In September 2021, South Coast AQMD announced the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI), a clean technology demonstration project that will deploy 100 battery-electric regional haul and drayage trucks throughout California.
In 2021, South Coast AQMD administered over $225 million in awards and contracts for incentive and demonstration of clean air technologies primarily for the replacement of diesel engines.
This project will significantly advance the market for zero[1]emission heavy-duty truck technologies and help provide information on how fleets can successfully deploy cleaner technologies, including charging infrastructure, solar, and battery storage.
JETSI will deploy 50 Class 8 battery electric trucks each, along with EV charging infrastructure, at two fleets in the South Coast Air Basin in 2022 and 2023. NFI Industries will deploy 50 Volvo and Daimler electric trucks, 38 fast chargers, 1 MW solar, 5 MWh of battery energy storage, and construct an electric truck maintenance shop at its Ontario facility. Schneider will deploy 50 Daimler electric trucks and 16 fast chargers at its South El Monte facility.
The JETSI project is expected to reduce five tons of pollution and 8,200 metric tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions annually. It will also result in the equivalent of 5.5 million diesel gallons replaced during the eight-year project, creation of 239 long-term jobs including drivers and service technicians, and $16.8 million in regional economic activity from site construction for electric infrastructure and solar technology.
Other aspects of this project will include:
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Extensive data collection on battery electric trucks, EV charging infrastructure and solar and creation of fleet uptime tools; and
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Enhancement and expansion of existing battery electric trucks training efforts through Rio Hondo College and San Bernardino Valley College.
All battery electric trucks, charging infrastructure and solar will be deployed by June 2023, with data collection, outreach, and training activities to conclude in March 2025.