Image courtesy Forum Mobility

Interview with Forum Mobility’s CEO, Matt LeDucq

California’s transportation sector accounts for about 50 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, nearly 80 percent of nitrogen oxide pollution, and 90 percent of diesel particulate matter pollution, according to the California Energy Commission. In the United States, trucks represent 4% of all vehicles, but generate 25% of carbon dioxide (CO2), states a press release from Forum Mobility. Some of this pollution comes from drayage trucks, which engage in short-haul transportation of freight from ports. Near-port communities suffer from poor air quality according to the Environmental Protection Agency and diesel-run drayage trucks are a culprit. Forum Mobility supplies an alternative for diesel drayage by providing electric drayage through Fleets-as-a-service (FaaS) at depots around California’s busiest ports. Forum Mobility delivers trucks and charging together or access to electric charging depots for a fixed monthly price. 

“There is a big need for large third-party depots, and drayage was the most worthy cause to attack in California,” according to Matt LeDucq, Forum Mobility CEO. There are currently over 33,000 drayage trucks registered in California but less than 50 are battery electric. “Port cities deserve cleaner air,” said Matt. The goal of offering FaaS is to assist drayage operators in compliance with government mandates, such as the Advanced Clean Fleets rule, improve the health of port communities, and create a solution that is economical for fleets. 

Image courtesy Forum Mobility 

What are the main benefits of FaaS? 

• Overnight and daytime charging depots are located near the ports and along major drayage routes
• Cost-competitive purchasing and leasing solutions for new electric heavy-duty trucks
• Access to network of convenient, safe and secure locations that free up space at your facility
• Meeting California’s zero-emission regulatory requirements
• Reducing carrier operation and maintenance costs
• Achieving Beneficial Cargo Owner (BCO) sustainability goals

What are the main benefits of depot charging for electric drayage? 

• Maintenance: There are many points where operations can break down. Depot charging consolidates operations and maintenance (O&M) which means chargers function reliably. 
• Benefits of scale: Lower capital cost per charger. It’s more economical to charge at a Forum Mobility depot than to install your own chargers. The Forum Mobility business model removes the necessity to purchase your own class 8 trucks. Box trucks and more will need a lot more kWh of electricity than you could put on a piece of switchgear in the back of your building, according to Matt. Thousands of megawatts of charging capacity needs to be built and online in 5-10 years.
• Security: An important benefit is staff and security on-site. These heavy-duty truck depots run 24/7. Secure truck parking is really important to prevent theft and vandalism of trucks around ports.
• Tested chargers: Forum Mobility vets all charging station vendors.

Where is depot charging available for electric drayage? 

Forum Mobility’s charging depots for electric drayage are conveniently located near California’s busiest drayage routes, from Oakland to Stockton in Northern California and from Long Beach to San Bernardino in Southern California. 

Maps courtesy Forum Mobility 

Northern California ports with Forum Mobility depots include:

• Vallejo
• Concord
• Oakland
• San Francisco
• Hayward
• Stockton

Southern California ports with Forum mobility depots include: 

• Los Angeles
• Long Beach
• Pico Rivera
• Santa Ana
• San Bernardino
• Riverside

Will the FaaS model for electric drayage spread to other verticals? 

“There is nothing in this business model that isn’t replicable in other verticals,” said Matt LeDucq. “Garbage trucks need this, ferries need this. We can replicate this model in different verticals and in different states and different countries.” There is billions of dollars of infrastructure that needs to be built. Trucks in California need over 2,000 megawatts of charging infrastructure. Drayage needs more than 2.2 gigawatts of charging infrastructure. 

When do I need to electrify my drayage fleet? 

Electrification is coming. Beginning January 1, 2035, all drayage trucks must be equipped with and operate a zero-emission powertrain, according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Moreover, the draft regulation of CARB’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule states that “beginning January 1, 2024, all drayage trucks registering for the first time in The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Online System must be equipped with and operate a zero-emission powertrain as a zero-emission vehicle.

Learn more about Advanced Clean Fleet compliant drayage at: www.forummobility.com