Zeem Solutions, an electric vehicle charging infrastructure and fleet management provider, is developing a large-capacity EV charging depot for electric drayage trucks serving the Port of Long Beach.
The site will enable drayage truck companies operating from the San Pedro Bay Port complex to comply with new California zero-emission regulations, resulting in a significant reduction in diesel emissions for the region and nearby communities.
This 2.7-acre Long Beach location is one minute from the Trainer Long Beach Terminal and just west of the Gerald Desmond Bridge, on a power generation site currently owned by an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners.
The depot will feature a 15-MW-capacity interconnection, with plans to scale up to two to three times that amount in the coming years to meet growing demand. It will also initially contain 84 DC fast charger (DCFC) ports delivering up to 400 kW of power per port, and the ability to charge as many as 500 vehicles per 24-hour period.
This project will be the largest commercial charging depot in the U.S. in terms of connected chargers and capacity. Zeem has been working with Southern California Edison (SCE) to energize the site via the Charge Ready Transport program, with SCE projecting site energization by the first quarter of 2025. The depot will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is scheduled to begin operations by early 2025. Zeem is pursuing agreements with multiple intermodal and logistics companies that plan to operate from the new site.
Zeem will guide customers operating out of its Port of Long Beach site on the selection and financing of Class 8 electric truck models, so drayage operators can access the zero-emission vehicles, charging and related services without the large upfront capital investment typically required. This provides a quick path to comply with regulations such as the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule, which requires all newly registered drayage trucks to be zero-emission.
“The regulatory environment is shifting, and we will be seeing a dramatic increase in electric drayage trucks operating around the port over the next few years,” says Paul Gioupis, founder and CEO of Zeem. “With a 15-MW interconnection, we can service over 500 tractors per day with parking and charging, and our operations are at a central location in the Port of Long Beach.
“Zeem will be able to directly address the critical issue of charging infrastructure for Class 8 EVs,” adds Gioupis. “The depot employs reliable charging technology, boasting the highest-capacity chargers tailored to accommodate trucks effectively. With our streamlined operations developed through years of hands-on experience, we anticipate a substantial increase in throughput, expediting the electrification process for fleet operators.”
The Port of Long Beach depot is part of a comprehensive energy transition plan for the site, which includes the proposed development of a utility scale battery storage unit managed by ArcLight company Elevate Renewables LLC.
“It is great to see Zeem continue to lead the way in developing and commercializing strategic infrastructure to enable the electrification of heavy-duty fleets, a critical step in improving air quality and meeting state and federal emissions standards,” says Jake Erhard, partner and head of ESG at ArcLight, Zeem’s lead investor. “We are pleased to partner with Zeem to help unlock the tremendous value that incumbent power infrastructure sites like Long Beach have in the energy transition.”