Sometimes big changes don’t happen at negotiating tables or in government offices, but in maneuvering yards. On April 11, 2024, Bali Express Services unveiled its first electric truck at its facilities in San Diego, California, and that same day made the first commercial crossing between Mexico and the United States with a 100% electric truck . The event marked a turning point.
Among the attendees was engineer Miguel Acevedo, a pioneer in the development of electric motors in Mexico. He was joined by professors from CETYS University , staff from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) , transporters, and specialists from entities such as the State of Mexico and Mexico City who found common ground: the urgent need to formalize a collective effort for electromobility.
This is how the idea was born and, later in May 2025, the Baja California Electromobility Council , an organization that was established before a notary to become the bridge between private initiative and public institutions, shared Juan Báez López , director of Bali Express and vice president of this council, to T21 .
“We didn’t want this to be a good intention, but rather a serious project, with structure and support,” Báez said.
Unlike other closed models, this council is presented as an open platform : companies, professionals, and even citizens can join, contribute ideas, technical knowledge, or direct investment.
“We are completely open to cooperation, because we know this transition cannot be done alone,” Báez explained.
The first major tangible step is already in operation: a zero-emissions green corridor connecting the Port of Long Beach with Tijuana. Through this route, Bali Express collects ocean containers with raw materials from Asia, crosses them to Mexico, supplies Tijuana’s maquiladoras, and returns finished products to the United States.
This achievement not only transformed cross-border logistics operations: it became the first success story for the Baja California Electromobility Council , as Juan Báez himself acknowledged. “With this, we demonstrate to the community that the council is serious,” he stated.
From that experience, the need arose to formalize the movement. “We need both the private and public sectors to see us as a valid institution. And the only way to achieve this is with concrete results,” he noted.
In terms of environmental impact , Bali Express reported an emissions reduction equivalent to planting 2.6 million trees in 2024. This year, the goal is to nearly triple that result: demonstrating an environmental impact similar to planting eight million trees.
This goal is not symbolic; it has technical weight behind it. According to the official document Current status and needs for electromobility of freight transport in Baja California , prepared in July 2024, by the Secretariat of Economy and Innovation of Baja California in collaboration with the National Chamber of Freight Transport (Canacar) , a diesel cargo truck in Mexico emits on average 0.909 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) per kilometer (km) traveled , while a class 8 electric truck, consuming about 1.1 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per km , emits only 0.478 kg of CO₂ , considering the emission factor of the National Electric System (SEN).
The difference is almost 50% , and when multiplied by the daily journeys across the border, the environmental impact is considerable.
The official announcement of the Baja California Electromobility Council will be made in the coming weeks with an event at the Bali Express facilities in Tijuana. Local authorities from both sides of the border, trade partners, and key players in the logistics and energy ecosystem are expected to participate. The launch will also include the unveiling of its website and a campaign to expand its membership base.
“The Baja California Electromobility Council is much more than an environmental project. It’s an example of how logistics can be a driver of transformation, binational cooperation, and sustainable development,” said Juan Báez.
Main image source: Bali Express Services.
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