San Diego Port Sustainable Freight Demonstration Project

The Port of San Diego is one of the most prominent hubs for commerce, navigation, recreation, and fisheries, dedicated to protecting and enhancing its future success as a thriving and working port. Seaports face unique constraints when deploying zero-emission vehicles and equipment, including high energy demand, restrictive duty cycle requirements, and diverse tenant and operational interests. Led by the San Diego Port Tenants Association, the San Diego Port Sustainable Freight Demonstration Project served as a critical step toward reducing emissions from port vehicles and equipment. The project deployed 10 medium- and heavy-duty, battery-electric freight vehicles for port operations as well as an intelligent transportation system. The San Diego Port Tenants Association designed the project to accelerate both the advancement of zero-emission technologies on the path towards commercialization and the adoption of these technologies by port tenants. 

The 10 zero-emission vehicles provided an annualized emission reduction of nearly 125 metric tons of oxides of nitrogen, reactive organic gases, particulate matter, and greenhouse gases.  

The trucks used during the demonstration of the intelligent transportation system application freight averaged 70 one-way runs per month on the corridor with signal priority. Freight signal priority showed effectiveness in each performance measure category, reducing emissions by about 27 percent per run.