Clean Transportation Demonstration Day Brings Fleet Professionals to the Farmington Dragway

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The NC Clean Energy Technology Center’s (NCCETC) Clean Transportation Demonstration Day brought together local governments, state agencies, electric cooperatives, and military fleets from across North Carolina to explore innovative alternative fuel vehicle technologies.

Held at the Farmington Dragway on April 20, 2026, this annual event gave fleet decision-makers the unique opportunity to get hands-on experience through static displays and a closed-course “Ride & Drive” that allowed attendees to drive directly on the drag strip.

Before checking out the vehicle displays, members of NCCETC’s Clean Transportation team gave informative presentations on related events and training opportunities, in addition to other areas of the Center’s work.

Clean Transportation Program Director Heather Brutz highlighted the upcoming Sustainable Fleet Technology (SFT) Conference & Expo, which will take place August 25-27, 2026 at the Durham Convention Center. Many Demonstration Day attendees have already signed up to sponsor or exhibit at the conference, including Piedmont Truck Center and Hyster-Yale. Brutz also promoted the year-round SFT Webinar series, in which industry experts analyze frequent challenges, demonstrate areas of improvement, and showcase strategies and technologies fleets are implementing to drive their sustainability goals.

Senior Clean Transportation Specialist and Director of the Piedmont and Coastal North Carolina Clean Communities Coalition Alrik Lunsford gave an overview of the coalition’s work, which is intended to drive positive change and shape the future of clean transportation in the Piedmont and Coastal regions of North Carolina. The coalition has three subcommittees that participate in stakeholder engagement and working group meetings: Funding and Resource Opportunities, Fleet Services/Support, and Fueling/Charging Facilities/Infrastructure Planning and Development. To learn more, visit the coalition website or click here to join as a stakeholder.

Project Manager John Bonitz closed out the presentation portion of the event by discussing the various technologies available for greener fleets including propane, natural gas, hydrogen, biofuels, idle reduction, telematics, right-sizing, and electric vehicles along with their related charging infrastructure.

Following the presentations, attendees explored a showcase of vehicles including the 2025 Isuzu NRR EV, 2027 Type D Electric School Bus “Wattson”, 2019 Propane Bi-Fuel Chevy Silverado, 2025 Harbinger BEV, GreenPower EV Star, and more. Charging equipment was also on-site with the Nuvera HydroCharge provided by Hyster-Yale.

The highlight for many attendees was the Ride & Drive portion of the event, where participants took select vehicles onto the dragway and experienced firsthand what it’s like to press the accelerator in a fully electric vehicle.

When asked about the future of fleet management and electric vehicle potential, Josh Sperle of Winston-Salem’s Fleet Services Division says, “It looks promising, I think there are a lot of cases where it would be beneficial. I find it very interesting that the technology has gotten to the point where they’re able to do this [implement alternative fuel technologies] with large vehicles and still be able to have decent range.” Sperle’s comments reflect how firsthand experience shifts fleet planning from theory to practice.

NCCETC aims to ensure fleet managers make informed decisions that will shape the future of North Carolina’s sustainable transportation practices. Events like the Clean Transportation Demonstration Day foster direct engagement that keeps fleet professionals returning year after year. Incorporating hands-on Ride & Drive opportunities alongside instruction and case studies can allow industry professionals to evaluate technologies in real-world scenarios. By pairing education with experience, events like this can help bridge the gap between interest and implementation as North Carolina works toward a 50% emissions reduction by 2030.