SAN DIEGO (KGTV): Dole unveiled five new electric trucks at the San Diego Marine Terminal Monday morning, in a move to help reduce pollution along the bay.
"This is our latest improvement in sustainability," says Nelson Montoya, the President of Dole Fresh Fruit International. "This shows we're more than just a Port tenant. Dole is strongly committed to being a change agent in combating climate disruption and adding electric vehicles to our operations is one area where we can make positive emissions impacts."
Dole imports more than 220 million bananas and 3 million pineapples through San Diego's terminal every month. The five new trucks will replace four diesel-powered trucks that move fruit containers from the ship around the terminal. Dole research shows this will eliminate 12.776 tons of NOx over the next 10 years.
"This is not science fiction, this is here right now," says San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. "The chalenge for all of us is to figure out whether it's the city, the county, the port, whomever it is, how can we imagine this kind of technology into the everyday work that we're doing."
Port officials say this fits in with their Maritime Clean Air Strategy, to help eliminate pollution from the Port and the surrounding communities, while making the businesses that use the port more efficient and profitable.
"It's a win for the environment and it's a win for the community," says Port Chairman Dan Malcolm. "It's wonderful to see (Dole) continue to take advantage of state funding to help meet both their environmental goals and ours."
The new trucks cost $1.5 million. Dole got some of that money from the California Air Resources Board through their Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Program.
With the five new trucks, 35% of Dole's port-transfer fleet is now electric. Dole says they plan to be 100% electric by 2030.
