Forum Mobility broke ground on a charging depot at the Port of Long Beach, with operations expected to commence in the fall, according to a May 15 press release.
The charging complex, called “FM Harbor,” will eventually be used to power several hundred trucks daily, including Amazon’s fleet of Volvo VNR Electric trucks operating at the port, Forum Mobility said in a LinkedIn post. Several of Amazon’s trucks have already been charging at a customer’s site. FM Harbor will be equipped with 44 dispensers and 9 megawatts of power.
In May, Amazon announced plans to roll out its largest fleet of heavy-duty electric trucks in California — almost 50 Volvo VNRs for first- and middle-mile operations. Twelve of the trucks are set to come online this year for drayage operations at the San Pedro Bay ports.
Amazon is working toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, per a press release. The company has been operating electric yard tractors since 2019, and has deployed more than 13,500 electric delivery vans since 2022. The company has also installed more than 45 direct-current fast chargers across 11 sites to power its vehicles.
“Having Amazon as an anchor tenant allows us to build infrastructure that will also serve and support much smaller fleets as well. We believe that the transition to zero emission must provide pathways for wealth for truckers and fleets of all sizes,” Forum Mobility said on LinkedIn.
Small- and medium-sized fleets have reservations at FM Harbor, including a partnership with Ocean Network Express North America and BoxLinks that will provide a free electric truck for small fleets to test, the company shared in the post.
Other help for smaller fleets, defined as 20 trucks and fewer, includes funding from a state program to reduce the costs of vehicles, amounting to as much as $436,000 for battery-electric trucks and up to $676,000 for a hydrogen fuel cell truck through incentives, the port said.
Forum Mobility has plans to develop eight more charging stations across California in freight corridors including Compton, Inland Empire, Oakland and Stockton in the next two years, the press release said. Forum Mobility noted in its LinkedIn post that the developments are enough for 2,000 trucks.
“We are in the early days of a generational transition. These efforts are the forge where we will refine the technology and business models that will eventually improve how freight is delivered- and success will mean not only cleaner air for communities and a safer climate for all, but also a lower cost per mile for truckers,” Forum Mobility said on LinkedIn.
FM Harbor brings POLB closer to its goal of 100% zero-emissions drayage operations by 2035, according to the port’s press release. Toyota Motor North America also recently opened a renewable energy system at the Port of Long Beach to support Toyota Logistics Services’ vehicle-processing and distribution center at the port.
