In conjunction with Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), the City of Santa Monica has officially launched and deployed a voluntary Zero Emissions Delivery Zone within a one-square mile radius covering the city’s downtown, Main Street, and Ocean Park neighborhoods.

The delivery zone, called a first in the U.S., will provide priority curb access for zero emission delivery vehicles in up to 20 loading priority curb areas in the most congested core of the zone.

Autonomous, a curb management technology provider, will monitor vehicle activity in each curb zone and analyze data to study the impact on delivery efficiency, safety, congestion, and emissions. Real-time parking data will be available to drivers taking part in the pilot.

The zone will also serve to demonstrate innovations such as medium-duty and light-duty electric delivery vehicles for goods, electric micromobility solutions for food and parcel delivery, and a commercial medium-duty electric truck-sharing program and charging station for local small businesses.

The concept for the Santa Monica ZE Delivery Zone was generated by LACI’s Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP). TEP is a coalition of local government officials, utilities, state regulators, automakers, industry leaders, labor, and startups working to accelerate transportation electrification and zero emissions goods movement in advance of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

TEP’s Roadmap 2.0 plan includes a target goal for 60% of all medium-duty delivery trucks on the road in Los Angeles County to be electric by 2028.

“With the explosion of last-mile delivery of goods and food during the pandemic, the zero-emissions delivery zone in Santa Monica will help us both advance policy and technology solutions needed to reduce air and climate pollution, noise, and congestion while creating a blueprint for other cities to follow,” said Matt Petersen, CEO of LACI and chair of TEP in a statement.

The pilot includes 15 partners who will deploy and test zero emission modes for last-mile delivery, including Fluid Truck, Motiv Power Systems, Nissan, ROUSH CleanTech, and Lighting eMotors. 

“The launch of the Zero Emissions Delivery Zone will provide the opportunity for our technologies to reduce emissions in the goods delivery sector and then scale these solutions in additional communities,” said Chelsea Jenkins, VP of government and industry relations for Roush Clean Tech.