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Orange EV scales up at East Coast ports
Electric yard tractor maker sends 96 trucks to APM Terminals Elizabeth in N.J., 24 to Philadelphia port
Orange EV said its vehicles have logged more than 14 million operating hours and 33 million miles across the company’s installed base. (Orange EV)
Key Takeaways:
- Orange EV expanded at East Coast ports as APM Terminals Elizabeth in New Jersey ordered 96 electric terminal trucks and Greenwich Terminals deployed 24 in Philadelphia.
- The projects signal broader port electrification, with Orange EV citing major fleet growth beyond pilots and a 60-truck deployment at Los Angeles' Pier 400.
- APM's HUSK-e XP trucks will be built in Kansas City, Kan., while Philadelphia's deployment advances a grant-backed effort to replace remaining diesel yard trucks.
Electric yard tractor manufacturer Orange EV is expanding its presence at East Coast ports through a major fleet order in New Jersey and a newly announced deployment in Philadelphia as marine terminal operators move beyond pilot programs and increase adoption of the zero-emission vehicles.
The company said APM Terminals Elizabeth at the Port of New York and New Jersey ordered 96 electric terminal trucks, a deal Orange EV described as one of the largest commitments to port electrification announced to date.
Meanwhile, Greenwich Terminals recently placed 24 Orange EV yard tractors into service at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in South Philadelphia as part of a broader effort to replace diesel-powered equipment.
Together, the projects suggest some port operators are moving from testing electric equipment to larger fleet deployments.
The APM Terminals Elizabeth order follows an expansion earlier this year at APM Terminals Los Angeles’ Pier 400 facility, where a 20-truck rental pilot grew into a fleet of 60 Orange EV terminal trucks.
“This order along with the Pier 400 order earlier this year is evidence of an inflection point in ports as operators move past the pilot and testing phase to standardize around Orange EV’s turnkey solution,” CEO Kurt Neutgens said.
Orange EV said the trucks ordered by APM Terminals Elizabeth are HUSK-e XP models built at the company’s Kansas City, Kan., manufacturing facility. The vehicles are designed for port and terminal operations and can move up to 180,000 pounds of combined weight. The trucks are equipped with 310-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery packs and comply with Build America, Buy America Act requirements, according to the company.
In Philadelphia, Greenwich Terminals said the 24 Orange EV yard tractors are part of a wider electrification effort that also includes four electric rubber-tire gantry cranes. The terminal operator said the project will enable it to retire 10 diesel-powered trucks and marks the first step toward replacing its remaining diesel yard truck fleet.
Greenwich Terminals President John Burleson said the investment represents one of the largest deployments of all-electric maritime equipment on the East Coast. The company previously converted its ship-to-shore gantry cranes from diesel to electric power, according to a release.
The Philadelphia deployment is supported by funding from a larger $75 million grant awarded to PhilaPort through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program and distributed among maritime facilities in the region.
Orange EV said its vehicles have logged more than 14 million operating hours and 33 million miles across the company’s installed base, with fleet uptime averaging more than 97%.
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