Greening the Port with Zero-Emission Vehicles and Equipment

Greening the Port with Zero-Emission Vehicles and Equipment

Battery-electric trucks and forklifts are helping to clean the air in and around the Port of San Diego, which encompasses 34 miles of waterfront along five cities in our region.

At a news conference today, Dole Fresh Fruit showcased four zero-emission trucks that it uses to move shipping containers full of bananas and pineapples at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal near Barrio Logan.

Among the speakers at the event were: San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, California Energy Commissioner Janea Scott, Port Commission Chair Rafael Castellanos, San Diego Port Tenants Association Chair Ken Franke, and Mitch Mitchell, our vice president of state governmental affairs and external affairs.

Recognizing that gasoline-fueled vehicles account for the largest source of carbon emissions in San Diego, SDG&E is committed to building the charging infrastructure necessary to support widespread electrification of a variety of vehicles and equipment, ranging from trucks and refrigerated trailers to passenger cars, buses and forklifts. Sufficient and accessible charging is key to overcoming a key barrier to transportation electrification: range anxiety - the concern that your vehicle battery will run out of power before reaching your destination or an available charging station.

Working Together Toward a More Sustainable Future

Port businesses are able to buy new trucks and forklifts, thanks to a $5.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission. SDG&E worked closely with San Diego Port Tenants Association to secure the grant. The grant will fund the purchase of ten vehicles/equipment for five participating businesses: Dole Fresh Fruit, Marine Group Boat Works, Pasha Automotive Group, TerminaLift, and Continental Maritime.

This zero-emission demonstration project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 940 metric tons over the lifetime of the project and help the Port fulfill its Climate Action Plan. Under the plan, the Port aims to reduce GHG emissions by 10 percent by 2020 and 25 percent by 2035.

Expanding Charging Infrastructure to the Port

Under our SB 350 Priority Review Port Electrification Project, SDG&E will install chargers at several locations throughout the Port tidelands to support electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as electric forklifts. Sites that are slated to get chargers starting this fall include:

  • Dole Fresh Fruit
  • B Street Cruise Ship Terminal for use by Metro Cruise Services, which provides stevedore services, ground guest services, etc. 
  • Pasha Automotive Services, which provides port-processing services for vehicle manufacturers at the National City terminal

Made in U.S.A.

Besides SDG&E, the Port, Port Tenants Association and maritime businesses, partners in the clean freight vehicle/equipment demonstration project include:

  • BYD, which recently delivered two new trucks made in Lancaster, CA to Dole
  • Efficient Drivetrains, Inc., from Milpitas, CA
  • TransPower, Inc., from Escondido, which takes products made by the original equipment manufacturer and converts them to battery-electric. 
  • Peloton Technology, LLC, out of Mountain View, CA, which is developing intelligent transportation systems technologies, including platooning and freight signal priority, for the demonstration project

More Information

You can learn more about how we are working with Port businesses to make the switch to zero-emission transportation by clicking on this link.