The Port of Los Angeles has awarded $6 million to two Southern California-based trucking companies to purchase 22 electric trucks for use at the port.
The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are pushing to have only electric trucks service the port complex by 2035.
Gardena-based MLI Leasing and El Segundo-based Performance Team will each get $3 million under the port’s Zero Emission Truck Pilot Program.
MLI will work with truck manufacturer Peterbilt Motors to invest more than $3.4 million to produce and deploy 12 electric trucks. Performance Team is working with Volvo to invest more than $5.6 million in 10 electric trucks.
All 22 trucks will be on the road within the next year, port officials reported. Each must make at least 50 trips each year to pick up cargo at the Los Angeles port.
The funds are the first to be distributed by the port from the Clean Truck Fund. In April, the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports began collecting $10 for each loaded 20-foot container transported by truck for the fund.
The Los Angeles port expects to raise $45 million in the first 12 months and each year after that.
The fund builds on the port’s Clean Truck Program, which was begun in 2005 to reduce diesel emissions. The program currently only allows trucks built in 2007 or newer to serve the port. More than half are 2014 or newer, according to the Port of Los Angeles. All trucks servicing cargo at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports must be 2010 or newer.
