California Port Looks to Give EV Makers a Break by Reducing Their Wharfage Fees
By Scott Doggett May 5, 2010
California's efforts to promote electric vehicles stands to get a boost as the state's busiest port considers giving EV makers a break on their wharfage rates.
The Port of Los Angeles (pictured) intends to pursue a reduced-fee tariff that would lower the cost for unloading and housing battery-electric cars by 15 percent.
The proposal still has to win the approval of the Los Angeles City Council, the California Ports Authority and the Los Angeles Harbor Commission, but port officials say that shouldn't be too much trouble, as the money would come directly from the port's revenue stream.
The idea was broached as part of an agreement last week by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and BYD Auto Co., a Chinese manufacturer of electric cars. BYD announced plans to locate its North American headquarters in Los Angeles last month.
BYD is expected to funnel finished cars through the port, not parts to be assembled at the U.S. facility. Actual manufacturing of cars in the United States could come later.
The port has the capacity to house up to 8,000 vehicles before they are shipped to 20 states throughout the West and Midwest. Automakers that currently use the port for importing are Nissan, Infinity and Nissan Diesel.
Nissan is expected to begin selling its Leaf battery-electric car in the U.S. this coming December. Since the first of those vehicles to be sold in the U.S. will be produced at Nissan's plant in Oppama, Japan, Nissan should benefit from the reduced wharfage fees as well.
Commercial U.S. production of the Leaf is slated to begin in late 2012 at Nissan's manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tennessee.
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