The Port of Long Beach is driving toward a zero-emissions future, with a keen focus on electric trucks and the stations where they can recharge their batteries.

That’s why several companies are partnering with the Port to meet the accelerating demand for heavy-duty electric trucks by installing charging stations within the harbor area and beyond. Their work will help the Port to meet a goal of 100 public stations available in the harbor area by 2028.

“We are forging ahead with our pursuit to become the world’s first zero-emissions port, but we can’t do it alone,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “We hope trucking companies and drivers will be encouraged to purchase electric vehicles just as additional investments are made in charging stations, not only at the Port but also throughout the region.”

Investing in charging infrastructure is essential to transitioning to zero-emissions drayage. It reduces port-related greenhouse gas emissions and puts the Port on a path toward achieving an industry-leading goal of zero-emissions for cargo-handling equipment by 2030 and for drayage trucks by 2035. For trucks, it’s key that charging stations become available in the harbor area, and along well-traveled truck routes in the region as well.

Phasing out older, more polluting trucks has enhanced air quality at the San Pedro Bay ports since the original Clean Truck Program was initiated in 2008. Diesel particulate emissions from trucks have been cut by as much as 97% compared to levels in 2005.

“We are laying the groundwork needed to reach our clean air goals,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bobby Olvera Jr. “Building the infrastructure for heavy duty-trucking to shift from diesel fuel to electricity will allow for the sustainable movement of goods and cleaner air for our surrounding communities.”

Heavy-duty trucks were able to plug in and power up at the Port of Long Beach for the first time in November 2022 through a partnership with EV Connect to open one of the first publicly accessible, heavy-duty truck charging stations in the nation.

Equipped with two charging units, the station is located at the Clean Truck Program Terminal Access Center, 1265 Harbor Ave. Those registered in the Ports Drayage Truck Registry can use the chargers for free, with a limit of two hours.

The Port plans to eventually build additional charging units at the Terminal Access Center, along with a second depot at Pier B Street and Carrack Avenue.

“Long Beach is leading by example by helping to accelerate the adoption of these technologies, as society moves to renewable fuels to fight climate change,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said. “We are doing our part to build a comprehensive charging network that will keep goods moving through the supply chain swiftly and sustainably.”

Additionally, long-term investments are underway to ensure energy is available to power eTruck fleets well into the future, and financial assistance is being offered to help assist drivers with purchasing electric drayage trucks.

The latest available figures show there were 213 zero-emissions trucks registered to operate at the San Pedro Bay complex by the close of 2023, but that figure is anticipated to grow exponentially over the next decade as state regulators require new trucks entering drayage to be zero-emissions.

Trucking companies and drivers serving the ports complex face a tight deadline to go emissions-free by 2035 under a mandate by the California Air Resources Board, which aligns with a longtime goal set by the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles through the Clean Air Action Plan.

“The importance of building out infrastructure is paramount to accelerating the transition to electrification within the heavy-duty transportation industry,” said Umar Javed, co-founder and president of WattEV. “Strategically placing charging infrastructure in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles makes charging accessible to not only local fleets but all fleets.”

More stations opening

WattEV opened a charging depot in July at 2404 Pier A Way, equipped with 13 dual-port units with the ability to simultaneously charge 26 heavy-duty electric trucks in about two hours. Down the road, WattEV intends to add megawatt charging capabilities that will allow trucks to fully charge in 20 minutes.

Eventually, WattEV intends to create a network of more than 50 additional charging depots across the western United States, including locations in San Bernardino, Gardena, Bakersfield, Moreno Valley, Taft and Blythe.

“WattEV’s charging stations are available 24/7, and strategically located to support key freight corridors,” Javed said. “Each site that comes online unlocks new zero-emission routes while increasing the efficiency of existing ones.”

In November, 4Gen Logistics partnered with Electrify America to start construction on a charging facility at 200 Pier S Ave., which is equipped with 30 units scheduled to go online by the first quarter of 2024 to serve its own fleet of electric trucks, as well as other companies’ vehicles. Plans call for eventually adding another 30 chargers at the site. A 4Gen Logistics site in Rialto will host yet 30 more charging units.

Just north of the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge, Forum Mobility intends to begin construction in mid-2024 on a new depot offering 19 dual-port chargers and six single-dispenser chargers. The station, located at 260 Pico Ave., is scheduled to go online in fall 2024.

And because charging depots are also needed outside of seaports and along goods movement corridors, Forum Mobility has eight additional stations scheduled to open within the next two years throughout California, including locations in Compton, the Inland Empire, Oakland and Stockton.

Port, city and federal officials join for the groundbreaking of a 4Gen truck charging facility in November 2023.

“Ports are constrained by both land and power availability, so not all trucks can be serviced there,” said Adam Browning, executive vice president of policy and communications for Forum Mobility. “Additionally, a network of charging depots along routes to common freight destinations will help drivers and carriers serve the needs of the shippers, and that’s exactly what we are building.”

Expanding infrastructure

Work is already underway to build the infrastructure that will support alternative energy sources as California aims for carbon neutrality by 2045, when Southern California Edison estimates 75% of all vehicles statewide will need to be powered by electricity and other zero-emission fuels.

SCE is investing more than $5 billion annually to strengthen transmission lines, generation facilities and transformers to make the grid “smarter and more resilient” to handle the rising demands of customers, said Jeff Monford, senior advisor for corporate communications at Edison International.

“For California to achieve its updated decarbonization goals by 2045, the electric grid must expand faster than ever before,” Monford said. “Creating an electrified economy, powered by clean generation and enabled by unprecedented buildout of the grid, requires bold actions to improve how the state’s entire energy infrastructure is planned and operated.”
With the limited availability of charging stations considered to be one of the leading barriers to adopting electric vehicles, SCE is addressing the issue by offering businesses an opportunity to install infrastructure to support medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks at little to no cost through its Charge Ready Transport Program. Similar offers are available for workplaces, schools and residential customers wanting to support electric vehicles.

SCE’s Charge Ready Transport Program was used to electrify infrastructure supporting the public charging stations at the Port’s Terminal Access Center, WattEV, 4Gen Logistics and Forum Mobility, in addition to a project to install charging infrastructure for 33 electric yard tractors at the SSA-Matson Terminal at Pier C in the Port of Long Beach.

“It is important for business customers who want to build charging stations to engage with us early and often,” Monford said. “The more quickly we can work their projects into our process, the better.”

The Port of Long Beach is assisting truck drivers even further by partnering with the Port of Los Angeles, CARB and CALSTART to make $60 million in Clean Truck Fund Rate funding available for vouchers toward the purchase of zero-emission, Class 8 drayage trucks operating within the San Pedro Bay ports complex.

Up to $436,000 per truck is available through the California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Incentive Project. The funds will be reserved over time as drivers place orders for zero-emissions trucks, then paid out upon delivery of the vehicle. Funding information can be found at https://californiahvip.org/.

“Offering financial assistance will smooth the road for drivers making the transition to zero-emissions trucks,” Cordero said. “We hope to see a wider adoption of the technology through this funding incentive and our ongoing partnerships to develop publicly available charging stations.”
Source: The Port of Long Beach