Forum Mobility’s charging network is slated to grow
with four additional sites in California by next summer, with projected
operational openings in Q1 and Q2.
Executives with the electric charging and trucking solutions provider
shared the timelines with Trucking Dive alongside an announcement
of the new locations: two in Oakland, a third in Ontario, and the
fourth in Rancho Dominguez near the company’s flagship
site in Long Beach and a nearby private site for customer Hight
Logistics. “The infrastructure is coming in; the capital’s coming in; the
trucks are coming off the line,” Matt LeDucq, CEO and co-founder of Forum
Mobility, told Trucking Dive. “You’re starting to see an incredible amount of
momentum.” The additional sites will
expand and enhance the company’s capabilities for customers with megawatt
charging, which can deliver a full charge in 30 to 45 minutes or about four
times faster than previously offered, executives told Trucking Dive in a video
interview Wednesday. (16 Sep) Pull-through lane configurations at the charging
sites will allow a semi-tractor to remain attached to a chassis while charging,
per the announcement. The company is
also connecting customers with Tesla Semis, giving a range of up to 500 miles
and allowing a dray truck with a container to go from the Port of Long Beach
all the way to Phoenix, Mobility Forum Chief Strategy Officer Adam Browning
said in the interview. “The highly
favorable total cost of ownership for battery-electric class 8 trucks has
driven rapid motor carrier adoption,” LeDucq said in the announcement. “We
are excited to expand our offerings, delivering competitively leased trucks and
dedicated charging facilities that allow our customers to operate safely,
reliably, fuel quickly, and at a lower cost per mile than diesel.” Total cost of ownership, or TCO, modeling
can vary, but assuming $5 a gallon for diesel and 7.5 mpg with an internal
combustion engine, Mobility Forum’s electric offering provided double-digit
percentage savings in the past, LeDucq told Trucking Dive. With diesel
volatility reaching
new highs in September, that translates to a 20% or 30% cost
reduction or more with the company’s electric offerings, he said. “This has
become a no-brainer for the motor carriers,” LeDucq said, adding that cargo
owners and shippers seeking emissions reductions in their overall supply chains
are also a notable factor. The
company plans further scaling throughout the U.S. in places such as the Inland
Empire and Central Valley in California; Houston and Dallas; Seattle/Tacoma;
Phoenix; Las Vegas; and Chicago. LeDucq said the company is also excited about
developing in the Southeast. While
Forum Mobility initially focused on the drayage market, tech advances with
equipment like the Tesla Semi are expanding its reach. The company is slated to
start receiving its share of 330 Semis, which will be leased or owned by its
customers. Deliveries are expected to begin later this year, according to
LeDucq. “This is a outstanding,
growing, and very real option that is good for their business,” LeDucq said.