"We think it's going to sell like hotcakes once it's mass produced. The fuel costs are less than an equivalent dollar a gallon, and when idling, they are not spewing pollution or guzzling fuel."
The electric truck, which takes about three hours to charge, has a range of about 30 miles while pulling a 60,000-pound cargo container, and about 60 miles empty. Although that distance may not sound useful, much of freight hauling within the port complex is from terminals to nearby train yards.
It costs about 20 cents a mile to operate, or about four to nine times less than a diesel truck, depending on fluctuating fuel costs and operating conditions.
Fluegal acknowledged that the experimental machine had generated mixed reviews from fellow port truck drivers.
"I get a little ribbing from old-timers who insist there's nothing like a good-old-fashioned diesel engine to get the job done," he said. "Tell you what, though. Putting more diesel pigs on the road isn't going to do anybody any good."
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louis.sahagun@latimes.com
