The Port of Long Beach signed an agreement Monday committing to a zero-emission trucking route from the Central Valley to the San Pedro Bay, an ambitious move meant to counter shoreline air pollution from the twin seaports and the highways used to ferry their goods.
The agreement was signed alongside The Wonderful Company’s real estate arm, which agreed to include charging stations in its multi-million dollar logistics center near Bakersfield, and Lincoln Transportation Services, which recently ordered 300 newly built electric Tesla trucks. The first 50 to 70 semis should arrive in June.
Long Beach Port CEO Noel Hacegaba said there is strong momentum around this new model, which is capable of a 325- to 500-mile range and can charge to 60% within 30 minutes. Other companies, like Long Beach-based WattEV, have also put orders forward for the Tesla semis and have trucks expected to hit the road this year. About 200 of these models are already reserved through the seaports truck voucher program, he said…