A California-based carrier made history Thursday using a Class 8 electric truck to haul freight between the U.S. and Mexico, a first-ever border crossing for a heavy-duty EV vehicle, officials said.
The electric truck from San Diego-based Bali Express made its maiden voyage carrying an unspecified load of goods into Mexico through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, which connects Southern California to the Mexican city of Tijuana.
“By adding electric freight trucks, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint but also leading the way towards a more sustainable future for freight transportation on both sides of the border,” Juan Baez, owner of Bali Express, said in a news release.
The vehicle utilized one of the 3,600 charging stations installed by SDG&E in the region for use from EV passenger vehicles, along with medium- to heavy-duty electric freight trucks crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
SDG&E is an energy delivery company serving communities in San Diego and Orange County.
“Today marks a historic milestone in our journey toward reducing emissions and paving the way for a cleaner energy future,” Caroline Winn, CEO at SDG&E, said in a statement. “This new electric corridor is a great example of how collaboration can create new and innovative ways to rethink how to propel our transportation systems towards electrification.”
The electric trucks being used by Bali Express are Class 8 Peterbilt Model 579EVs, which have a daily range of 150 miles per charge. Bali Express purchased 11 579EVs in September.
The electric chargers were partially funded by a $200,000 grant through the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program, which has provided more than $1 billion to alternative fuel and vehicle technology projects.
In 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a landmark plan to end the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035.
Medium- and heavy-duty trucks are one of the largest transportation-related sources of greenhouse gas emissions every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Commercial trucks accounted for about 23% of emissions from the transportation sector in 2021.
California has the largest number of electric trucks operating at port facilities in the U.S. CARB wants to require all new drayage trucks registered in the state (over 140,500 trucks) to be zero emission by the end of 2024, with full implementation of its plan to stop selling gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
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