Port of Long Beach announced that the new charging depot that will be operated by Forum Mobility broke ground recently.

This is aimed at meeting the accelerating demand for heavy-duty electric trucks serving the Port of Long Beach.

The facility, scheduled to go online in the fall, will move the Port closer to achieving a goal of zero-emissions operations for drayage trucks by 2035.

"As an industry leader in the sustainable goods movement, we are proud to start construction on another project that will help us make dramatic reductions in air emissions and put us on the path toward becoming the world’s first zero-emissions port," said Mario Cordero, the Port of Long Beach's chief executive officer.

He added that Forum Mobility's new charging depot is another way the port is helping its truck drivers switch from diesel-fueled to electric vehicles.

"This new charging depot will help deliver the infrastructure needed for heavy-duty trucking to shift from diesel fuel to zero-emissions and achieve our Clean Air Action Plan goal of 100% zero-emissions drayage operations by 2035," said Bobby Olvera Jr., president of the Long Beach harbour commission.

"Forum Mobility is helping us meet our commitment to enhance air quality for our surrounding communities, to decarbonize the supply chain to fight climate change, and to assist our local truck drivers with cost-effective solutions to operate more sustainably," he added.

The Port of Long Beach noted that Forum Mobility's facility, located just north of the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge at 260 Pico Ave., will be equipped with 19 dual-port chargers and six single-dispenser chargers capable of powering up 44 heavy-duty electric trucks simultaneously in about 90 minutes, depending on battery size.

The Port of Long Beach is assisting truck drivers by partnering with the Port of Los Angeles, the California Air Resources Board and CALSTART to make US$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.

Small trucking fleets (20 trucks or fewer) can receive incentives of up to US$436,000 for a battery-electric truck and up to US$676,000 for a hydrogen fuel cell truck.

Funds are available through the California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Incentive Project (HVIP).