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Center for Electrified and Automated Trucking (CEAT)

Center Overview

The Center for Electrified and Automated Trucking (CEAT) brings industry and academia together to solve some of the most pressing problems facing the trucking industry and transportation today. Commercial trucking is a critical sector, supporting the supply chains of many other sectors, and moves most of the products consumed in the U.S., yet it remains one of the least automated, most labor-intensive modes of transport. Driving a commercial truck is currently the seventhmost dangerous profession, with truckers suffering almost 20% of all U.S. workplace deaths. Meanwhile, transit bus systems face severe economic challenges in providing public transportation.

CEAT’s vision is to converge and apply knowledge in emerging technologies in connected, electrified, and automated commercial vehicles and logistics networks for efficient, safe, agile, and sustainable mobility for the benefit of society. CEAT will focus on the challenges faced by agencies managing commercial fleets including trucking, transit, rail, port, and others. By bringing together a coalition of private and public sector stakeholders and academic institutions, CEAT aims to conduct transdisciplinary research on electrified truck powertrains, highly automated vehicle/road transportation, real-time truck platooning and caravanning technology, public transit vehicles, smart infrastructure, and supply-chain network models. The ultimate goal is to drive innovation and facilitate the widespread adoption of electric and automated commercial vehicles for sustainable freight and public transportation in North America and worldwide.

Universities

Purdue University
University of Memphis

View Center Website

Center Personnel

Mohamed Razi Nalim
Center Director

mnalim@purdue.edu

Sabya Mishra
Site Director

smishra3@memphis.edu

Clifford Campbell
Industry Liaison Officer
+1 317 910 5518
campb687@purdue.edu

Research Focus

The center focuses on the future of trucking in three main areas: the Electrification of Trucking, the Automation of Trucking, and the Human Elements in Freight and Logistics. By looking at the future of trucking as a system of these three, interrelated topics, we expect to advance the ability to transport goods with greater efficiency and fewer accidents and fatalities. Examples of potential research topics are listed below:

Electrification of Trucking

Durable and safe heavy-duty batteries and fuel cells
Optimal deployment of electricity and hydrogen charging stations

Automation of Trucking

Fleet operational strategies, such as platooning and caravanning
Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems
Assessing driver fatigue with increased automation

Human Elements in Freight and Logistics

Trucking and transit workforce growth and upskilling
Adoption models and business cases for electrification and automation

CEAT will generate significant new knowledge in interdisciplinary fields such as cooperative multi-agent control, 3D cognitive vision, automotive powertrain design, systems engineering, agile logistics, energy management, human-machine interaction, and vehicle data communication.

Awards

2333354

Center: IUCRC Phase I The University of Memphis: Center for Electrified and Automated Trucking (CEAT)

Commercial vehicles play a pivotal role in our society in moving people and goods. This project aims to converge and apply knowledge in emerging technologies in connected, electrified, and automated commercial vehicles and logistics networks for efficient, safe, agile, and sustainable mobility for the benefit of society. By bringing together a coalition of private and public sector stakeholders and academic institutions, this project will build the Center for Electrified and Automated Trucking (CEAT). The goal of CEAT is to drive innovation and facilitate the widespread adoption of electric and automated commercial vehicles for sustainable freight and public transportation in North America and worldwide. CEAT will actively engage a diverse range of stakeholders, including small high-tech start-ups, large automotive corporations, third-party logistics providers, trucking technology platforms, network communications providers, motor carrier fleets, retail chain stores, e-commerce pioneers, public transit agencies, federal research labs, sea and inland ports, and state and federal transportation departments. These stakeholders play an integral role in guiding CEAT’s transdisciplinary research, led by faculty members of engineering, business, informatics, and public policy. Industry members will collaborate to refine the research concepts, establish value propositions, and develop a multidisciplinary research agenda aligned with their commercial interests.

Potential topics that CEAT will investigate for the business world include: (i) electrification of long-haul trucking and public transit vehicles with highly durable fuel-cells and optimal deployment of charging stations; (ii) CEAT adoption models and business cases; (iii) operational strategies such as platooning and caravanning; (iv) vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems for efficient CEAT operation; and (v) strategies for addressing the workforce deficit in the logistics industry. CEAT will integrate knowledge from various disciplines, including engineering analysis, behavioral sciences, and business analytics, to tackle the technological and operational challenges associated with deploying electric and automated freight and public transportation systems. CEAT will provide technical and business training to the nation’s next generation of engineers, researchers, and managers, while simultaneously promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion by collaborating with prominent local organizations and launching outreach programs targeting women and underrepresented minorities. CEAT plans to engage high and middle schools by introducing an automated electric vehicle racing competition. Undergraduates will have access to leadership and innovation opportunities through industry internships and involvement in CEAT research projects. CEAT will scale up the application of CEAT technologies, transforming mobility and supply chains and enhancing e-commerce efficiency.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

2333323

Center: IUCRC Phase I Purdue University: Center for Electrified and Automated Trucking (CEAT)

The Center for Electrified and Automated Trucking (CEAT) is an Industry-University Collaborative Research Center led by Purdue University in Indianapolis as the lead site, with Indiana University Indianapolis as an affiliate site and the University of Memphis as a second site. The trucking industry is a linchpin of the U.S. economy, supporting the supply chains of many other sectors, moving nearly every product consumed in the U.S., and employing nearly 8 million people, including over 3 million truck drivers. Trucking is a leading source of pollution and is much less automated than other transportation modes. Public transport buses share many technologies and challenges of trucks. CEAT’s vision is to converge and apply knowledge in emerging technologies in commercial vehicles and logistics networks for efficient, safe, agile, and sustainable freight and public transport for the benefit of all citizens, beyond those who can afford private passenger autonomous and electrified cars. CEAT will perform research to advance technologies in commercial transport vehicles to address freight and public transport challenges, such as driver shortages, supply-chain disruptions, service delays, emissions, and road safety. While conducting research to help CEAT industry partners develop their products, services, and operations, CEAT will train the next generation of engineers and scientists, promoting the inclusion of women and underrepresented minorities in engineering.

CEAT will perform transformative research in vehicle electrification, automation, and supply-chain systems to harness emerging technologies for connected, electrified, and automated trucks and buses. CEAT will leverage nearly two decades of industry-supported research at the Transportation and Autonomous Systems Institute (TASI) in Indianapolis, as well as the access to relevant expertise throughout the Indiana University and Purdue University systems that TASI has historically engaged. CEAT will integrate knowledge from many disciplines, including engineering analysis, behavioral sciences, and business analytics, to tackle the technological and operational challenges associated with deploying electric and automated freight and public transportation systems. Potential topics that CEAT will investigate for industry include adoption models and business cases, electrification strategy, highly durable fuel-cells, optimal deployment of charging stations, operational strategies such as platooning and caravanning, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems, driver fatigue assessment, and strategies for addressing the workforce needs in the trucking industry. CEAT will generate significant new knowledge in interdisciplinary fields such as cooperative multi-agent control, 3D cognitive vision, automotive powertrain design, systems engineering, agile logistics, energy management, human-machine interaction, and vehicle data communication.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Center author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.