Keep On (Electric) Truckin’

How to make a National City resident mad: Tell them you’ve selected their city as the site of a new industrial development that wealthier, more powerful cities would never allow. 

This Thursday, in an effort to avoid that unhappy scenario, the developer of a new Port of San Diego electric truck charging station proposed on port property in National City is holding a community meeting to outline the project, take questions from the public and, project proponents hope, win over city residents long accustomed to viewing the rosy promises of industrial developers with skepticism. 

Such meetings are standard fare in big development projects. This one takes on added significance because it comes at a time of ongoing tension between National City and the port. 

The two public entities have been at odds in recent years over issues ranging from National City’s representative on the port’s Board of Port Commissioners to how much the port pays the city for municipal services such as policing and firefighting on port property. 

“We want to make sure constituents feel included,” said John Friedrich, chief development officer for Skycharger, a national electric vehicle infrastructure company that was selected by the port to build the 4.8-acre truck charging facility on Tidelands Avenue near the National City Marine Terminal. 

“In my view, [the charging facility] brings environmental and economic benefits to the community,” Friedrich said. “We want to have it be rooted in a local community benefit mindset.” 

If built as planned, the charging facility would resemble an interstate highway truck stop, with 70 charging ports for trucks of various sizes plus a convenience store with restrooms for truck drivers. There would also be a solar panel array atop a canopy shading the charging ports. The solar panels would supply power to the charging ports and send excess electricity to a 1.25-megawatt onsite storage battery. 

The project is part of the port’s Maritime Clean Air Strategy, a multipronged effort to reduce port-generated pollution and transition port infrastructure to alternative energy sources. 

Though California regulators recently withdrew an ambitious plan to phase out diesel trucks statewide, the port is continuing its own efforts. Friedrich said a long-term goal is switching most if not all trucks serving the port, especially those ferrying goods from one part of the port to another or to local warehouses, to electric power. 

“The project will reduce air pollution in National City,” he said. 

Residents and city officials aren’t so sure. Mayor Ron Morrison has said he worries the charging station will draw even more trucks to an already clogged area and raise the risk of toxic electric battery fires. Though the charging station’s storage battery is small compared to larger storage facilities that recently have caught fire, an electric truck that overturned at the Port of Los Angeles last year burned for 24 hours, emitting toxic fumes. 

Friedrich said the National City charging station will have a 24-hour security operation and will have cameras connected to the city’s police and fire departments to ensure the city can respond to emergencies quickly. 

“We will keep having [community meetings] to make sure we’re listening and responding to input on how to maximize benefits,” he said. 

The Skycharger community meeting to discuss plans for an electric truck charging facility in National City takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at the National City Aquatic Center, 3300 Pepper Park Pl. in National City. More information here. 

By Jim Hinch | April 29, 2025 | Voice of San Diego

Return to Main Page