Having taken a little too long to kick start the year’s podcast service, IJGlobal launches 2024 with an interesting fireside chat on an award-winning project led by CBRE Investment Management.

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to Toronto-based Robert Shaw, managing director in CBRE IM's private infrastructure business who is focused exclusively on the direct infrastructure investment programme.

In a 26-minute podcast, Robert takes the listener through Forum Mobility, a project in California that won an IJGlobal ESG Award on numerous levels and an IJInvestor Award for North American transport investment.

You can access this latest episode on Apple Podcasts and through Player FM. It is also available across a host of other platforms.

Robert takes the listener through Forum Mobility, explaining how it serves as “electrification as a service” supporting the drayage industry from Californian ports to distribution centres.

Forum Mobility was founded in 2021 and is focused on electrifying trucking of freight from ports, forming a $400 million JV in January 2023 with CBRE IM and minority shareholder Homecoming Capital to develop and operate charging depots and a fleet of electric trucks to service the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland.

Robert says: “We spent a lot of time diligencing the electrification the transport sector – it is one of the key verticals of our fund – and it is really important at this stage of the market to pick your spots. So that is why Forum is focused on California.

“There are a number of regulations and incentives from the Californian government to electrify the drayage industry. There are regulations requiring a transition to an EV truck, there are fines that are being levied on people who use internal combustion engines in the ports – for warehouse owners who have ICE trucks to deliver goods – and that is providing a stick that is requiring this electric transition.

“And then – beside that – there are a number of incentives for the purchase of an EV truck, for installing charging infrastructure and there is also the low-carbon fuel standards. So we think that the government push and incentives towards electrification creates a market for there to be a strong infrastructure case.”

Tune in to hear more...