Overview
The U.S. - China Race to Zero Emissions (R2ZE) Challenge is a collaborative and friendly competition that encourages transit agencies to take ambitious actions to put a new generation of advanced, non-polluting zero emission buses (ZEBs) on the road in communities across the United States and China. The winner(s) of the race will be the transit agencies with the highest percentage of operational ZEBs in their fleet in the year 2025 in the United States and China.
On June 3, 2016, during the 8th U.S. - China Transportation Forum in Los Angeles, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and China’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) jointly announced the R2ZE Challenge and called to action cities / transit agencies to take measurable steps to reduce transit fleet bus greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions through increased deployment and operation of ZEBs. This call-to-action not only aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also seeks to spur demand and technological innovation for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles. The R2ZE Challenge will help demonstrate that ZEBs can be cost-competitive and cost-effective when compared with diesel and other alternative fuel buses in both operational and societal costs.
The number of ZEBs deployed in the United States will be tracked through self-reporting by the participating fleets and shared on the R2ZE website. To be counted in the race, ZEBs need to be available and in service to the public on an annual basis.
Race participants, government officials, manufacturers, and transit authorities, will be invited to take part in annual R2ZE meetings, where the U.S. and Chinese fleets will share their progress and discuss successful strategies for implementation. Transit agencies that made significant strides in deploying ZEBs will be recognized on an annual basis as we move toward the target year. The information about the progress made by each participant will be made public and will be accessible on the R2ZE website.
Purpose
The vast majority of transit buses across the globe are fueled by diesel and are often on the road for 10 years or more. Worldwide, buses consume more than 30 billion gallons of diesel and emit 390 million metric tons of CO2, 6.2% of all transportation emissions. Further, unlike commercial vehicles, buses primarily operate through densely populated neighborhoods and commercial centers, directly exposing residents to hazardous tailpipe emissions impacting their health and welfare. A single diesel bus can produce 750 kg of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a precursor to smog, in a year, and 13 kg of particulate matter, which is a carcinogen linked to heart disease. ZEBs are a significantly less polluting alternative to diesel fueled transit buses as they are the cleanest and most energy-efficient buses available, and can play a significant role in communities’ efforts to reduce emissions and improve urban air quality.
The integration of cutting-edge, pollutant-reducing buses into transit agencies’ fleets goes beyond the public transit sector. Historically, transit has been a test-bed for clean vehicle technologies, allowing new technologies the chance to mature before they are widely adopted and introduced to heavy-duty commercial fleets. As such, by jump-starting ZEB fleet deployments, the R2ZE Challenge will help to accelerate the growth of the zero-emission vehicle industry, not just in transit but in heavy-duty commercial fleets as well.
Race Description
The R2ZE Challenge calls for a voluntary long-term commitment to expand green-energy transit fleets with a 2025 finish line and is open to all U.S. and China cities and transit agencies. All transit agencies which voluntarily commit to strive towards the target will be recognized as R2ZE Challenge participants. Participants will be able to use the R2ZE logo in promotional materials, attend the annual summit and be featured in U.S.-China press releases and recognized through other means as appropriate.
Each year, U.S. and China will select and recognize cities and transit agencies in the following categories:
- Transit agencies showing most improvement in a year
- Transit agencies with the highest overall percentage of ZEBs in their fleet
If a transit agency acquired ZEBs prior to the kick-off June 2016, those buses can be counted when determining annual and overall progress.
The target shall be considered met when ZEBs are deployed and remain in revenue service on an annual basis. A bus is in revenue service if it is available to the general public and there is an expectation of carrying passengers. For the purpose of this requirement, in revenue services includes layover and recovery time and time not in service due to routine maintenance and minor repairs. To determine what percentage of a fleet consists of zero emissions buses, the number of eligible ZEBs will be divided by the total active fleet; which includes all buses in revenue service as defined above and all spare buses. (ZEBs in Revenue Service / Active Fleet = % of ZEBs in Fleet.) Buses used only for emergency events will not be considered in this determination.
Enrollment Process
There is no cost to register to join the R2ZE. Transit agencies will be officially enrolled upon review by DOT. Participants must be able to fulfill the roles and responsibilities outlined below. Sign Up Now!
Roles and Responsibilities
Facilitators: As the facilitators of the R2ZE, DOT and MOT will oversee and coordinate the enrollment of respective cities / transit agencies
Participants: The participants in the R2ZE shall voluntarily submit annually the number of ZEB’s deployed. The race participants are encouraged to take part in the annual conference/expo. Details for the annual event will be shared with participants and posted on the R2ZE site.
Definition of ZEB and Credit Towards ZEB
A fully eligible ZEB bus would be one that generates zero tailpipe emissions. For the purpose of this program, a “zero emissions bus” is a bus that operates in electric-only mode, whether the electricity is supplied by batteries, a fuel-cell or catenary. Water, in the case of a fuel cell bus, would be an acceptable “emission.” 100% battery-electric buses with auxiliary heater powered by another source also qualify.
Reporting Process
Race participants will voluntarily provide the data, primarily the number of ZEBs in operation and their total active fleet as defined above, on an annual basis (January – December) with the preceding calendar year data due by February 29. Data may include fleet composition by model year and fuel type.
Participants will email data to US-ChinaR2ZE@dot.gov using a standardized Excel workbook R2ZE template that will be provided on the R2ZE website.
Annual R2ZE Conference / Expo
The U.S. and China will convene an annual conference that will bring together R2ZE participants to share progress made toward the R2ZE goals and lessons learned. The annual event will feature expert speakers and panelists that will discuss and share the latest trends, technologies, and opportunities related to the zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle sector. Race participants, government officials, manufacturers, transit authorities, as well as interested parties from other countries will be encouraged to attend. The R2ZE participants and winners from the prior year will be announced and recognized during the event.
Expansion of Race
This U.S. – China bilateral effort is part of the longer range global effort to transition to low-carbon economies. To achieve that end, as other countries express an interest in joining the race as part of their efforts to reduce hazardous tailpipe emissions in the transport sector, the lead organizations, DOT and MOT, can jointly elect to include others.