GSC Logistics, Port of Oakland’s largest motor carrier, will begin testing battery-powered trucks at the Northern California seaport this fall. The three-year trial with a heavy-duty, all-electric truck is part of a statewide-effort to determine the feasibility of zero-emission freight hauling.
GSC Logistics said its trucks will shuttle import containers from Port of Oakland marine terminals to a nearby yard. The rig has a 160-kilometer (100-mile) battery range, and the port will have charging stations installed to plug in the trucks on-site.
“Depending on the efficiency, reliability, productivity and economics of battery-powered trucks, GSC would certainly entertain the possibility of integrating them into our fleet in the future,” said CEO Scott Taylor.
The state-sponsored trial fits well with the company’s emission-reduction efforts, the Port of Oakland said. They reported reducing diesel particulate emissions from harbor trucks by 98 percent in the past decade.
