Maritime
Port of Oakland
Port of Oakland first:
battery-powered
truck enters the fleet
N
ext step in effort to find out if freight
hauling can be diesel exhaust-free
A battery-powered truck has entered the
Port of Oakland fleet for the first time,
testing the feasibility of zero-emission
freight hauling. The Port said today that
GSC Logistics, a major California trucking
operator, introduced the 10-ton rig earlier this month. It’s the
only electric truck alongside more than 6,000 diesel-powered
vehicles registered at the Port.
The $250,000 big rig represents the latest effort to minimize
the environmental impact of containerized trade in Oakland. If
it proves effective, Port officials expect motor carriers to acquire
additional battery-powered trucks for hauling cargo containers.
The Port has indicated its intention to explore technology that
could make diesel-powered cargo handling obsolete.
“We’ll be following this experiment closely,” said Richard
Sinkoff, the Port’s Director of Environmental Programs and
Planning. “If battery-powered vehicles can do the job efficiently
and affordably, they can help change the way we do business.”
The Port said it has reduced diesel emissions 98 percent in
the past decade through clean truck programs. It’s promising to
update its Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan this summer
with an emphasis on zero-emissions technology. The challenge:
battery-powered equipment designed for container handling
isn’t readily available. That’s why a test of electric big rigs is
attracting so much attention.
GSC Logistics said that its demonstration truck would be
used on short-hauls during a three-year trial. GSC is using the
Credits: portofoakland.com
rig to shuttle cargo containers between its depot and Oakland
marine terminals. The company explained that the vehicle’s
100-mile battery range is unsuitable for long-haul drayage.
“We’re making four-to-five runs a day within the Port’s
perimeter and so far, the truck’s performing well,” said GSC
Logistics CEO Scott Taylor. “Our next step will be to get it out on
the road.”
GSC Logistics moves the equivalent of 120,000 20-foot cargo
containers annually through Oakland. The company said it
would consider purchasing up to three additional electric
trucks if its test proves successful. portofoakland.com
Credits : VesselFinder