A new charging depot that will be operated by Forum Mobility broke ground Wednesday, aimed at meeting the accelerating demand for heavy-duty electric trucks serving the Port of Long Beach.

The facility, scheduled to go online in fall, moves the Port closer toward achieving a goal of zero-emissions operations for drayage trucks by 2035.

“As an industry leader in the sustainable goods movement, we are proud to start construction on another project that will help us make dramatic reductions in air emissions and put us on the path toward becoming the world’s first zero-emissions port,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “Forum Mobility’s new charging depot is another way we are helping truck drivers make the switch from diesel-fueled vehicles to electric vehicles.”

“This new charging depot will help deliver the infrastructure needed for heavy-duty trucking to shift from diesel fuel to zero-emissions, and achieve our Clean Air Action Plan goal of 100% zero-emissions drayage operations by 2035,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bobby Olvera Jr. “Forum Mobility is helping us meet our commitment to enhance air quality for our surrounding communities, to decarbonize the supply chain to fight climate change, and to assist our local truck drivers with cost-effective solutions to operate more sustainably.”

Forum Mobility’s facility, located just north of the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge at 260 Pico Ave., will be equipped with 19 dual-port chargers and six single-dispenser chargers capable of powering up 44 heavy-duty electric trucks simultaneously in about 90 minutes – depending on battery size.

In addition to the Port of Long Beach, Forum Mobility has eight additional stations scheduled to open within the next two years along critical freight corridors throughout California, including locations in Compton, the Inland Empire, Oakland and Stockton.

“With the support of the Port of Long Beach, the Forum Mobility Harbor depot will provide drayage truckers a turnkey solution for zero emission freight,” said Matt LeDucq, CEO and co-founder of Forum Mobility. “Our staffed and secure depots help fleets big and small go electric – but it is our customers who are leading the way forward to a cleaner future.”

The Port of Long Beach is assisting truck drivers by partnering with the Port of Los Angeles, the California Air Resources Board and CALSTART to make $60 million in Clean Truck Fund Rate funding available for vouchers toward the purchase of zero-emission, Class 8 drayage trucks operating within the San Pedro Bay ports complex.

Small trucking fleets (20 trucks and fewer) can receive up to $436,000 for a battery-electric truck, and up to $676,000 for a hydrogen fuel cell truck in incentives.