What is ZEV•NET?

ZEV•NET is a program to provide environmentally friendly transportation alternatives to commuters for commuting to work, and traveling to daytime meetings and appointments. The acronym "ZEV.NET" stands for Zero Emission Vehicle, Network Enabled Transport and represents the program's use of electric vehicles that are equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology in conjunction with scheduling software so that the vehicles can be efficiently shared among commuters.

Who is running ZEV•NET?

The ZEV·NET program is being managed by the National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC) and the Institute of Transportation Studies, both located at UC Irvine, in cooperation with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Other essential partners include our Corporate Partners, The Irvine Company, the City of Irvine, and the Orange County Transportation Authority.

UCI engineering professor and the Director of the NFCRC, Scott Samuelsen, is the project manager. In addition to program management, the NFCRC will be responsible for the integration of fuel cells and photovoltaics that will be used to provide electricity to charge the vehicles. The Institute for Transportation Studies, directed by Will Recker, is responsible for monitoring the location and condition of the vehicles in the program and developing an effective scheduling protocol. Toyota is the initial vehicle manufacturer providing vehicles for use in the program.

What is a Zero Emission Vehicle, or "ZEV"?

Zero Emission Vehicles are defined as cars, trucks and buses that produce no tailpipe or evaporative emissions. Today, the only vehicles that qualify are battery-powered vehicles. In the future, fuel cell vehicles (currently under development) may also qualify.

Vehicles with the potential to earn partial-ZEV include Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) - today's HEVs combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and rechargeable batteries.

The ZEV·NET program will be using an array of zero- and low-emission vehicles that are environmentally sensitive.

How does this program work?

These environmentally sensitive vehicles are used in conjunction with the Irvine Transportation Center (ITC). Participants will be able to take the vehicles from work to the ITC, plug them in to be recharged and get on the train to go home. The next day, the participant will return by train to the ITC and find a fully charged vehicle waiting for them to take them to work. During the day, the vehicles are "shared" by other employee's at the place of business.

In time, more vehicles and rail stations will be added to the program, expanding the network.

Who are the current participants and when can I sign up?

ZEV·NET utilizes the Corporate Membership Model. There are currently a limited number of private companies who have been participating in the pilot along with UCI. Among them are Orthodyne Electronics, Canon and Thales, all based in Irvine. These companies have identified a number of their employees that are authorized to drive the initial fleet of ZEV's (Toyota Rav4), and have been using them at their companies as part of this pilot for approximately a year. Within the next 18 months, additional companies will be added to the program.

If you are a company interested in participating, please email lah@zevnet.org or call Lorin Humphries, at 949 824-1999 ext. 212

Where can I get my EV Recharged in Southern California?

• Click here for locations in the Southern CA area.

What is the difference between a EV, CEV, NEV, Hybrid and a fuel cell vehicle?

• Click here for an explanation

What's the difference between inductive & conductive charging?

• · Click here for an explanation