BYD to Deliver 27 Zero-Emission Class 8 Trucks in California
Trucking is going electric in California thanks to BYD, which joined with the California Air Resources Board, San Bernardino Council of Governments and Daylight Transport to celebrate the arrival of the first of 27 zero-emission battery-electric yard and service trucks to be deployed in disadvantaged communities with some of the worst air quality in the nation including San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties.
The project is funded in part by the State of California’s cap-and-trade program. For its part, BYD is the original equipment manufacturer providing the 27 battery-electric trucks, which includes 23 Class 8 yard trucks and four Class 5 service trucks.
“With this project, California is proving to critics that clean air and job creation are not mutually exclusive,” said Stella Li, president of BYD Motors. “BYD is proud of its role in this project as the provider of 27 zero-emission, all-electric trucks that are coming from our manufacturing facility in the City of Lancaster, Los Angeles County. Our electric trucks are safe and reliable, and every purchase of a BYD electric truck in California helps support local job creation.”
The yard trucks are also known as utility tractor rigs, yard tractors, yard spotters, yard hostlers, yard mules, or yard goats, and are the most commonly-used, heavy duty vehicles for cargo handling in the freight industry.
Conventional yard trucks are powered by diesel engines that operate 24/7/365 at ports, rail yards, and warehouses that are located within or adjacent to residential areas. The service trucks are diesel-powered medium duty trucks that are used to service all of the cargo handling equipment at freight facilities, including yard trucks. The battery-electric alternatives demonstrated in this project are 100% zero-emission and will provide meaningful emissions reductions that will benefit both public health and climate change.
Three yard trucks and a service truck will operate at Daylight Transport’s facility in the City of Fontana, with the remaining 23 trucks planned for operation at two BNSF Railway yards in San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties. BNSF will take delivery of their BYD electric trucks in the coming months.
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