Led by the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the City Climate Innovation Challenge supports a national cohort of cities advancing climate goals through zero-emissions delivery (ZED) strategies that reduce freight emissions and improve air quality.
The Urban Freight Lab is a core technical and research partner, leading the project’s research and policy efforts. Our role includes developing a national outcomes and evaluation framework, mapping charging infrastructure needs, analyzing and designing policy and business models, supporting pilot deployments, and evaluating results. This work will culminate in a national ZED Business and Policy Model Toolkit, a practical resource that cities across the U.S. can use to replicate and scale effective zero-emissions delivery solutions.
Background
The City Climate Innovation Challenge is a program to help cities across the country incorporate innovation to achieve climate goals related to specific priority topics. In January 2024, LACI announced the cities joining our anchor partners of Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Santa Monica. They are Louisville, KY; Miami-Dade County, FL; New York City, NY; Oakland, CA; Portland, OR; and Washington D.C. LACI and partners like the Urban Freight Lab and Cityfi, will help these cities to develop solutions accelerating the move to zero emissions delivery, reducing emissions from predominantly dirty, diesel trucks moving goods from first mile to last mile–which predominantly impact low income, disadvantaged communities.
In budget period 1, the project will develop an outcomes and evaluation framework for community-centered ZED pilots; analyze and map ideal charging sites in two or more select cities to lay the groundwork for integrated ZED pilots and charging infrastructure deployment; develop public and private sector business model options and policy designs specific to goods movement incentives, pricing and enforcement; and deploy community-driven ZED pilots and charging infrastructure in two or more cities to test business and policy models.
In budget period 2, the team will deploy community-driven ZED pilots and charging infrastructure in two or more cities to test business and policy models; analyze pilots with focus on business model and policy performance; and produce a Zero Emission Delivery Business and Policy Model Platform for cities across the country to utilize in adapting and replicating best practices for scaling zero emission delivery solutions.
Urban Freight Lab Scope of Work
Task 1 – Create a bench of innovation partners that will deploy in two or more cohort cities to test pilot efficacy and administration
Task 2 – Develop an outcomes and evaluation framework for community-centered charging and ZED pilots
Task 3 – Summarize policy, business model, and operating model landscape for ZED
Deliverable: Create a detailed research report on the state of zero emission delivery in the U.S.
Task 5 – Develop policy designs and interventions specific to incentives, pricing and enforcement
Task 6 – Public and private business model ideation
Task 7 – Develop zero emission delivery policy pilot and charging infrastructure deployment plans for two or more ZED City Challenge cities to test policies, business models, and charging infrastructure.
Deliverable: Document pilot plans for ZED City Challenge cities
Task 12 – Analyze pilot, business model, and policy performance and document effectiveness
Task 13 – Produce ZED Business and Policy Model Platform Toolkit