Orange EV, the leading manufacturer of zero emission (ZE) yard trucks in the United States, is providing warehouse operators in Southern California with turnkey solutions to meet - and even exceed - their annual WAIRE compliance obligations.

Every year under the Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) Program, affected warehouse operators in the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) must earn their required WAIRE points or pay a mitigation fee of $1,000 per point. Operators acquiring and using just one Orange EV yard truck and charging cabinet are earning more than 1,400 WAIRE points in one compliance period. With heavier use, one Orange EV truck and charger can earn more than 2,000 points, the equivalent of $2 million in mitigation fee offsets. Excess points earned above the operator’s compliance obligation can be banked for use in future compliance periods.

The South Coast AQMD WAIRE program is the first of its kind in the United States, regulating warehouses as indirect sources of emissions. WAIRE utilizes a menu-based point system, giving operators flexibility to meet compliance obligations. Of the more than 30 options provided, "Use ZE Yard Truck” is arguably the most attractive, earning operators 291 points per 1,000 hours of operation. Preliminary results from the first Annual WAIRE report revealed that 44% of all WAIRE points earned were from ZE yard truck usage.

One-time points are earned when installing Orange EV charging cabinets and acquiring Orange EV trucks through purchase, lease, or rental. Then the “Use ZE Yard Truck” points can be earned year after year, much like the points earned from truck charging.

“Setting WAIRE aside, Orange EV electric trucks are less costly to operate and more reliable than diesel, saving fleets money and improving operations while providing a safer, healthier work environment,” said Zack Ruderman, Orange EV VP of Sales and Marketing. “When factoring in the potential cost of WAIRE mitigation fees, however, the choice is even more obvious: Orange EV’s proven and preferred yard truck solution can save fleets millions.”

Operators utilizing the Orange EV Rental Program are also earning significant WAIRE points for each truck, potentially earning more than $80,000 per month in mitigation fee offsets. All Orange EV rentals are delivered with chargers that can be installed in a day and typically fit within a building’s current electrical capacity.

The WAIRE program affects thousands of warehouses in the South Coast AQMD region, many of which are owned and operated by companies across the United States. While the affected area generally includes Orange County, western San Bernardino County, western Riverside County including the Coachella Valley, and southern Los Angeles County, owners and operators of warehouses elsewhere in California should take note: the San Diego Air Pollution Control District is considering a similar program and other air districts could follow.