A South Bay Food Warehouse Is Becoming an Early Adopter of Electric Trucks, Serving as a Testing Ground for Greener Shipping

THE MERCURY NEWS – On a recent cloudless spring day on the outskirts of Gilroy, Christian Martorella accelerated an 18-wheeler past budding orchards. But instead of the roar of a diesel engine, the cab filled with the gentle hum of an electric motor.

After driving diesel trucks for 10 years, Martorella initially eyed electric trucks skeptically. Now, he has nothing but praise for the cutting-edge machines, which he says ride smoother, accelerate faster, and are all around easier to maintain.

“It’s crazy how consistent that they’ve been,” he said. “(They) definitely knocked it out of the park.”

The truck is one of seven heavy-duty electric trucks deployed to haul food at Performance Food Group in Gilroy, supported by an array of brand new charging stations, an upcoming installation of solar panels and a fleet of all-electric refrigerated trailers.