Electric truck transportation is becoming a thing as the logistics industry overcomes the hurdles one after the other. To prepare for this zero-emission reality, NFI Industries has contracted Electrify America to build charging infrastructure to support the electric truck the logistics company will soon launch.
NFI plans to commission 60 electric trucks for drayage. It will earn itself the crown of the first zero-emission fleet in California.
The trucks will transport containers from ports at Los Angeles and Long Beach to NFI’s facility in Ontario, California. Part of the required funding will come from the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI), covering the cost of 50 trucks. Volvo Trucks North America and the SWITCH-ON initiative are responsible for the remaining ten trucks.
Electrify America, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, is a public charging network operator with a presence all over North America. It will bring its experience in rapid charging to support NFI’s battery-powered transport ambitions by deploying charging solutions and energy management services.
The charging stations, comprising 150 kW and 350 kW ultra-fast chargers, will be located at NFI’s Ontario facility.
As part of the contract, Electrify America will also install a distributed energy resources (DER) to store megawatts of energy. This system is to provide resiliency for the charging infrastructure and reduce the cost of operation. It will also allow the facility to plug into renewable energy like solar panels.
According to said Rachel Moses, Director of Commercial Services, Business Development and Green Cities at Electrify America, “This milestone project is the latest example of the company’s leadership in thinking bigger and bolder about the future of mobility. We look forward to installing a first-of-its-kind commercial charging facility to power this fleet of electric freight trucks.”
“As NFI continues to spearhead supply chain sustainability and minimize the industry’s environmental impact, many elements need to align to ensure we continue making progress,” said Bill Bliem, Senior VP of Fleet Services at NFI. “We’ve learned that having the right partners, technology, and access to safe, reliable, and fast-charging infrastructure are essential to the successful implementation of EVs. We [plan to] scale our Ontario facility infrastructure to support a 100% electric drayage fleet.”
This project has the backing of several bodies, including the California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative, “JETSI” project).