By Lisa Baertlein
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Amazon.com on Tuesday unveiled the primary of a dozen Volvo (OTC:) electrical large rigs it plans to deploy this yr to select up cargo from the nation’s busiest container seaport in Southern California.
The e-commerce large already has eight of these semi vehicles in use on the Los Angeles/Lengthy Seashore port complicated, the place each so-called drayage truck should be zero-emissions by 2035.
The deployment is a primary for Amazon (NASDAQ:), extending its car electrification tasks from ocean ports to buyer doorsteps. The hassle is significant to the corporate’s push to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
To this point, just a little greater than 1% of the 23,761 vehicles that serve the Los Angeles/Lengthy Seashore port complicated are zero-emission autos – together with 201 electrical rigs, Lengthy Seashore port spokesman Lee Peterson mentioned.
“Heavy-duty trucking is a very troublesome space to decarbonize,” mentioned Udit Madan, Amazon’s vp of worldwide operations.
The corporate has rolled out greater than 13,500 Rivian (NASDAQ:) electrical cargo supply vans throughout the nation since 2022. The transition to electrical semi vehicles will probably be an even bigger elevate, as a result of they haul heavier masses and their batteries require extra intensive charging infrastructure.
“There isn’t a playbook,” mentioned Adam Baker, vp of worldwide logistics for Amazon. For now, the corporate is gathering knowledge on battery efficiency that can assist decide what number of vehicles will probably be wanted.
The producer of Amazon’s electrical drayage vehicles will proceed working with the corporate and JAB Hunt, which gives drivers for the rigs, all through the deployment, mentioned Keith Brandis, vp of partnerships and system options at Volvo Vans North America.
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“Charging infrastructure is the lengthy pole within the tent. We’ve to get that proper,” Brandis mentioned.
The ports, non-public firms and truck house owners are racing to construct heavy-duty chargers to assist the transition to zero-emissions autos.
Within the close to time period, Amazon’s electrical port vehicles will cost at an offsite facility operated by Discussion board Mobility, a startup that counts Amazon’s Local weather Pledge fund amongst its early buyers.
Discussion board Mobility this week broke floor on a Port of Lengthy Seashore high-speed charging depot that may serve 44 vehicles concurrently. Amazon is the primary buyer for the location, which may even be open to different drayage truckers, Discussion board Mobility CEO Matt LeDucq mentioned.