California's truck depot is considered the busiest container port in the country, and the shift to electric is a massive focus now, with WattEV debuting its first electric charging stations to answer its needs. The company opened up a 26-port electric truck charging station that will service both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles.
These ports are situated across each other and are known to be the busiest ports in the western hemisphere, with thousands of trucks operating in the area.
WattEV Debuts 26-Port Charging Station for the US' Busiest Ports
(Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Electrek reported that WattEV already opened its previously announced project to service both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles with its 26-port charging station in California. The electric truck chargers also saw interoperability capabilities to service different kinds or make of these trucks, ensuring that all those who are using clean energy are eligible to use them.
The current stations employ 13 dual-cord 360 kW CCS chargers that output 5 MW for the depot, with the company looking to up it to 8 MW with the Megawatt Charge System (MCS) implementation soon. The company is looking to expand its capabilities come 2026.
WattEV's charging stations can charge an electric truck in about 2 to 3 hours, significantly longer than the 30 to 45 minutes for traditional diesel trucks.
Read Also: Houston's Arch of Time: World's Largest Sundial to Generate 400,000 kWh of Electricity Annually
California's Ports are Getting the Clean Energy Treatment
California imposed a regulation for these trucks, asking for a shift to clean energy starting January 1, 2024, which is less than six months from now, giving its operators only a short time for the changes. With WattEV's initiative and soon expansion, these electric trucks would have the chance to charge up from the ports to bring them to their destinations.
Moreover, it would help reduce the smoke blown to Los Angeles, as the current truck industry contributes to the city.
Electric Trucks Are Doing Their Part for the Environment
Light and passenger cars are already known for being in the now, towards the shift to clean energy, but the focus of many automakers and those concerned with cleaning up the world is to have other types of vehicles also see the electric shift. Now, various companies are looking to bring their electric trucks, with one startup in the UK, Tevva, soon to mass produce its TEV75.
Back in November 2022, Tesla also unveiled its first and only electric cargo truck known as the Semi, with the company first fulfilling the orders from different companies who already purchased. Elon Musk also demonstrated the truck's capabilities to the world in doing a 500-mile trip with 81,000 lbs. of cargo hauled in its test.
Electric trucks are now the focus, as thousands of these cargo vehicles go around the country for their deliveries and are considered to be among those who contribute to air pollution. In California alone, these trucks are massive pollutants, and with the shift to clean energy, WattEV is doing its part to fulfill the charging needs to keep the monumental shift going.
Related Article: Renewable Solar Energy Could Purify Water, New Study Shows
