Pakistani port promises 70 new electric trucks in $76M ZEV push — SkimNews
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- Hutchison Ports Pakistan is investing $76 million in a new decarbonization plan for its Karachi container terminal, deploying more than 70 new electric terminal tractors alongside other electrified equipment.
- The decision follows more than 450,000 km of operation from the company's first handful of electric tractors deployed last year — performance the company described overwhelmingly positively.
- The plan calls for 20 additional Westwell E-Truck S1 tractors arriving this October and 50 more by the end of 2027, alongside electric material handlers, two remote-controlled quay cranes, 17 remote-controlled rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs), and 40 e-trailers with integrated e-axles and batteries.
- The Westwell E-Truck S1, built in China, produces 3,800 Nm of torque, hauls up to 75 tons (165,000 lb GCWR), and runs 150 km fully loaded on a 282 kWh LFP battery.
- The electric tractor can DC fast-charge from 10-80% in about 40 minutes or swap to a fully charged battery in approximately 5 minutes — less time than fueling a comparable diesel truck, with lower fuel and maintenance costs.
Why it matters: Hutchison is electrifying yard operations at one of Pakistan's busiest container terminals, backed by 450,000 km of uptime data from its existing electric fleet that de-risks the $76M expansion. The Westwell e-trucks' battery-swap option cuts refueling downtime to under five minutes, undercutting diesel yard hostlers on turnaround while the Chinese-built supply chain keeps capital costs competitive.
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