The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has launched its first incentive programme to deploy zero-emission (ZE) drayage trucks and charging infrastructure in the Puget Sound region.
Zeem Solutions was selected as the project’s subrecipient following a competitive process, marking its first deployment in Washington State.
The program is supported by a $6.2 million grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and funding from the Climate Commitment Act, the state’s cap-and-invest program.
It will deliver 19 ZE trucks and a new charging facility near SeaTac Airport capable of servicing 250 vehicles per day with overnight parking for 70.
Construction on the site is expected to begin in fall 2025, with trucks on the road by 2026.
Zeem and its fleet partners will contribute additional private investment, with the facility serving light-, medium-, and heavy-duty electric vehicles.
The project aligns with the Decarbonizing Drayage Roadmap, which outlines nearly 70 recommendations to transition the regional drayage fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2050.
READ: NWSA April container volumes up 7.4 per cent
Developed by the Puget Sound Zero Emission Truck Collaborative, the roadmap emphasises equity, driver inclusion, and infrastructure co-development.
John McCarthy, NWSA Co-Chair and Port of Tacoma Commission President, said: “The absolute scale of the transition for trucks and ports to a zero-emission future is a journey no one entity can do on their own.”
Drayage trucks, primarily Class 8 heavy-duty vehicles operating between ports, warehouses, and rail terminals, account for 6 per cent of all seaport-related diesel pollution and 30 per cent of climate pollution in the region.
These emissions disproportionately impact communities near freight corridors and port operations.
Jason Biggs, Director of WSDOT’s Rail, Freight and Ports Division, stated: “Projects like this one are key to meeting the state’s climate commitment goals.”
