Manufactured by Nikola Corporation and delivered in partnership with Sunburst Truck Lines, the vehicle uses battery power instead of diesel and can travel up to 350 miles on a single charge which takes just over 90 minutes to complete.

The truck is part of a raft of sustainability actions at the port which has already more than halved its carbon footprint from 2016 to 2021. To achieve its aim of being carbon neutral by 2050, the port is upgrading technology, improving infrastructure and equipment, helping implement green shipping corridors, and using alternative fuels and renewables.

“This is one more step forward on the road to having zero emissions here in Houston and reaching our long-term sustainability goals,” said Port Houston executive director, Roger Guenther.

Nikola Corporation plans to deploy between 300 and 500 of these zero emissions trucks from its Arizona plant this year.

“As the first company to test the Nikola battery operated truck in the state of Texas, Sunburst is very excited to power a trip into the future of trucking sustainability. Trucking’s collective future is green, with a zero-carbon footprint,” said Sunburst Truck Lines president and chief executive, Shaun Leone.