Thirty “hyper-fast” charging stations opened for business this week at the Port of Long Beach, as part of a years-long effort to meet goals set by a state desperate to reduce its impact on global emissions.

At a lectern positioned in front of two electric trucks on Thursday, Mayor Rex Richardson, Port officials and Congressional leadership trumpeted their unveiling.

“This project is another great step forward for our community to be greener, to be cleaner, and to ensure that we continue to support electrification whenever possible,” said Congressman Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach.

The chargers are capable of speeds up to 350 kilowatts per hour and can fill a truck’s battery up to 80% in about 90 minutes. At a full battery, trucks can haul trailers up to 360 miles before needing a recharge.

This comes as the ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles barrel towards a 2035 deadline to switch their drayage system, including some 2,000 cargo trucks, to zero-emission.

Drayage, or the delivery of goods from seaport to warehouses inland, is a major source of emissions in the U.S., as exhaust-belching diesel trucks spew alarming amounts of greenhouse gases along highways that usually cut through a city’s poorest neighborhoods.

As officials spoke, a mix of diesel and electric trucks streamed by an intersection that abuts the lot.

While only representing 6% of the vehicles on California’s roads, diesel semi-trucks account for more than a third of the transportation-generated emissions, according to the state air board.

Long Beach Congressman Robert Garcia at an unveiling for thirty new “hyper-fast” charging stations at the Port of Long Beach on Friday, Oct. 17, 2024. Photo by John Donegan.

State lawmakers, in response, have set mandates for low-carbon alternatives to be installed in increments until 2045, when the sale of diesel trucks will be banned.

But the Port has set even higher goals. Officials said they hope to transition all of their cargo-handling equipment by 2030 and truck fleet by 2035. According to Port CEO Mario Cordero, Long Beach is set to have more than 100 stations by spring 2025, years ahead of schedule and the most of any seaport in the nation.

“When people said, ‘Trucks aren’t available, the infrastructure is not available, we’re not ready,’ they said, ‘Shut up. We’re doing it,’” Richardson said. “‘(And) we’re doing it in the Port of Long Beach.’”

Freight company 4-Gen Logistics, who paid for the depot, touted in a release Tuesday its fleet of 79 zero-emission trucks — partly to meet state requisites but also a sign of confidence that the industry can thrive despite a green transition.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson gives remarks at the unveiling of the Port of Long Beach’s latest piece of green infrastructure: high-powered charging stations for electric trucks on Friday, Oct. 17, 2024. Photo by John Donegan.

“We are leading the way with the most sustainable drayage fleet in the industry,” said David Duncan, CEO of 4 Gen Logistics. “With our partners, we’re proving that zero-emission transportation is not just a future goal but a reality today.”

This also comes after a summer spree of investments in clean energy. In June, U.S. officials awarded California nearly $150 million to build more than 9,200 charging ports statewide. It’s part of a $521 million infrastructure package doled out to 29 states, eight federally recognized tribes and the District of Columbia.

But whether the state is ready for an electric future is a complicated question. State Sen. Lena Gonzales, D-Long Beach, noted that sales of zero-emission medium and heavy trucks in California doubled from last year — accounting for one in six new freight trucks sold.

But sales have dropped elsewhere, including for EV giant Tesla and Fisker, which recently announced bankruptcy. And a 2023 study by the state’s Department of Transportation found that California would still need more than 500 charging stations to meet demand, at an estimated cost of $15 billion.

CALSTART CEO John Boesel warned that the industry still has some growing pains — he grumbled about a 12% federal excise tax — but said that transition programs are dotting the Ports in Seattle, Baltimore and New York.

“But it’s all based on the leadership here in Long Beach, showing that it can be done,” he said.