About the Electric Mobility Lab
2021-2023
The Electric Mobility Symposium in 2021 was the Phase 0 Launch for the electric mobility initiative. It included dynamic presentations from key government leaders on changing policies and plans, interactive panels with electric mobility thought leaders, as well as immersive demonstrations and discussions of technologies with industry-leading organizations. It was an opportunity to learn more about how private capital investments and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) approaches can support energy, mobility, and smart cities’ technology needs. The defining principles of ALEC were interwoven throughout. ​The Symposium brought together the unlimited capabilities and potential impact of proven next-generation communications platforms, renewable energy generation capacity on managed microgrids, and the encompassing range of vehicle electrification and automation technologies in one place. This ecosystem informs infrastructure investment, concepts of employment, and transformational developments seeking to make similar strides towards equity, resiliency, and sustainability. After the Symposium, the Phase 1 Validation establishes MCAS Miramar as an Electric Mobility Living Lab (EMLL) in concert with its 5G Living Lab designation, supporting initiatives and pilots that serve dual key purposes to close the knowledge gap and to refine concepts of employment across diverse environments. The Living Lab is a critical, smart piece of R&D, allowing for exploration and assessment of commercial-off-the-shelf technology and minimally viable products, with the goal of accelerating the technology acquisitions process. Agreements between SoCal Tech Bridge, MCAS Miramar, and entities such the California Energy Commission and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) provide additional architecture for community incubation and shared vision.
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The EMLL works by supporting pilots, symposiums, design activities, and “collision events” that bring together military and commercial technology leaders to showcase the art of the possible and best practices. The intent is to help make smart investments and meet electrification and mobility goals. Existing EMLL Programs and partners include:
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Air Station Microgrid. The existing microgrid aboard the Air Station operates via traditional and alternative energy resourcing and distribution.
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Spectrum CAMO. A program that explores the spectrum camouflage capacity of future unmanned vehicles and systems within public networks.
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eTHOR. A program that explores the requirements and ability to operate mobile 5G cellular networks aboard electric vehicles.
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Project Vesta. This multi-stage experiment is testing an unmanned fire mitigation platform to support wildfire suppression.
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The EMLL showcases a profound diversity of effort across multiple technologies and interests in Southern California. The knowledge and capacity of this convergence of industry, military, and academia enables the Electric Mobility Living Lab to be just that - a place that sets the right conditions for experimentation, analysis, and investment into electric mobility innovation.
2023-Present
The SoCal Tech Bridge’s efforts of the past several years have been shaped by four principles, specifically Autonomous, Logistics, Energy, and Connected, otherwise referred to as ALEC. These principles are guides that helped develop the research; capitalize on the modeling, simulation, and analysis; hone demonstration approaches; and determine how to engage stakeholders.
Consideration of these key components has shaped every aspect of program processes and will continue to lead the way into the future. ALEC principles drive technological innovation that can positively impact quality of life on a global scale. Energy resiliency, micro-mobility, increased transportation capacity with decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhanced communications and data flow are all points that can be connected through smart technology, design, and implementation.
ALEC supports the electric mobility vision of an integrated ecosystem of an electron from the source, through control, transfer, moving, and transport. Each stage has been made possible through the vision, work, and collaboration of the SoCal Tech Bridge partnerships with pilots, demonstrations and implementation through the operating model.
Personal Transport EV
An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery (sometimes charged by solar panels, or by converting fuel to electricity using fuel cells or a generator). EVs include, but are not limited to, road and rail vehicles, surface and underwater vessels, electric aircraft and electric spacecraft.