Los Angeles is one of the most congested areas in the world, thus ranking as the most polluted region in the United States. This situation was exacerbated by the tripled demand for e-commerce delivery via fuel-powered trucks, thus increasing both congestion and pollution.

For these reasons, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) (founded by the municipality of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power) and other entities are looking to revolutionize the transportation and mobility sector in the city. One radical step was the establishment of the Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP). To achieve its ambitious goals, TEP published Roadmap 2.0 in November 2019, which outlines ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in Los Angeles by 25% by 2028. In particular, the roadmap requires 60% of medium-duty delivery trucks in the city to be electric by 2028.

This goal aligns with other targets set by Los Angeles for medium-duty trucks. The Los Angeles municipality, for example, has committed to creating a zero-emission zone covering people and goods movement by 2030, in collaboration with the global non-profit C40. Moreover, Los Angeles’s Green New Deal calls for delivery vehicles to be zero emission by 2035.

To achieve this, LACI cooperated with the municipality of Santa Monica to test the very first zero-emission delivery zone in the United States. This requires every good delivered in the region, from food to parcels, to be transported in a zero-emission vehicle, be it an electric delivery van, a hydrogen fuel cell truck, or an e-cargo bike.

A project of this magnitude would advance progress toward achieving TEP goals and significantly improve air quality in the region. It is anticipated that this would encourage Southern California cities and other regions of the country to establish zero-emission delivery zones and phase out medium-duty fuel-powered delivery trucks. Cities and entities will be able to develop advanced logistical and operational practices for passengers in terms of zero-emission delivery zones, such as eco-friendly cargo bikes, not to mention the benefits for communities in terms of air pollution, noise, and congestion. This partnership is supported by the Southern California Association of Governments, Urban Movement Labs affiliated with the municipality of Los Angeles, Southern California Edison, and LA Metro. 

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