The sunny city of Santa Monica, California, in greater Los Angeles, soon could become the first zero-emission delivery zone in America. That means every good delivered in the region, from food to packages, would be transported in a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV), whether that’s an electric delivery van, a hydrogen fuel cell truck or an e-cargo bike.
The new pilot project — which includes a one-square-mile area of Santa Monica’s downtown corridor — is under development by the city and the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI). Los Angeles’ green leaders hope to use learnings from the initiative to expand ZEV zones to other Los Angeles regions such as Culver City, Pasadena and downtown L.A.
“This pilot project will really help us work through pain points and help find solutions for the business model, the behavioral side and the technology side,” said LACI CEO Matt Petersen in an interview with GreenBiz. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has set a goal to reduce L.A.’s emissions by 25 percent by the time the Olympics is supposed to land in the region in 2028.
What’s the point of a ZEV delivery zone? Quite simply to eliminate diesel-powered delivery vehicles, which contribute major carbon emissions, air pollution and traffic. Los Angeles’ unique valley geography, combined with its port operations, massive traffic problem and ample distribution centers, mean that air pollution in certain areas, particularly those in disadvantaged communities, can be unhealthy and is unsustainable.