Electric truck makes debut at L.A. Port
Heavy-duty, electric truck is designed for short-haul drayage work
The Trucker News Services
5/27/2008
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on May 16 joined officials from the Port of Los Angeles and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for the introduction of what they say is the world’s most powerful electric truck.
Soon, the local manufacturer of this emissions-free truck will open an assembly plant in the Harbor City area of Los Angeles, with 47 “green collar” employees and the potential to bring more jobs and millions in business and tax revenue to the City of Los Angeles, according to a Port of Los Angeles news release.
Built as a demonstration project co-funded by the port and SCAQMD, and designed specifically for short-haul or “drayage” operations, this electric tractor was the result of nearly a year of development and testing. The heavy-duty electric short-haul drayage truck — which port officials said is the first of its kind at any port worldwide — can pull a 60,000-pound cargo container at a top speed of 40 mph, and has a range between 30 to 60 miles per battery charge.
The battery charger can charge up to four electric trucks simultaneously in four hours and can also provide up to 60 percent of the charge in one hour to meet peak demands during daily operations.
On a kilowatt hour of energy cost-basis, the electric truck costs roughly 20 cents a mile to operate. On a per-mile cost-basis, a common diesel truck could cost anywhere from four to nine times as much, depending on fluctuating fuel costs and actual duty-cycle activity.
Future widespread application of a fleet of electric trucks would be especially useful at the Port of Los Angeles because, on an annual basis, more than two million truck drayage trips take place between the port terminals and rail and warehouse facilities within five to 10 miles of San Pedro Bay.
The San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan approved by the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions in November 2006 is targeting an 80-percent reduction in port related truck pollution by replacing the aging fleet of 16,000 trucks that serve the ports with new LNG and clean diesel rigs that meet 2007 Federal emissions standards. An over-the-road electric drayage truck could help meet this goal by providing a zero tailpipe emissions-alternative to combustion-powered vehicles.
“Smart, environmentally-friendly growth at the Port is a priority,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “We are telling the people of our Port communities that the days of big, belching black smoke are numbered. We are investing in technology that will clean our port, clear our skies, and grow green jobs.”
As a partial consideration of the port providing the first sizeable production order with Balqon Corp., the truck manufacturer, Balqon will provide a royalty payment to the Port for each vehicle it sells or leases worldwide.
“Our collaborative efforts with Balqon not only offer enormous potential for the future deployment of all-electric short-haul drayage trucks at our port and other ports worldwide, but it could also provide a royalty funding stream that we can use to re-invest into the development of other zero-emissions goods movement applications,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz.
An initiative of the Port’s Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), the development and demonstration of the electric truck by Santa Ana-based Balqon Corp. was funded jointly by the port and SCAQMD at a total cost of $527,000.
The initial demonstration unit was delivered to the port in January for performance testing of speed, range, payload and charging capabilities. It was tested with a fully loaded container weighing 68,000 lbs. There were no operational failures and the truck’s performance exceeded expectations in many aspects.
In addition to the next phase of on-road testing, the truck will be tested at a Port of Los Angeles cargo container terminal as a zero emissions alternative to fossil fuel-powered yard tractors, or “hostlers.” Fleets of hundreds of hostlers — which are mostly diesel vehicles and a small number of Liquefied Natural Gas test units — move thousands of containers a day between the port’s docks and terminal backland. They could eventually be replaced by electric vehicles.
Last month, the Los Angeles Harbor Commission approved the production of 20 electric hostlers following the successful completion of the cargo terminal tests. The 20 hostlers, expected to cost $189,950 each, will be deployed in the port as part of a “green terminal” program.
The green terminal program will also include the production of five on-road electric trucks at a cost of $208,500 each. Balqon will work with the Port and Department of Transportation to obtain the appropriate certification for on-road use.
In total, the port is investing more than $5.6 million to demonstrate the viability of electric drayage trucks.