The trucking industry is entering a pivotal phase in its transition to low-carbon energy carriers, requiring fleets to navigate a complex landscape of decarbonization solutions. To support stakeholders in this shift, the MIT Climate & Sustainability Consortium (MCSC) has enhanced its Geospatial Trucking Industry Decarbonization Explorer (Geo-TIDE) tool.
What is Geo-TIDE?
Geo-TIDE is an interactive geospatial tool developed in collaboration with industry partners. It combines diverse datasets and advanced analytics, providing actionable insights for transitioning commercial fleets to low-carbon energy carriers like battery-electric trucks.
Since the tool's launch, the MCSC team has made continuous updates through an iterative MIT researcher and MCSC member-informed process. These include the addition of new map layers like funded infrastructure projects, state-level incentives and regulations, and hydrogen production facilities, and the implementation of new functionality like an interactive click feature that allows users to delve deeper into state-level incentives and regulations.
This post from last summer demos how to access the tool. You can check out earlier posts in this blog to learn about the tool's development and explore case studies.
What’s New?
With its latest update, Geo-TIDE now includes:
Custom Geospatial Data Uploads
Users can securely upload private data to the MCSC's DataHub, such as:
Logistics facility locations
Freight flow densities
Delivery points and fueling facilities
Supported formats include GeoJSON and shapefiles, with options to merge geospatial data with CSV or Excel files containing additional object data.
Tailored Transition Planning
Uploaded data integrates seamlessly with Geo-TIDE tool, enabling stakeholders to create plans customized to their specific needs.
For example, a regional carrier in the Great Lakes region could upload logistics facility data to analyze optimal charging locations for electric trucks in conjunction with public datasets.
Demos and Examples
The following videos demonstrate the new upload and overlay feature. The sample data used in these demonstrations can be downloaded as a ZIP file from this GitHub repository.
Introduction to Sample Data: Overview of sample logistics facility data used in the demo.
Data Upload and Overlay Demo: A step-by-step guide to uploading and overlaying the sample data on public layers.
Fleet Electrification Analysis: An example of how the new overlay feature supports customized fleet electrification assessment using the sample logistics facility data.
Collaborative Planning
Geo-TIDE also facilitates joint transition planning by allowing users to share custom datasets with collaborators through the ‘Add Member’ feature. This functionality supports shared analysis and coordinated decision-making.
The Future of Geo-TIDE
By adding customized analytics and collaborative planning capabilities, the data upload and overlay feature opens up new possibilities to engage with Geo-TIDE. These enhancements enable stakeholders to identify and assess decarbonization opportunities in the U.S. trucking industry.
Moving forward, we aim to collaborate with diverse trucking industry stakeholders — including fleets, policymakers, shippers, and infrastructure providers — to apply Geo-TIDE in real-world fleet transition planning. Insights from these pilot projects will help determine the types of decisions the tool can best support and guide refinements to better address the needs of the trucking industry.
If you or someone you know is interested in exploring Geo-TIDE, we encourage you to reach out. Contact:
Danika MacDonell: danikam@mit.edu
MCSC Team: mcsc@mit.edu
We'd love to hear from you and explore opportunities to advance fleet decarbonization together!
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