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Electrify America to build fast chargers in the Port of Long Beach, California, for one of the largest EV truck fleets of its type.

We hear a lot about the progress being made by EV charging station builders to provide coverage to remote towns in the west and along major interstate routes, allowing for easier coast-to-coast travel for electric car owners.

Another type of EV charging infrastructure we don't hear as much about are EV stations for trucks, just as several truck makers roll out their first mass-produced electric models.

This month Electrify America revealed plans to build 30 electric fleet-dedicated chargers at the Port of Long Beach, California, that will be coupled with battery energy storage systems (BESS). This will be among the largest EV station projects aimed solely at trucks in North America to date, and a part of the company's Green City investment program in the greater Los Angeles area.

The stations will be aimed at powering 4 Gen Logistics' fleet of 60 electric trucks conducting drayage work in this part of the state, including those built by Volvo and Kenworth. Another 14 chargers are planned for the Rialto, Calif., charging station, due to open next year, that will recharge drayage trucks based out of the Ports Complex.

"Electrify America's expertise in building charging infrastructure will help us achieve our goal of having a 100% zero-emission fleet in 2025, 10 years before California law requires it," said David Duncan, principal at 4 Gen Logistics.

The 30 chargers slated to be installed by Electrify America will offer 150- and 350-kW charging speeds, and will also feature batteries to store power when electricity costs are at their lowest in a 24-hour cycle, vending it out during peak hours to minimize stress on the grid.

Just what that stress on the grid looks like was very evident earlier this month, when California experienced a heat wave that necessitated greater electricity usage by residents and businesses to keep air conditioners running. BESS is one of the technologies that station builders, including brands within the VW Group, are developing to remain independent of the grid when needed.

Electric trucks are well suited to port work. The trucks conducting drayage operations typically don't have very long routes, carrying containers from ports to warehouses in the area, and they all tend to stay within a given geographic space, making their needs easy to predict. They also all tend to recharge at their home bases, and this has been true for gasoline and diesel as well.

The limited travel radius and their routes make drayage trucks the perfect candidates for going electric first, as opposed to many other types of trucking operations.

"We can have a tremendous impact by bringing electric vehicle charging technology and zero emissions trucks together to provide a more sustainable way to transport shipping containers to and from the Long Beach Port," said Rachel Moses, director of Commercial Services, Green Cities & Business Development at Electrify America.

In all, Electrify America plans to invest $200 million in the state's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure as well as EV education programs over the course of 30 months, as part of its Green Cities program in this investment cycle.