Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and the City of Santa Monica have launched and deployed a first-in-the-nation zero-emissions delivery zone (ZE Delivery Zone) within a one-square-mile voluntary zone by partnering with tech and delivery companies and community organizations.
The concept for the Santa Monica ZE Delivery Zone was generated by LACI’s Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP). TEP includes local government officials, utilities, state regulators, automakers, industry leaders, labor and startups working together to reduce air pollution in the greater Los Angeles region by accelerating transportation electrification and zero-emissions goods movement in advance of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“With the explosion of last-mile delivery of goods and food during the pandemic, the Santa Monica ZE Delivery Zone will help us both advance policy and technology solutions needed to reduce air and climate pollution, noise and congestion while creating a blueprint for other cities to follow,” says Matt Petersen, CEO of LACI and chair of TEP. “In addition to helping advance the goals of the TEP, the pilot will also help unlock innovation from startup entrepreneurs, strengthen local small businesses and grow the green workforce.”
The pilot zone brings together over 15 partners including Ikea, Axlehire, Guayaki, Alsco Uniforms, Foodcycle, Shopify and REEF Technology to voluntarily deploy and test zero-emission modes for last-mile delivery in Santa Monica’s Downtown, Main Street and Ocean Park neighborhoods. The tech providers include LACI startups Automotus, Maxwell Vehicles, Circuit and FreeWire as well as collaborations with Coco, Kiwibot, Tortoise, Rollo, Blue Systems, Fluid Truck, Motiv Power Systems, Nissan, ROUSH CleanTech and Lightning eMotors.
To support the current pilot participants and encourage others to join, the ZE Delivery Zone will provide priority curb access for zero-emission delivery vehicles in select loading areas in the zone. Technology from Automotus will monitor and analyze all vehicle activity in each curb zone while protecting privacy – collecting anonymized data for studying the impact on delivery efficiency, safety, congestion and emissions.
The Santa Monica ZE Delivery Zone will:
-Advance emissions reduction policies and tools: With growing diesel emissions from last-mile delivery vehicles as well as heavy-duty drayage trucks moving the goods from ports to warehouses, the zone will provide insights for other cities, regulators and industry leaders for zero-emissions zones and reducing long-term exposure to pollution
-Pilot curb management solutions: With up to 20 zero-emission loading priority curb areas in the most congested core of the zone, zero-emission delivery use, congestion, safety, dwell time and other metrics will inform future deployments of zero-emissions zones and congestion pricing in Los Angeles and other urban centers
-Demonstrate technology innovations: By deploying and demonstrating technologies needed for zero-emissions delivery zones, Santa Monica and LACI will explore how best to meet operational needs, create local green jobs and improve quality of life