New York Port Authority launches $45m electric truck programme

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has initiated a $45 m programme to accelerate the deployment of electric trucks and charging infrastructure. The scheme is in partnership with CALSTART.

The initiative aims to support zero-emission drayage trucks and terminal tractors in operation at the NY NJ port, which is the East Coast’s busiest seaport. The clean transport organisation CALSTART will both design and administrate the Clean Truck Incentive (CTI) Program and Green Drayage Accelerator (GDA), with the goal of driving zero-emission commercial fleet adoption .

In a statement, the Port Authority said the CTI scheme will provide up to $39 million in point-of-sale vouchers for the purchase of vehicles and associated charging infrastructure. Additionally, the $5m GDA scheme will award funds to up to five electric truck charging hubs within a 10 mile radius of the Port Authority’s marine terminal facilities. According to the authority, these programmes are “designed to advance the Port Authority’s sustainability goals by accelerating cleaner technologies while providing port operators with affordable, discounted electric vehicles and charging options.”

Port Authority chairman Kevin O’Toole explained: “The trucks that move through our gates don’t stop there. They fan out to warehouses and distribution hubs across the region, carrying the goods that power our economy. This $45 million partnership with CALSTART puts zero-emission trucks, terminal tractors, and charging infrastructure within reach for the operators who serve this port every day.”

The Port Authority has linked the new schemes to its commitment to net zero by 2050. To this end, CALSTART has confirmed it will build and launch ‘dynamic tracking dashboards’ for both initiatives, with a focus on monitoring deployment, vehicle performance, and charger utilisation. From 2028, the dashboards will be ‘fully transferred’ to the Port Authority itself.

“Deploying zero-emission trucks at scale requires pairing accessible vehicle incentives with reliable, high-capacity charging,” said CALSTART Executive VP of California and regional market acceleration Alycia Gilde. “By combining flexible financial support with streamlined program administration, our partnership with the Port Authority lowers the barrier to entry for drayage operators, modernizing the East Coast supply chain while delivering immediate, tangible air quality improvements to local port communities.”

The programmes are being funded through a $451m grant from the EPA’s Clean Ports Program. Besides the CALSTART-administered schemes, this grant will also be used to fund the deployment of electric cargo handling equipment at port terminals as well as the installation of vessel shore power infrastructure. The latter will be used by container ships to ‘plug in’ while at berth and shut down their auxiliary engines.

The news comes amid ongoing electrification at both New York and New Jersey ports. Last week, APM Terminals announced it had ordered 96 electric yard trucks from Orange EV as well as 34 electric gantry cranes from Konecranes as part of a wider effort to electrify more of its equipment.