Greenlane Lands $15M for California Zero-Emission Truck Hub
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Truck refueling specialist Greenlane won a $15 million grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District to expedite construction of its flagship Colton, Calif., facility.
The battery-electric truck charging facility is expected to be commissioned by the end of the year, the Daimler Truck North America-led developer said Sept. 9.
Colton will offer charging stations for more than 60 heavy-, medium- and light-duty zero-emission vehicles.
The grant for the project, located at the intersection of interstates 215 and 10, will fund 41 charging pedestals and 53 connectors.
South Coast Air Quality Management District is the air pollution control agency for a 10,743-acre segment of the Golden State that includes Los Angeles and is home to about half California’s population. It is the second-most populated urban area in the U.S. A groundbreaking was held Sept. 9.
The #CarlMoyer Program is now accepting applications! Funds are available to replace/repower off-road heavy-duty equipment and engines with zero-emission technology. Deadline for applications is October 15 or when funds are depleted, whichever comes first: https://t.co/xRpb95tHoa pic.twitter.com/1PBgwSx6qn — South Coast AQMD (@SouthCoastAQMD) August 20, 2024
Greenlane — a joint venture that also includes Florida-based renewable power developer NextEra Energy Resources and BlackRock Alternatives — aims to develop a network of commercial battery-electric and hydrogen-powered heavy-duty truck refueling infrastructure locations across the U.S. and Canada.
BlackRock Alternatives is a subsidiary of financial services giant BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest investment firm.
“We are grateful to the South Coast Air Quality Management District for recognizing and championing our visionary plans to develop this critical infrastructure that will revolutionize and energize the trucking industry,” Greenlane CEO Patrick Macdonald-King said.
“By establishing corridors and deploying a nationwide network of public charging stations, we’re not only meeting the pressing demand for accessible infrastructure for commercial vehicles but also pioneering a transformative model for the future of commercial EV charging and, eventually, hydrogen refueling,” he added.
An aerial version of the rendering of Greenlane's Colton, Calif., facility. (Greenlane)
The Colton site will be part of a charging network running the length of I-15 in Southern California. The first three facilities will be in Colton, Barstow and Baker, Calif. Eventually, the corridor will run 280 miles from southern Nevada to Los Angeles.
Barstow and Baker are set to open next year, Macdonald-King told Transport Topics in May. Greenlane expects to have up to 20 sites lined up for development by the end of 2025, he told TT on the sidelines of ACT Expo 2024 in Las Vegas.
Macdonald-King said Greenlane will have three facility categories:
- Greenlane’s biggest stand-alone facilities with 40 to 60 charging stations.
- Bolt-on sites at existing truck stops.
- Snap-on facilities at dealerships or convenience stores.
Ideally, the partnership expects 60 to 90 miles between each Greenlane site, Macdonald-King said. However, hydrogen refueling opportunities will not be available at every site, he noted.
Truck makers, including DTNA and parent company Daimler Truck, are in various stages of development for both hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen internal combustion power options. DTNA is the parent company of the Freightliner and Western Star truck brands.
Transtex CEO Mathieu Boivin discusses the environmental sustainability of auxiliary power units. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.
A not-so-coincidental push is coming from truck manufacturers to build out zero-emissions infrastructure, which carriers say is the biggest hurdle to persuading them to order and buy alternative fuel trucks.
In January, DTNA teamed up with rival Class 8 truck makers Navistar Inc. and Volvo Group North America to launch a zero-emission infrastructure lobbying coalition — Powering America’s Commercial Transportation.
The coalition includes some of the largest carriers in the U.S. alongside the truck makers; Amazon.com Inc., J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Penske Truck Leasing are PACT founder members.
Amazon ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies in North America, J.B. Hunt is No. 3 on the TT Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and No. 3 on the logistics TT100.
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Penske operates and maintains a fleet of more than 448,000 vehicles across its businesses in North America on behalf of itself and its customers. Penske Logistics ranks No. 13 on the for-hire TT100 and No. 16 on the logistics TT100.
Across the Atlantic, Daimler Truck teamed up with Navistar parent company Traton and Volvo Group to form charging infrastructure developer Milence. The joint venture is developing charging hubs in the Benelux region, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the U.K.
In July, the JV completed testing of a megawatt charging system (MCS) facility alongside Power Electronics. The testing involved the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 heavy-duty truck and further testing will be carried out with several other models, Milence said July 16.
Milence said the facility could reduce charging times for battery-electric vehicles by 90%, allowing a full charge to take just 30 minutes.
Initially, Greenlane’s charging stations are likely to be 400-kilowatt pull-through direct current fast chargers, but each facility will be ready to offer MCS when the trucks and hardware are ready, Macdonald-King told TT.
“MCS is core to Greenlane’s business plan,” he said. MCS charging stations will be closest to the rest facilities at each site, with premium access, he added.
