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CAVTC
has successfully completed numerous projects and is working closely
with leading automotive manufacturers, government agencies, and utilities
on many ongoing research studies and testing programs. Areas of project
focus include:
CONVENTIONAL
VEHICLES
California Vehicle Inventory Emissions
are being characterized through an extensive vehicle procurement and
emissions testing program through ICF Kaiser for the California Department
of Transportation (CalTrans). This current program involves the procurement
of a broad range of current light-duty vehicles and comprehensive
emissions testing on each to help CalTrans build a better picture
of the state's current rates of vehicle emissions of different types.
In-Use
Emissions Compliance Verification
for the California Air Resources Board, including procurement and
testing of several hundred vehicles (over 35 engine families) in a
one-year program involving all major domestic and foreign automakers.
Enhanced
Evaporative Emissions Testing—CAVTC
ran loss as well as two-day and three-day diurnal emissions tests
for Honda, Nissan, BMW, and other manufacturers.
Air
Conditioning Emissions Impact Study for the Coordinating Research
Council—This ongoing project involves conducting the new
air conditioning test phase (SC03) and other test cycles under extreme
environmental conditions in order to assess the emissions impact of
air conditioning use.
Emissions
Analysis Software/Hardware Systems Development—Our
work ranged from emissions laboratory installation to hydrocarbon
speciation quality control software for automotive manufacturers and
suppliers, including Mercedes-Benz, NUMMI, and California Air Resources
Board.
After-Market
Component Certification Tests—This ongoing work involves
conducting emissions tests for manufacturers such as Dinan, Comptech,
Baytech, and others to demonstrate their products' compliance with
ARB and EPA emissions standards.
Fuel
Economy Verification Testing for CAFE Compliance—This
work focused on city and highway drive cycles for conventional Porsche
vehicles.
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ALTERNATIVE
FUEL VEHICLES
Natural
Gas Vehicle Performance Monitoring Program—This multi-year
project—funded by Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California
Gas, and others—involved tracking the emissions, reactivity factor,
fuel economy, reliability, and user acceptance of emerging natural
gas vehicle technologies.
Methanol
Fuel Emissions and Cold Startability Evaluation—CAVTC conducted
FTP emissions tests and special low-temperature test sequences to
determine the minimum temperatures at which test vehicles would start
with alternative methanol/gasoline fuel blends. These tests were performed
for Arcadis (under contract to National Renewable Energy Laboratory).
Study
of Natural Gas Fuel Composition Impacts on Emissions—This
recent study—funded by Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California
Gas, Gas Research Institute, and others—assessed the emissions,
performance, and driveability effects of different natural gas compositions
in a variety of vehicles.
Electric
Vehicle Testing—This
ongoing work for Pacific Gas & Electric focuses on development
and use of protocols for standardized tests of vehicle range, energy
efficiency, and power quality and EMF characterizations of a variety
of commercial and pre-commercial electric vehicles.
Natural
Gas Vehicle Mileage Accumulation Testing—CAVTC
accumulated more than 50,000 miles on an accelerated schedule and
conducted a series of emissions tests for Hyundai.
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