As part of $7 million in projects announced by the Department of Energy to electrify essential and heavily trafficked domestic freight corridors, including in the Midwest, Argonne will run computer simulations of the proposed technologies with a goal of identifying potential issues before costly field demonstrations.

Supporting a project led by Columbus, Ind.-based power technology company Cummins, Argonne researchers will use sophisticated simulation tools they have developed — Autonomie for vehicle systems and POLARIS for large-scale transportation systems — to evaluate the impact of new technologies on mobility, energy use and emissions.

The Cummins led-project envisions a regional electric vehicle (EV) charging and hydrogen fueling network for medium- and heavy-duty (MD/HD) vehicles for Indiana roads, with a focus on the Interstate 80 corridor in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The plan encompasses near-term deployment of an MD-HD EV charging network and, on a longer time horizon, implementation of more advanced infrastructure technologies.

Other partners include Purdue University, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Indiana Department of Transportation, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, NIPSCO, Pilot Travel Centers, and the Indiana Motor Truck Association, CALSTART and Drive Clean Indiana nonprofits.