60 Days to Register

About

Learn more about the Electric Truck & Bus Challenge.

Transform clean transportation in New York State through your innovative solution to accelerate the electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

The Electric Truck & Bus Challenge seeks replicable solutions that identify and demonstrate ways to deploy medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs) in New York State while supporting cost reduction and improved infrastructure for EVs, reducing air pollution and carbon emissions, and addressing systemic challenges to expanded electric fleet adoption.

As part of the New York Clean Transportation Prizes, the Electric Truck & Bus Challenge provides teams of global experts with the opportunity to directly engage disadvantaged and other impacted communities to improve and scale clean transportation options locally, across New York State, and beyond.

Transportation challenges can be complex. Mobilizing global talent across a diverse set of industries and expertise will offer the best solutions for New Yorkers and support successful demonstrations of solutions.

The Electric Truck & Bus Challenge will award up to $24 million in prizes to scalable solutions that advance the deployment of electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Proposers are strongly encouraged to complete the Organizational Readiness Tool, review these resources, and review the proposal in full as you consider and develop your proposed solution.

There are up to five Phase One awards of $100,000 and up to three Phase Two awards of $8 million currently available for projects located within communities served by electric utilities regulated by the NYS Public Service Commission. These utilities are:  Central Hudson Gas & Electric, Con Edison, National Grid, New York State Electric & Gas, Orange and Rockland, and Rochester Gas and Electric.

Proposals must be led by an eligible organization, and strong solutions will be:

Impactful

Bold vision, game-changing approach, and demonstrated results to accelerate medium- and heavy-duty electrification, reduce costs, and improve quality of life in disadvantaged communities.

Efficient

Innovative, cost-effective solution that will result in widespread use. Breaks down barriers to electrification and delivers value to the medium- and heavy-duty market.

Feasible

Rigorous plans designed to secure resources and buy-in, exceed expectations, and break down barriers. Activates a team of seasoned experts and leaders with remarkable records of success.

Repeatable

Robust, evidence-based approach to effectively repeat and scale. Well-positioned to establish best practices and a valuable model that bolsters other efforts throughout New York State and beyond.

At a minimum, all proposals should:

  1. Reduce air pollution and emissions in the areas in which MD/HD vehicles operate.
  2. Identify and demonstrate ways to reduce the cost and operational challenges of further deployment of MD/HD electric vehicles.
  3. Provide replicable strategies for electric MD/HD fleet charging with minimum required grid upgrades.
  4. Improve quality of life in disadvantaged and other impacted communities.
  5. Demonstrate a clear potential to be repeated in other fleets and communities and have the potential to scale in the chosen fleet and communities.

To receive the highest scores for this challenge, Proposals must focus efforts and demonstrate emissions reductions in disadvantaged communities. Proposals may address paths toward the development of regulations to further accelerate electric MD/HD adoption. Note, proposals may also support initiatives to reduce MD/HD trips through smart routing, electric light-duty alternatives, and other means.

THE PROCESS

We’ve designed a process that is fair, open and transparent, and will publicly share information about the process including the proposal questions, timeline, rules, and scoring rubric.

Once the proposal period closes, the Electric Truck & Bus Challenge team will confirm that each submission meets the requirements and rules before advancing to Scoring Committee review. The Scoring Committee is comprised of global experts in the field who will review all eligible submissions.

Once review is complete, the Selection Panel will review the top-scoring submissions and may request additional information, as needed, in order to select up to five Phase One Awardees who will move on to Phase Two Planning Period.

In Phase Two, each Phase One Awardee with a project located in a utility territory regulated by the NYS Public Service Commission will receive a planning grant of $100,000 to strengthen, revise, and resubmit their proposals. Phase One Awardees will also be provided with up to $50,000 of in-kind support from experts and up to $50,000 in funding for their community partners to support their active participation in the final proposal development.

The Selection Panel will then select up to three Phase Two Awardees to receive a grand prize of $7 million each to implement their proposed solution.

Subject to the availability of funds, up to one project located within a community (or communities) served by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) may be selected for an additional Phase One award through the Electric Truck & Bus Challenge. Up to one additional project located within a community (or communities) served by LIPA may be selected for a Phase Two award out of the Phase One awardees from all three challenges in the New York Clean Transportation Prizes program.

Note: NYSERDA may select up to one Phase One Awardee serving a disadvantaged community located in an electric utility territory not regulated by the NYS Public Service Commission who will receive the access to experts and other support services. However, this Awardee will not receive the $100,000 planning grant nor the $50,000 for funding for their community partners, and will not be eligible to receive a grand prize award.  This Awardee must secure alternative funding as needed to participate in Phase Two and/or to implement their solution.

OUR TEAM

The Electric Truck & Bus Challenge is part of the New York Clean Transportation Prizes administered by the Innovation Team at NYSERDA in partnership with the NYS Department of Public Service (DPS) and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

As New York State’s clean energy and climate innovation agency, NYSERDA plays a key role in implementing the State’s nation-leading clean energy and climate policies, programs and actions, delivering a cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous future for all New Yorkers.

NYSDPS aims to ensure affordable, safe, secure, and reliable access to electric, gas, steam, telecommunications, and water services for New York State’s residential and business consumers, while protecting the natural environment.

NYSDEC is the regulatory agency for environmental issues in the State working to conserve, improve, and protect New York's natural resources and environment in order to enhance the health, safety, and welfare of New Yorkers.

QUESTIONS

The Electric Truck & Bus Challenge Team will host Q&A webinars in the weeks leading up to the registration and submission deadlines. Information to sign up for these webinars will be emailed to those who have registered for the prize and will be available on News & Updates.

In the meantime, please review our resources and contact NYSERDA to ask questions regarding eligibility, requirements, and other prize-related questions.