Bobtail going to Quality Propane.

 

Orange County, NC

Project: Electric vehicle lease, one new solar-powered EV charger (two plugs), and replacement of twelve non-functioning EVSE

Orange County will complete a three-part project including; 1.) Upgrading a vehicle lease to a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) which will be available for use by all Orange County staff through the CarShare program managed by Orange County Asset Management Services, and; 2.) Renewing much of Orange County’s public charging network by replacing 12 failing, increasingly incompatible, and irreparable EATON charging stations with 12 updated single-plug EV charging stations, and; 3.) Acquiring a standalone solar-powered EV charging station that will fully charge three PHEV minivans operated by Orange County Public Transportation to serve as ADA-accessible On-Demand Transit vehicles for urban and rural residents. These vehicles will be stationed in a sunny parking lot that is far from an existing grid connection. These projects all support Orange County’s transition to 100 percent renewable energy-based operations by 2050.

 

Person County

 

Project: One EVSE, two plugs

Person County Government will install a Level 2, single port Electric Vehicle Charging Station on the Person County Museum of History’s grounds, which is owned by the County. The Museum is located in Uptown Roxboro and will be the first public EV charging station in Person County.

 

Pine Shore Energy

Project: One DC Fast charger

Pine Shore Energy will be installing one DC Fast Charger at 131 Fayetteville St., Winston-Salem, NC. This location is two miles from I-40, one mile from Winston Salem State University, and less than three miles from the heart of Downtown.

 

 

 

Town of Pineville Police

 

Project: Two electric motorcycles

The Pineville Police Department will purchase and deploy two Zero Electric Motorcycles for patrols, events and normal police operations.

 

Town of Cary

Project: One electric PTO for a bucket lift truck; and one 2-plug L2 EVSE for Town Hall

The Town of Cary will complete two projects: 1) Viatec SmartPTO auxiliary power for a bucket truck, allowing the truck to halt its diesel engine while the arm is operating on job sites; and 2) One ChargePoint electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) dual-port unit at Town Hall. The SmartPTO auxiliary power will operate at job sites within Cary, NC, and the EVSE will be installed at the Cary Town Hall. Cary’s Strategic Energy Action Plan (2012 and 2015) states that the Town will reduce fuel use and diversify fuel types. The Viatec SmartPTO project allows Cary to test auxiliary power for use on a bucket truck. The EVSE will allow the Town of Cary to not only consider adding more electric vehicles to its fleet, but will also provide citizens and visitors electric vehicle charging infrastructure to alleviate range anxiety. This will likely lead to additional replacements of internal combustion engine vehicles in the area.

 

City of Greensboro Police Department

 

Project: Two electric motorcycles

The Greensboro Police Department, in conjunction with the City of Greensboro, will incorporate two additional Zero Motorcycles into its fleet to patrol and respond to calls for service – in the Downtown Center City district, the Greenway, and other areas as needed – to decrease gasoline use, curb emissions, and to promote green technology programs of the City. The two electric motorcycles will be used in place of two 2014 Ford Crown Victoria sedans.

 

UNC Charlotte

 

Project: One electric hybrid upfit to a gasoline vehicle

The University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) in Mecklenburg County will conduct one hybrid electric conversion on a light duty truck, to reduce emissions per mile. This work will allow the campus to build on its successful fleet hybrid electrification that began as part of the State Petroleum Displacement program, which includes a fleet of over 100 GEM electric vehicles and awards for maximizing the use of E-85 in flex-fuel vehicles. The up-fit will convert one new F-250 truck to an XL Hybrid setup. XL Hybrids adds an electric motor, an advanced lithium ion battery pack, and sophisticated control software to the vehicle – without making significant modifications to the original internal combustion engine or transmission. The parallel hybrid system saves fuel by using a regenerative braking system to charge the battery. The battery then releases the energy to the electric motor, helping propel the vehicle when drivers accelerate. The proprietary controls make the electric motor assist smooth and seamless to the driver and passengers.

CFAT summaries

A tax incentive is now available for alternative fuel that is sold for use or used as a fuel to operate a motor vehicle, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A tax credit in the amount of $0.50 per gallon is available for the following alternative fuels: natural gas, liquefied hydrogen, propane, P-Series fuel, liquid fuel derived from coal through the Fischer-Tropsch process, and compressed or liquefied gas derived from biomass. Click here for more information.

Take advantage of CFAT funding!

NCCETC will conduct a CFAT 2020 Round 1 Informational Webinar from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, January 13, 2020. The free webinar will present an overview of eligible projects and have Q&A to assist with application submission. Learn more and register for the webinar here.

For more information about the CFAT program, click here.