Last May, Zeem Solutions announced plans to build America's largest commercial truck charging depot at the Port of Long Beach and now that project is charging ahead.
"Today Zeem is breaking ground on the largest EV charging depot being built at any port across the United States," said Zeem Solutions Founder and CEO Paul Gioupis. "This is a major success story that needs to be repeated and told across the country right now. Our depots will allow customers to come in, drop off their vehicle, sit in our lounge area, hit the restroom, connect to WiFi, and allow their vehicle to be topped up before they go off on their route. Or it will allow a customer to park their vehicle there overnight, allow our team to provide service and maintenance, and do the charging necessary to make sure they can perform their route without any issues the next day."
Upon completion, the new 2.7-acre site will only be one minute from the Trainer Long Beach Terminal and west of the Gerald Desmond Bridge. It will deliver 400kW of power per port and has the capability of charging up to 500 vehicles daily. One such vehicle is the new Volvo VNR Electric, of which one example was on hand for the ceremony.
Furthermore, it will enable drayage truck companies already doing business at the San Pedro Port complex to meet upcoming zero-emissions compliance standards with California's Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulations. Zeem worked with Southern California Edison (SCE) and the Charge Ready Program for site preparation.
The Zeem Solutions team at the Long Beach groundbreaking ceremony with a Volvo VNR Electric parked in the background.Zeem Solutions
The site is targeting a Q3 2025 opening and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Others in attendance for the groundbreaking ceremony included:
- Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach
- Senator Lena A. Gonzalez, Senate District 33
- Jennie Abarca, Business Owner, King Fio Trucking
- Noel Hacegaba, Port of Long Beach COO
"There are a few reasons why these charging stations are important," said Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach. "Let's start with the obvious. When a truck comes off of diesel power and it plugs in, it improves our communities. That means communities on the west side of Long Beach breathe cleaner air. That's a win for everyone. Secondly, this decarbonization is great for environment, great for climate."
The depot's upcoming opening fits directly with the Biden Administration's commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions. One part of the EPA’s Phase 3 proposal, revealed earlier this year, aims to electrify 25 percent of new long-haul trucks, including Class 8 semis, by 2032.
USC researchers recently published a study called Navigating California's Transition to Zero-Emission Drayage Trucks, which was commissioned by the Los Angeles Business Council. It recommends specific steps on how to correctly manage the transition to zero-emission drayage trucks at the San Pedro ports.
Among the researchers findings, it was discovered that several hurdles remain regarding on how to replace the current fleet of nearly 24,000 diesel-powered drayage trucks within the next 10 years. Issues that still need to be resolved include "the high cost of zero-emission vehicles, the lack of electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations, and the prevalence of small trucking companies without the financial means to make the conversion."
[Related: Federal and California taxes hinder ZEV growth, says drayage operator]
“There remains a significant gap between the current market and the infrastructure needed to comply with the ACF timeline,” the study further points out. “However, if the transition is successfully implemented, the state can become the model for how to navigate a critical economic and environmental challenge, asserting its leadership in creating new green markets.”
Researchers say they modeled the zero tailpipe emission transition by analyzing data from the San Pedro Bay Ports truck registry that took into account cargo growth and differences between battery-electric and diesel truck in key areas such as range, fueling time, and weight. Hydrogen fuel cell technology was not used due to a lack of reliable data.
The analysis' findings represent a significant but workable challenge: 854 trucks – over 3 percent of the drayage fleet – would have to be retired in 2025, based on ACF regulations for mileage and vehicle age limits. Those figures then rise quickly, adding pressure to phase in zero-emission trucks to keep pace with growing cargo volumes. For example, just 345 zero-emission trucks were in service at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in June 2024.
The study’s mid-range estimate indicates the ports would need 31,684 battery-electric trucks by 2035 to meet compliance.
