LA, Long Beach Ports to Invest in Truck Charging Infrastructure

The Facts -

LA and Long Beach Ports Allocate $25M for Electric Truck Charging Infrastructure

The Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions have jointly committed $25 million to develop charging infrastructure for electric heavy-duty drayage trucks, partnering with regional air quality agencies.

The $135 million initiative, led by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, aims to install up to 207 charging units at eight locations across Southern California, including Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, Rialto, Fontana, Commerce, and the Port of Long Beach.

The Long Beach harbor commissioners approved the project on June 24, while Los Angeles commissioners followed suit on June 27. The South Coast Air Quality Management District will administer the project.

Both ports are contributing $12.5 million from their Clean Truck Funds. Over 23,000 trucks operate in the harbor areas.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka stated, "We’re investing with our Clean Truck Fund to get both zero-emission trucks and infrastructure on the street as quickly as possible."

Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero emphasized the significance of the Clean Truck Fund rate to their air quality efforts, stating, "These projects show zero-emissions goods movement is a goal we make progress toward every day."

The Port of LA is also collaborating with California to offer vouchers of up to $250,000 for purchasing a zero-emission heavy-duty truck.

Regarding the installation of charging stations on port property, Seroka highlighted that long lines of trucks waiting to charge would be impractical. "Land is at a premium," he said, adding that "fast charging" technology is still in development.

The commissions separately approved the expenditures from the Clean Truck Fund Rate collections, which began in April 2022 at $10 per twenty-foot-equivalent unit or $20 per forty-foot equivalent unit.

The Port of Los Angeles collected approximately $78 million through March, while the Port of Long Beach collected nearly $75 million.

Los Angeles harbor Commissioner Ed Renwick stressed the importance of monitoring truck driver surveys to ensure they aren't unfairly charged for the truck fund, which cargo owners should pay. Surveys indicate that truck drivers, earning about $52,000 annually, often fall into the “working poor” category in California.

The Clean Truck Fund rate supports the ports’ Clean Air Action Plan goal to transition to a zero-emissions truck fleet by 2035.