Best Buy has invested in electric yard trucks at two California distribution centers, according to its 2026 corporate responsibility and sustainability report. The battery-powered vehicles, also called yard switchers, move cargo containers and trailers around DC yards.
The company says the investment will help reduce California warehouse emissions compliance costs, diesel use and maintenance expenses. The pilot will let Best Buy evaluate the trucks’ performance, operational feasibility and total cost of ownership before deciding whether to deploy them more widely across its supply chain.
Electric yard trucks typically cost $150,000 to $180,000, compared with $80,000 to $100,000 for diesel models, per Carrier Atlas. They can run for eight to 12 hours on a charge. Manufacturer Orange EV, which has shipped 2,000 of them, says busy yards can achieve payback in about seven years. Its customers include Walmart, FedEx Freight and Anheuser-Busch.
California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District has a separate warehouse emissions program, Rule 2305, that awards compliance points for emissions-reduction measures at warehouses of 100,000 square feet or more. Operators that fall short of their required points pay $1,000 per missing point. Best Buy has not identified the locations of its two test sites, so it is unclear whether the rule applies to them.
Best Buy has 29 supply chain facilities, Supply Chain Dive reported.
