Lime, a leading global operator of shared light electric vehicles; Hight Logistics; and Forum Mobility have reached a new deal for zero-emissions port-to-hub shipping for all Lime freight arriving in North America through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California.
Forum Mobility, a zero-emission electric truck charging provider, is supplying the electric trucks and charging to Hight Logistics, a family-owned drayage company in Long Beach. In 2023, nearly 50% of all of Lime’s new vehicles and parts globally arrived through Los Angeles ports now covered under the agreement. Lime anticipates the agreement will shift more than 300 port-to-hub shipments to electric, zero-emission trucks annually.
As part of the announcement, Lime is one of the first companies to share its commitment to the World Economic Forum’s Mission Possible Partnership goal of zero-emission international shipping. Under Lime’s new commitment, 10% of the volume of its goods shipped internationally will be on ships using zero-emission fuels by 2030, on the way to 100% of shipments by 2040. Lime hopes that as an owner of global cargo it can be among a collection of forward-minded businesses driving the investment and innovation to decarbonize the entire logistics sector.
“We’re thrilled to play a leading part in the EV freight transition through this exciting partnership with Hight Logistics and Forum Mobility,” says Andrew Savage, vice president for Sustainability at Lime. “EV shipping needs demand signals to really get moving, and given our ambitious climate goals, Lime is happy to provide them.
“Businesses need to prioritize zero-emission hauling and take their Scope 3 emissions seriously, regardless of the new SEC rule that omitted reporting on these massive emissions,” adds Savage. “We believe firmly in a carbon-free future, and we’re taking these important steps to decarbonize our shipping logistics on our path to achieving our ambitious net zero carbon goals.”
In the past two years, Lime utilized more than 700 truckloads of freight through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as it scaled its business and updated its e-scooter and e-bike fleet across North America. As part of the partnership, future shipments will be completed via zero-emissions vehicles. This deal is Lime’s first for zero-emission drayage. It will continue to explore similar agreements globally, especially with its European shipping hub.
The deal aligns with Lime’s efforts to decarbonize its business and meet its 2030 net-zero target, validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative, an organization for corporate carbon target-setting. Lime continues to make strides toward decarbonizing across Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, already achieving a 37% carbon reduction from its 2019 baseline. Lime anticipates a significant further reduction for 2023 and is expected to report on those emissions reductions in mid-2024.
Lime chose Hight Logistics for its commitment to sustainable freight, competitive pricing and demonstrated ability to provide high-quality drayage services.
“We believe in doing the right thing — and zero-emission trucking is the future in California,” says Rudy Diaz, CEO of Hight Logistics. “Since we made the decision to invest in electric trucks, we’ve had cargo owners seek us out specifically, wanting to lower their climate impact. Hight Logistics is proud to be able to deliver the goods without the emissions.”
Zero-emission heavy-duty freight is a relatively new but fast-growing sector. Rules passed by the California Air Resources Board in April 2023 require a gradual shift to zero-emission trucks throughout the state. By 2035, the entire drayage fleet, currently consisting of 33,000 Class 8 trucks, must be zero-emission.
Forum Mobility is developing a network of charging depots in and around ports and on routes to common freight destinations. Forum’s staffed and secure depots offer charging, or charging plus a truck together, for a monthly fee, providing one-stop electric truck solutions to independent owner/operators and large carriers alike.
“Zero-emission freight is a generational change, and Hight and Lime are setting the bar for leadership through action,” says Matt LeDucq, Forum Mobility CEO and co-founder. “Forum Mobility’s mission is to ensure that everyone has the ability to benefit from going zero-emission. Forum’s principals have decades of experience building electric infrastructure — we take on the challenges, costs and operations of infrastructure so truckers and carriers of all sizes can focus on their business and their customers.”