NW Seaport Alliance launches EV truck incentive program

The Northwest Seaport Alliance has launched its first incentive program to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission trucks and charging infrastructure in the Puget Sound region.

The alliance has selected Zeem Solutions, an EV truck leasing, charging and solutions provider, as the program’s lead partner, according to a July 9 Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) release. The initiative, backed by a $6.2 million grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation, will fund the deployment of 19 EV trucks and the development of a high-capacity charging facility near SeaTac Airport, supporting medium- and heavy-duty commercial EVs.

“This transition is a necessary but expensive one, and we need all the partners at the table that we can get,” John McCarthy, NWSA co-chair and Port of Tacoma Commission president, stated in the release. “The absolute scale of the transition for trucks and ports to a zero-emission future is a journey no one entity can do on their own.”

The charging site, scheduled to break ground in the fall, will be capable of serving 250 vehicles per day and will provide overnight parking for 70.

Zeem is partnering with local drayage operators to ensure equitable distribution of zero-emission trucks and to minimize disruption to drivers. Heavy-duty drayage trucks contribute about 30% of seaport-related climate pollution in the area, disproportionately affecting communities along freight corridors, according to the release.

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