AutoMatters & More: New Dole electric freight vehicles at Port of San Diego + Goodguys rods & customs cruise

Recently members of the press and special guests were welcomed by Dole Fresh Fruit North America to their secure operations center at the Port of San Diego’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, to get a first-hand demonstration of their new Orange EV battery-electric utility tractor rigs (UTRs) that were replacing their four diesel-fueled predecessors used in the loading and unloading of bananas and pineapples.

“Dole purchased the equipment using vouchers provided via the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) administered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). CORE is intended to accelerate deployment of advanced technology in the off-road sector by providing a streamlined way for fleets to access funding that helps offset the incremental costs of such technology. Funding for the program is allocated via the California State Legislature.”

Officials and dignitaries celebrate Orange EV electric freight vehicles.

(Jan Wagner)

These vehicles represent the future of container freight handling, with the stated goals of significantly improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

First, with the massive “Dole Pacific” container ship, two of Dole’s five new electric freight vehicles, and Dole’s larger than life, iconic Bobby Banana and Penelope Pineapple mascots as backdrops, we were welcomed with addresses by Nelson Montoya, president, Dole Fresh Fruit North America; Chairman Dan Malcolm, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners; Vice Chair Nora Vargas, San Diego County Board of Supervisors and California Air Resources Board (CARB) member; Mayor Todd Gloria of the City of San Diego; Xavier Roussel, chief marketing and sustainability officer, Dole Food Company; Ray Leyba, president, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 29; Miguel Romero, vice president - Energy Innovation, San Diego Gas & Electric; and Sarah Marsh, terminal manager, Dole Fresh Fruit.

Crane moving a gigantic container

(Jan Wagner)

Then our attention was directed to the demonstration, as containers were transferred between the ship and the trailers towed back and forth by the new EVs. Considering all of the activity, the process was surprisingly quiet.

I was curious how the cranes were so quickly attaching cables to the very heavy containers, to carry them between the ship and the trailers. As it was explained to me, paddles on a “spreader bar” (which matches the containers’ periphery) have cameras on them, to help the crane operator guide the spreader bar into place. Then a pin on each corner is locked into a little hole in each corner casting on the container. After that is accomplished, the heavy container can be lifted.

How a container to be lifted gets attached to the crane

(Jan Wagner)

Orange EV provides fleets, such as Dole’s, with turnkey pure-electric terminal trucks for clean, zero emissions, environmentally-friendly, quiet container handling operations. In Dole’s case, these trucks replaced four vehicles powered by diesel engines.

“As of April 2022, the deployed Orange EV fleet has surpassed 5 million miles and 1.4 million hours of operation.” Their “pure electric, zero emissions yard trucks are meeting the most rigorous duty cycles and 24x7 shift schedules in container handling operations across the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.”

To learn more about “Made in the U.S.A.” Orange EV terminal trucks, visit https://orangeev.com.

Sadly, in case you are wondering, we were not given miniature versions of Bobby Banana and Penelope Pineapple in our gift bags — which did, however, include other Dole swag, plus a bunch of bananas and a delicious pineapple.

Cruising at the 2022 Goodguys Del Mar Nationals

(Jan Wagner)

Goodguys Del Mar Nationals ‘Rods & Customs’ Cruise:

It is quite fitting to wrap-up my “AutoMatters & More” coverage of the 2022 Goodguys Del Mar Nationals with a leisurely “rods & customs” cruise along the iconic, palm trees-lined, main street of the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Goodguys car shows celebrate the people and their cars. These cars are meant to be driven, and at the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals these cars were indeed driven: in the autocross, as reported in part one of this report, in this cruise and, in many cases, to and from this wonderful annual event.

To learn more about the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association and its car shows, visit: https://www.good-guys.com.

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Copyright © 2022 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #738