96 Electric Terminal Tractors Set East Coast Record
APM Terminals' Elizabeth, New Jersey facility has announced an order for 96 HUSK-e XP electric terminal tractors from Orange EV, marking the largest single electric fleet order in the history of US East Coast ports. The vehicles will be manufactured at Orange EV’s facility in Kansas City, Kansas, fully complying with the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) requirements, and are expected to be deployed for heavy container handling operations at the port.
The HUSK-e XP is specifically designed for high-load port environments, with each unit capable of handling up to 180,000 pounds (approximately 81.6 metric tons) of combined weight. It is equipped with a 310 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, the largest battery capacity offered by Orange EV to date. Compared to traditional diesel tractors, the electric fleet will significantly reduce carbon emissions while effectively minimizing air pollution and noise in port areas, aligning with increasingly stringent US port environmental regulations.
Port Electrification Enters Full Expansion Phase
Kurt Neutgens, CEO of Orange EV, stated that this order marks an “inflection point” in US port electrification, as operators are no longer limited to small-scale trials but are now making large-scale deployments based on real-world operational data. He noted that the operational data accumulated by Orange EV demonstrates that electrification not only delivers environmental benefits but also creates clear commercial value for port operators, accelerating the pace of transformation.
Earlier this summer, APM Terminals expanded its electric terminal tractor fleet at the Pier 400 terminal in the Port of Los Angeles to 60 units, following a year-long rental pilot of 20 trucks. Additionally, Greenwich Terminals, the operator of the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in South Philadelphia, recently ordered 24 Orange EV vehicles, indicating that the electrification trend has spread from the US West Coast to the East Coast.
Commercialization of Electric Terminal Tractors Accelerates
Orange EV noted that port operators, who previously assessed the feasibility of electric terminal tractors through small-scale trials, have now entered a “standardization” phase, directly replacing traditional diesel fleets with electric vehicles. To date, Orange EV has deployed approximately 2,000 electric terminal tractors across the US, making it one of the few companies in the commercial electric vehicle sector to achieve large-scale commercialization.
Analysts point out that the drivers of port electrification include federal and state environmental subsidy policies, fluctuations in fuel costs, and port operators’ considerations of long-term operational expenses. The LFP batteries used in the HUSK-e XP offer advantages such as long lifespan and high safety, enabling stable performance in high-intensity port operations while reducing maintenance frequency and downtime. Furthermore, the BABA Act, which requires federally funded infrastructure projects to use US-manufactured products, has created a competitive advantage for domestic manufacturers like Orange EV.
Despite the promising outlook for electric terminal tractors in ports, the industry still faces challenges such as expanding charging infrastructure and limitations in grid capacity. Orange EV currently offers a “turnkey” solution that includes vehicle sales, charging equipment installation, and maintenance services, helping port operators overcome barriers during the transition. As more ports adopt electrification, the number of electric terminal tractors in US ports is expected to continue growing rapidly in the coming years.
