Port of Long Beach unfolds electric trucks charging stations

The Port of Long Beach has opened the first two public charging stations in the nation for heavy-duty electric trucks.

The port has partnered with EV Connect to provide the stations at the Clean Truck Program Terminal Access Center.

“Southern California will need a network of thousands of heavy-duty charging stations, not only at the ports but all around the region, as society moves to renewable energy to fight climate change,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero.

“We are proud to lead, support and help accelerate the adoption of these technologies.”

READ: Maersk Performance Team deploys electric trucks in Southern California

“The Port of Long Beach is committed to becoming a zero-emissions seaport,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President, Sharon L. Weissman said.

“Step-by-step, we are making progress toward meeting the goals of both zero-emissions terminal operations and zero-emissions trucking.”

The Port of Long Beach has set a goal of all zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment by 2030 and a zero-emissions drayage truck fleet by 2035.

About 17 per cent of the cargo-handling equipment at the Port is electric powered, the largest such fleet in the US.

In October, the port announced it will receive a $30.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to deploy the nation’s largest fleet of manually operated, zero-emissions cargo handling equipment at a single marine terminal.

Since 2005, the port has reduced emissions of diesel particulate matter by 88 per cent, nitrogen oxides by 49 per cent, and sulphur oxides by 96 per cent.

Cargo moving through the Port of Long Beach eased up once more in October, following reduced consumer demand and a shift of imported goods toward the Gulf and East coasts.

The port authority reported a total of 658,428 TEU through its terminals last month, a 16.6 per cent decline from October 2021.