Clean Mobility for All
In this research area, we are focused on equitably transitioning the fleet to clean vehicles and decommissioning internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Most of our work is focused on the light-duty vehicle (LDV) space - passenger vehicles, small SUVs, and pick-up trucks we drive to work, school, and beyond. LDVs are a critical means of mobility for many communities globally.
True Decommissioning
We define True Decommissioning as removing internal combustion engine (ICE) light-duty vehicles (LDVs) from the road permanently, quickly, and, equitably. In the United States, the transportation sector is mainly focused on encouraging adoption of ZE LDVs as well as banning sales of new ICE LDVs and not explicitly focused on the removal of the 270 million LDVs operating on US roads today. Although some programs exist that address removal, they have not succeeded in rapid vehicle removal at scale and benefits offered as part of the programs are not equitably distributed among the population. We must remove ICE LDVs from the road with careful consideration of the stakeholders who will be affected to ensure the transition to clean LDV mobility is done equitably.
Partnership with Sonoma County: Transportation Needs and Decommissioning Model
Our partnership with Sonoma County, CA, has led to exciting work exploring the transportation needs of underrepresented community members and modeling potential decommissioning scenarios for the county
Decommissioning Scenario Modeling
We are building an optimization model that combines multiple sources of data (DMV, traffic, health, emissions, etc.) to test multiple decommissioning strategies for the light-duty vehicle fleet in Sonoma County. Our goal is to understand the adverse impacts on different communities throughout the county and evaluate the scenarios through an equity lens.
Interviews to Uncover Transportation Needs
Our team has conducted interviews in Sonoma County to help answer the overarching question How can we make the transition to electric vehicles more equitable?Our focus for these interviews was on engaging with the local Sonoma County community to better understand the needs, motivations, and barriers to mobility, with a particular focus on underserved communities.
Clean Cars 4 All is a program under the California Air Resources Board. More information about the program can be found on their website.
Clean Cars 4 All
Clean Cars 4 All is an equity mobility run by the State of California that aims to provide incentives to low-income and disadvantaged communities to replace their older, high-emitting vehicle with a zero-emissions vehicle. Anecdotal evidence has shown the implementation of this program may not be as equitable as the program advertises itself to be. Through journey mapping and informal interviews, we studied the application process of the program in depth and uncovered three categories of barriers that may lead to unintended inequities: 1) Multiple layers of barriers, 2) high stress and laborious timelines, and 3) limited program resources for applicants. We are currently working to provide recommendations to the California Air Resources Board to improve the program as they expand the program statewide.
Relevant paper: Litong, T. J., and Syal, S. M., 2022, "Uncovering the Barriers and Inequities of a Clean Mobility Program Using Journey Mapping, presented at the 2023 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington DC.
This work originated with the DIVE research group (Decommissioning Internal Combustion Engine VEhicles) research group at Stanford University, started by Margot Gerritsen and Karen Eggerman, in partnership with with Sonoma County, CA. For more information about DIVE's past work, check out the Stanford-hosted website.
Navigate our Research Areas: Clean Mobility for All | Sustainable Energy Transition | Design Justice
