Point Roberts WA/ Los Angeles CA- May 10, 2010 – www.InvestorIdeas.com reports on publicly traded electric Vehicle ( EV) and natural gas companies that are participating in the greening of the Port of Los Angeles. Players including BYD Auto (BYD Company: HKG: 1211), Balqon Corporation (OTCBB: BLQN), Westport Innovations Inc. (TSX:WPT; NASDAQ:WPRT) and Vision Industries Corp. (OTCBB: VIIC) all have a stake in the future of the Port, but for the companies involved, it represents just a fraction of their vision for a global green automotive market.
On May 4th the Port of Los Angeles announced plans to become the world’s first port to offer a reduced tariff for zero-emission vehicles imported into the United States through the Port. The reduced-fee incentive proposal was announced Friday, April 30, as Chinese manufacturer BYD Auto Company Limited (BYD) said it will locate its North American headquarters in Los Angeles and use the Port of Los Angeles to import its vehicles. BYD has now completed their location to a new Los Angeles H.Q.
BYD Auto is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, established in 2003 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of BYD Company, listed on the Hong Kong Exchange (BYD Company: HKG:1211).
Another publicly traded EV company at the Port is Balqon Corporation (OTCBB: BLQN), a company that produces heavy duty electric trucks, tractors and electric drive systems.
As of November, Balqon Corporation (OTCBB: BLQN) had delivered 12 Nautilus E20s to the City of Los Angeles and one Nautilus E20 to the AQMD. All of the Nautilus E20s were delivered during the third quarter of 2009 were equipped with lithium-ion battery packs.
The company anticipates that future sales of the heavy-duty electric vehicles will be made directly to end users, such as large terminal operators, shipping companies and OEMs, rather than directly to governmental agencies such as the AQMD and the City of Los Angeles.
Westport Innovations Inc. (TSX:WPT; NASDAQ:WPRT), a provider of natural gas engines, in its April 2010 investor presentation, updates LNG clean truck program deals with the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. “Despite economic turmoil, over 500 LNG trucks have been deployed to date, the infrastructure is in place and the feedback from the fleets is excellent. “
According to the Port of Los Angeles, since its commencement on October 1, 2008, the Clean Truck Program (CTP) has delivered an estimated more than 70-percent reduction in the rate of truck emissions compared to 2007 average air emissions data.
On April 5th the Port of Los Angeles announced it awarded Vision Industries Corp. (OTCBB: VIIC), producers of the zero emission electric/hydrogen hybrid Tyrano™ truck, a purchase order for a zero emission Class 8 hybrid electric truck. The cost to purchase the zero emission truck will not exceed $280,000 including sales tax.
The Port of Los Angeles and Balqon Corp were showing off their first production XE20 electric, zero-emission yard tractors on Wednesday at an all-day Ride and Drive event at Berth 87. Balqon is getting ready to deliver 20 of the new heavy-duty trucks to a container terminal for a real-world debut.
The port ordered the lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles to be built almost a year ago, along with five XE30 trucks designed for short-haul, on-road drayage. The XE30s will be used to shuttle containers from the port to a near-dock rail yard about five miles north of the harbor.
Source:www.investorideas.com