A new road design project between Los Angeles and Long Beach is planned to reduce air pollution from diesel-truck traffic. The experimental system being built along a mile of the Alameda Corridor would demonstrate how trucks transporting goods from ports to warehouses could run on electric power.
The system dubbed an e-highway uses an overhead catenary system that provides power to modified hybrid or all-electric trucks. These vehicles attach to the system using pantographs and pull their power from the overhead lines. This method would reduce air pollution, improving health and air-quality in neighboring communities. The project is currently under construction and is expected to be operational by July 2015, followed by a yearlong study using four different trucks.
