US West Coast gets truck charging corridor funding boost

The US Department of Transportation has awarded $102mn to a multi-state West Coast corridor project aimed at boosting emissions-free freight. California, Oregon and Washington will get the cash to to install charging stations, as well as hydrogen fuelling stations for trucks, along Interstate 5 and other key freight corridors.

The West Coast Truck Charging and Fuelling Corridor Project is a multi-state effort to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the trucking and logistics industries. The funding comes from the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Construction of the new charging stations is expected to begin in 2026. An additional $47mn is going to other entities across California for electric vehicle infrastructure.

Interestingly, though, there is no date offered by the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, for a start date on any of the potential hydrogen infrastructure. And at least one senior official commenting on the award neglects to mention hydrogen at all.

“We are pleased to have partnered with Caltrans, the California Energy Commission and ODOT to receive this award. This coordinated effort amongst the three states will further enhance all our efforts to strengthen the overall charging infrastructure along the West Coast,” says Roger Millar, Washington State’s Secretary of Transportation.

In February, oil major Shell announced the closure of its light-duty hydrogen fuelling stations in California. On the other hand, the state is leading the way on rollout of heavy-duty vehicle charging.

Legislated change

The new charging stations, as well as any hydrogen fuelling stations that eventually emerge, will support the three states’ implementation of the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) standard, a policy first adopted by California in 2020 that requires an increasing percentage of truck sales to be zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs). In 2021, Oregon and Washington became the second and third states to adopt this policy.

In 2023, one out of six new medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold in California were ZEVs, according to Caltrans, exceeding the ACT’s ZEV sales goals two years ahead of schedule.

And the funding will also support implementation of the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) standard adopted by California in 2023. Under the ACF, fleets across the state will start a phased transition to ZEVs and all new medium- and heavy-duty truck sales will be ZEVs by 2036.

Trucks total 6pc of vehicles on California’s roads, but account for over 35pc of its transportation-generated NO_x emissions of and a quarter of the state’s on-road greenhouse gas emissions. According to California governor Gavin Newsom, his state has already distributed more than $780mn to help fleet operators purchase zero-emission trucks, while its Climate Commitment includes over $10nn to accelerate ZEV transition and build ZEV charging and fuelling infrastructure.

Interstate 5 connects metropolitan areas, regional highways and globally important ports, such as the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the Northwest Seaport Alliance (Ports of Seattle and Tacoma). In 2023, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handled 29pc of all containerised waterborne imports and exports in the US, while over $73bn in international trade flowed through the Northwest Seaport Alliance. Interstate 5 and nearby border highways are also critical to the movement of freight at the borders with Mexico and Canada.