Project Partners
Volvo LIGHTS was an extraordinary union of public and private stakeholders with expertise, capital, and commitment required to propel battery-electric freight movement beyond the ‘demonstration’ phase into a widespread reality.
Volvo Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment, and marine and industrial engines. The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Group, which employs some 100,000 people worldwide, has production facilities in 19 countries and sells products in more than 190 markets.
Project Role: Volvo Trucks developed the Class 8 battery-electric trucks, the Volvo VNR Electric model, which is equipped with connected vehicle technologies to improve up-time, self-learning control algorithms to optimize energy usage, and new lithium ion battery chemistries for increased electrical densities at reduced costs.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is the air pollution control agency for all of Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. This area of 10,743 square miles is home to over 16.8 million people–about half the population of the whole state of California.
Project Role: The South Coast AQMD assembled the project team, led the grant application effort, and led the technology implementation plan.
Founded in 1932, NFI is a fully integrated third-party supply chain solutions provider, dedicated to providing customized, engineered solutions that propel a business to succeed. As one of the oldest and largest privately-held 3PLs in North America, NFI’s business lines span dedicated transportation, warehousing, port drayage, intermodal, brokerage, transportation management, global logistics, and real estate. NFI serves customers across a variety of industries including retail, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, and manufacturing.
Project Role: NFI demonstrated the ability for Class 8 battery-electric trucks and equipment to reliably move freight between Los Angeles’ two major ports and inland warehouse facilities with less noise and zero emissions. NFI also continues to explore onsite solar panels to mitigate energy costs and grid impacts.
Dependable Highway Express
Dependable Supply Chain Services is a full-service logistics provider established in 1950. Services include trucking, warehousing and distribution, harbor drayage, third-party logistics, air freight forwarding, ocean freight forwarding, and freight transport.
Project Role: Dependable Highway Express, one of the company’s core divisions, demonstrated the ability for battery electric trucks and equipment to successfully transport goods in its daily routes. To further mitigate grid impacts and energy costs, Dependable also integrated onsite solar panels and hopes to garner the benefits of second-life batteries at its Ontario facility.
TEC Equipment is the West Coast’s leading full-service truck and trailer dealership, with strategically placed locations throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Project Role: TEC Equipment offered fleets the ability to lease battery electric trucks for real-world trials. To meet the service needs of fleets operating these advanced zero-emission trucks, TEC Equipment’s Fontana and La Mirada maintenance and repair crews were fully trained and equipped to work on battery systems, advanced power management software and computing systems, regenerative braking systems, and high-voltage electrical systems. Volvo utilized the experience gained working with TEC Equipment to launch its Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer program. TEC Equipment Fontana was the first to achieve the certification.
Shell Recharge Solutions (formerly Greenlots) is powering the future of electric transportation with industry-leading software and services that equip drivers, site hosts, and network operators to efficiently deploy, manage, and leverage EV charging infrastructure at scale.
Project Role: Shell Recharge Solutions’ cloud software integrates with Volvo’s truck telematics to balance the needs of the vehicle, facility, and utility grid.
The Port of Long Beach is the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in innovative goods movement, safety, environmental stewardship, and sustainability. As the second-busiest container seaport in the United States, the Port handles trade valued at more than $194 billion annually and supports 2.6 million trade-related jobs across the nation, more than 575,000 in Southern California.
Project Role: The Port of Long Beach provided infrastructure planning support to help encourage early adoption of battery electric technologies at ports.
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier gateway for international commerce. Located in San Pedro Bay, 25 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, this thriving seaport is recognized for record-setting cargo operations, environmental stewardship, community partnership, progressive security measures, historical landmarks, and the LA Waterfront.
Project Role: The Port of Los Angeles provided infrastructure planning support to help encourage early adoption of these technologies at ports.
Electricity powers our homes, our businesses, and our communities. SCE has delivered it to Southern and Central California for more than 125 years. As one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, SCE is committed to keeping electricity safe, reliable, affordable, and clean today and for the future.
Project Role: SCE developed a grid impact assessment and strategies to ensure SCE can provide reliable and cost-effective power to commercial fleet operators.
CALSTART is a national nonprofit that works with its member companies and agencies to build a high-tech clean-transportation industry that creates jobs, cuts air pollution and oil imports and curbs climate change.
Project Role: CALSTART managed the procurement of terminal tractors, forklifts, and other non-road equipment.
CE-CERT is the largest research center at the University of California at Riverside. It brings together researchers from multiple disciplines to address society’s most pressing challenges in air quality, climate change, energy, and transportation. CE-CERT’s activities encompass the University of California’s overarching mission: research, education, and public service.
Project Role: The University of California, Riverside CE-CERT tested the performance of electric trucks, developed novel algorithms for dispatching electric vehicles, and modeled life cycle emissions of these trucks.
Reach Out is a nonprofit organization that addresses health equity across the spectrum, driving crucial change through both policy and direct services in the Inland Region of California. Serving over 30,000 people each year, their 50-year history of transformational, effective and innovative action has garnered trust and recognition from the communities we serve.
Project Role: Reach Out supported with local community outreach and education efforts.
The Rio Hondo College Automotive Technology Program enables students to earn degrees and certificates in a range of areas, including advanced engine performance, alternative fuels and advanced transportation technology, and electric vehicle and fuel cell technology.
Project Role: Rio Hondo College designed and launched a technician program specific to Volvo heavy-duty electric truck maintenance to support with workforce development in the region. The students in this program have the opportunity to use Volvo’s first-of-its-kind augmented reality-based training program.
The San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) Heavy/Medium Duty Truck Technology Department enables students to earn Heavy/Medium Duty Truck Technology Certificates or an Associate’s Degree, by taking a range of courses, including truck electrical systems, electrical systems diagnosis and repair, engine repair, and more.
Project Role: San Bernardino Valley College designed and launched a Certificate and associate degree-level training program specific to heavy-duty, battery electric truck maintenance to promote the region’s workforce development. This continual workforce development is critical to sustain this project long after the initial trucks hit the roads.