Efficient Drivetrains Inc (EDI), a provider of advanced high-efficiency zero-emissions hybrid and electric drivetrain systems, was selected as the drivetrain provider and vehicle integrator for an electrification program driven by the San Diego Port Tenants Association (SDPTA).
As part of the program, EDI will be creating a series of EV port trucks, and electrifying forklift vehicle accessories. The electrified port trucks will be used to replace conventional fuel vehicles of the same specifications with 100% emissions reduction, while maintaining the same power and performance. Electrification of the forklift will eradicate emissions by eliminating engine idling while performing standard vehicle operations in the port.
The initiative will be jointly funded by the California Energy Commission through a $5.9 million grant, with the balance being matched via $2.3 million cash and in-kind contributions from the seven partner tenants of the SDPTA. They are Cemex, Continental Maritime, Dole Food Company, Harborside Refrigerated Services and Cold Storage, Marine Group Boatworks, Pasha Group, and Terminalift.
According to a news article on the California Energy Commission website, the commission is also pursuing another energy source for vehicles operated at ports in the state:
The California Energy Commission released a $4 million grant funding solicitation July 11 for the research and development of natural gas engines for medium and heavy-duty off-road vehicles (ORVs) supporting the agricultural, construction, industrial, port, and cargo sectors.
The solicitation aims to greatly reduce transportation emissions in California’s most severely polluted regions—the San Joaquin Valley and the South Coast Air Basin—and encourages demonstrations in those areas. It covers ORVs commonly employed for heavy hauling, such as those used for waste transport, mining, and semitractor-trailer applications. It also covers items like yard tractors and cranes found at ports and cargo handling areas.
The Energy Commission has a history of supporting research and development of advanced natural gas engine technologies, focusing primarily on on-road, heavy-duty vehicles, which are the largest source of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in the San Joaquin Valley and the South Coast Air Basins.
The SDPTA project comes on the heels of EDI’s successful completion of a port project for the world’s busiest container port in Shanghai, China this past spring. The company built a PHEV port truck for Shaanxi Automotive, capable of operating at 99,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW), and included electrification of the HVAC vehicle accessories to eliminate engine idling.
The latest program ties into the Port of San Diego’s 2013 climate action plan, focused on improving air quality in the Port of San Diego and surrounding communities.
One of America’s top 30 US containership ports, the Port of San Diego processes more than half a million vehicles as part of its core operations annually.
See www.efficientdrivetrains.com for more information.
