Coming up on a year in business, Guardian Yards in Metro Air Park is embracing what many transportation experts guess is the future.
Over the next year, the 25-acre truck yard expects to install an unspecified number of charging stations for electric trucks, after the California Air Resources Board adopted a rule pushing adoption of such vehicles.
"We're very excited about trying to serve the needs of the fleet," said John Tomasello, Guardian Yards' managing member and owner. "We can help solve the problem."
Tomasello said he's also applied with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District for 5 megawatts of new power to serve those chargers, which if all goes well should be up and running in about a year.
He said he's also in talks with infrastructure partners to make the location at 6645 Lone Tree Road a full-service depot for zero-emission vehicles for medium- and heavy-duty use, often commercial.
When the chargers are installed, Tomasello said, it's possible the first users will actually be people driving personal vehicles who work nearby. But over time, he said, as more electric trucks hit the road, they'll need a place to go.
Guardian Yards won't be the only electric-truck yard around Metro Air Park, the region's largest commercial development. WattEV of Long Beach is planning an electric charging depot on 100 acres south of Interstate 5 near the airport, set to open in 2025. And SGT Group Holdings Inc. is planning Metro eTruck Park on 12.5 acres on Meister Way within Metro Air Park, with electric chargers added as demand for them rises.
It's still unclear, though, how quickly electric trucks will gain widespread adoption, with the state's rule calling for a phased-in transition over many years.
"It's the chicken and the egg," Tomasello said, acknowledging his and other truck yards nearby are ahead right now of where demand is. "Where is the demand today versus demand tomorrow?"
But when the demand starts, he said, he believes Guardian Yards will have an advantage as an established location already. He said he couldn't guess how much the chargers will cost, noting the exact structure of what the yard will have is still coming together.
The cost should be doable, though, because of grants and other sources of money to aid the transition, he added.
Since opening last April 1, the yard has filled about half of its spaces, more than he would've initially guessed, Tomasello said.
In addition to electric truck chargers, he said, he's also exploring future hydrogen fueling solutions, which might gain currency especially for long-haul trucking tenants.
Todd Sanfilippo of CBRE represents the yard for leasing.
