April 10, 2026

The Air Resources Car (ARC) is getting a major upgrade ahead of the SOCCER-AQ 2026 field campaign this summer. Built to be a mobile platform that measures hazardous atmospheric materials, particularly in urban environments, the ARC has been driven extensively through Baltimore, MD and Washington, D.C. and up the northeast corridor.

The ARC has located numerous neighborhoods with anomalously high pollution concentrations and urban heat island effects. It has also been used by local governments to support emergency response during accidents and their cleanup.

Originally built on a Chevrolet Suburban, the ARC has been in use at ARL for the past four years and has participated in five field campaigns and countless trips up and down the northeast corridor for regular measurements. 

From left to right: the original ARC is stripped of its instruments, Randy Bowers (L) and Phillip Stratton (R) inside the new ARC with some of the instrumentation, and a side view of the new ARC transit van. Credit: Xinrong Ren (NOAA)

The upgrade is being built on a new Ford Transit 250. The bigger interior space and greater flexibility for instrument integration means more comprehensive measurements and better opportunities to collaborate with other NOAA labs, academia and other government agencies. This vehicle also features improved safety features for scientists.

Once installations are complete, the new ARC will provide more accurate measurements that support evaluating existing models and policy-relevant research. It will also play a critical role in advancing air quality science and supporting rapid-response for emergencies.