Weeks after it received more than $1 million in government support, fleet electrification provider Zeem Solutions said it is opening an EV transportation-as-a-service depot near Los Angeles International Airport. The California depot is designed to support medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle fleets.
In early February, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) awarded grants totaling $6.75 million to six projects intended to promote clean transportation during last-mile freight and delivery operations. Zeem was awarded $1.192 million to expand access to electrified vehicles for small-fleet operators.
The LA-area depot is the first in a series that Zeem said it plans to build across the country to enable medium- and heavy-duty fleet owners to electrify. The company owns and maintains electric trucks, vans, shuttle buses, and other vehicles that are leased to fleets businesses that pay a monthly lease to use the vehicles. Customers gain access to the vehicles, plus daily charging and parking at depots that Zeem builds and operates.
(Plan to attend Distributech International and attend three days of conference sessions on EV2Grid integration issues, including “Incorporating EV Charging Stations into Utilities’ Distribution and Integrated Resource Planning.”)
In April 2021, wind energy developer Ørsted said it would partner with Zeem to roll out 50 electric drayage trucks, associated vehicle infrastructure and mobility training programs for the Port of Newark. The $11 million partnership was part of Ørsted’s Ocean Wind 2 bid that was awarded last June by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
The partnership would build a truck depot at the Port of Newark, including charging infrastructure and battery storage capable of housing, charging and servicing 200 trucks.
And last September, Zeem took delivery of 24 GreenPower EV Stars electric delivery vehicles from GreenPower Motor Co. That delivery was in addition to 30 EVs delivered by GreenPower to Zeem earlier in 2021.
Zeem’s newly-opened depot at LAX has 77 fast charging ports, 53 Level 2 chargers, and the capacity to charge and store more than 200 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles on-site. The company said that fleets currently operating out its depot include tour buses, airport shuttles, last-mile delivery vans and trucks, third-party logistics, mobility services, ridesharing and drayage operations.
“Our vision is to support thousands of zero-emission vehicles operating out of hundreds of depots like this around the country,” said Zeem CEO Paul Giuopis in a statement.
Zeem’s million-dollar grant was made under SCAG’s Last Mile Freight Program, funded through California’s Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee. The program is designed to encourage investment in zero- and near-zero emission trucks and other technologies that will support the region’s clean-air goals. Other awardees included:
WattEV, $1.192 million to fund electric trucks and infrastructure – part of the company’s goal to get 12,000 electric-transport vehicles on the road in California by 2030.
Sysco Corp., $1.192 million for its Good to the Last Dropoff – Zero-Emission Last-Mile Freight Initiative.
Penske Logistics LLC, $790,786 to accelerate the electrification of its last-mile freight operations.
Gonzalez Logistics Inc., $1.192 million to help fund the electrification of 50 vehicles.
Pepsico, $1.192 million to help fund the electrification of transport vehicles through its partnership with New Bern Transport.
