In a significant step toward building out California’s clean transportation infrastructure, Prologis Inc. and Performance Team — A Maersk Company have launched Southern California’s largest heavy-duty electric vehicle charging depot, located near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and powered by the nation’s largest electric truck microgrid.
Directly off the Harbor (110) Freeway in Los Angeles on Denker Avenue, and within five miles of Interstate 405 and California State Route 91 (SR91), the Denker charging depot can charge up to 96 electric trucks simultaneously. Prologis and Performance Team constructed the facility in just five months. Performance Team will be using its fleet of Volvo VNR Electric trucks, which have a range of 240 miles and can charge up to 80% in 90 minutes.
“It is our ambition to drive the industry shift toward decarbonized supply chains,” says Charles van der Steene, regional president for Maersk North America. “Expanding the charging infrastructure for commercial electric vehicles is a key part of that. This facility strengthens our ability to offer customers a decarbonized alternative to conventional trucking and brings us closer to our goal of reaching net zero by 2040.”
“We’re delighted to collaborate with Maersk on this important and innovative new commercial truck charging facility,” says Henrik Holland, global head of Prologis Mobility. “To bring the depot online quickly, we delivered an innovative on-demand charging solution as an interim power connection measure. The transition to zero emissions is a priority for both companies, and we’re proud to be on this journey together.”
Against the backdrop of California’s requirements to end the sale of diesel trucks and move to electric drayage trucks by 2035 and electric heavy-duty trucks by 2045, companies are investing in charging infrastructure to support operations. This project is a key connector in the infrastructure needed to meet the state’s goals.
Companies including Prologis and Maersk are investing heavily in California to find innovative and creative solutions that get electric trucks on the road immediately. In developing the Denker charging depot, Prologis installed the charging infrastructure to help speed up the time the project could get online and trucks could get on the road, rather than waiting up to two years for a grid upgrade.
Prologis developed an innovative charging solution, in conjunction with Mainspring Energy, to build a microgrid, which is any small network of electrical generators and loads that may be grid-connected but can operate independently of the local grid. The Prologis Denker microgrid uses 2.75 MW of fuel-flexible, hydrogen-ready linear generators paired with 18 MWh of batteries to provide up to 9 MW of charging capacity.
With 20,000 trucks serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, it will take continued collaboration between government, regulators and private industry to build the infrastructure and equipment necessary to support the trucking industry’s transition. Prologis and Performance Team officials say the project delivery was expedited thanks to a strong partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which enabled long-term design and planning; the city of Los Angeles, which permitted the project; and Southern California Gas Co., which powered the microgrid with natural gas.
The Denker charging depot is the third Southern California commercial truck charging project Prologis Mobility and Performance Team have opened together. Performance Team facilities in Santa Fe Springs and Commerce, equipped with Prologis Mobility charging infrastructure, provide 4 MW of charging capacity — enough to charge 38 electric trucks.