APM Terminals Los Angeles at Pier 400 has signed a contract with Orange EV for 40 additional HUSK-e XP battery-electric terminal tractors, bringing the facility’s total electric terminal tractor count to 60 units and completing the electrification of its on-dock rail drayage fleet.
The milestone makes Pier 400 the first container terminal at the Port of Los Angeles to achieve full electrification of this fleet segment.
The procurement builds on results from an initial deployment of 20 Orange EV terminal tractors at Pier 400 beginning in April 2025.
Over twelve months of operation, the existing fleet accumulated 42,000 zero-tailpipe-emission operating hours with an average uptime rate of 98.8% , displacing more than 40,700 diesel-equivalent gallons and avoiding an estimated 427 metric tonnes of CO2.
Since 2017, Pier 400 has reduced emissions from its owned container handling equipment fleet by 82 percent for nitrogen oxides, 61% for diesel particulate matter, 56% for sulfur oxides and 59 percent for greenhouse gases, according to Port of Los Angeles emissions data.
Jon Poelma, Managing Director of APM Terminals Los Angeles, described the expansion as grounded in a full year of real-world performance data, with operator feedback directly informing the procurement standard.
Ahead of the new units entering service, a group of lead International Longshore and Warehouse Union mechanics will complete Level 2 electrical safety training, building on foundational training already completed by 21 Power Shop mechanics in 2025.
An Orange EV unit has also been placed at the ILWU mechanic training centre as a hands-on training asset for the broader workforce.
With 60 electric terminal tractors expected in operation by January 2027, Pier 400 will have converted approximately 60 percent of its 101-unit terminal tractor fleet to battery-electric power, the highest conversion rate among container terminals at the Port of Los Angeles.
An additional grant application is currently in progress to fund 30 further electric units as part of APM Terminals’ commitment to full fleet conversion.
The procurement forms part of APM Terminals’ USD 80 million sub-recipient contract under the EPA Clean Ports Program, awarded through the Port of Los Angeles, covering the replacement of 64 pieces of container handling equipment including top handlers, forklifts and cone carts.
Funding is structured as 60 percent federal grant funding, 20% Port of Los Angeles contribution and 20% APM Terminals capital investment, with the terminal separately committing US$ 40 million of its own capital to accelerate the broader fleet electrification programme.
