Port Authority, CALSTART launch $45M electric truck program at Port of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and clean-transportation nonprofit CALSTART are launching two incentive programs — the Clean Truck Incentive Program and the Green Drayage Accelerator — announced as a combined $45 million package to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission drayage trucks, terminal tractors and charging infrastructure at the Port of New York and New Jersey, the East Coast's busiest seaport. The programs are expected to begin this fall.
CALSTART designed and will administer both initiatives. The Clean Truck Incentive Program will provide up to $39 million in point-of-sale vouchers for zero-emission drayage trucks, yard tractors and supporting charging infrastructure, while the $5 million Green Drayage Accelerator will support up to five electric truck charging hubs within 10 miles of the Port Authority's seaport or marine terminal facilities. The allocations named in the announcement — up to $39 million in vouchers and $5 million for the hubs — total $44 million of the $45 million package; the agencies did not break out the remaining $1 million. CALSTART will also build and operate tracking dashboards for both programs, monitoring deployment, vehicle performance and charger use before transferring them to the Port Authority in 2028.
The effort draws on a $451 million grant awarded to the Port Authority under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Ports Program — the largest sustainability grant in Port Authority history. The wider award also funds electric cargo-handling equipment at marine terminals and shore power so container ships can plug in at berth. A separate $3 million EPA planning grant will establish a Port Community Advisory Council.
"The trucks that move through our gates don't stop there …" Port Authority Chairman Kevin O'Toole said. "This $45 million partnership with CALSTART puts zero-emission trucks, terminal tractors, and charging infrastructure within reach for the operators who serve this port every day."
CALSTART Executive Vice President Alycia Gilde said pairing accessible vehicle incentives with reliable, high-capacity charging lowers the barrier to entry for drayage operators. Both programs support the Port Authority's goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.