EV charging infrastructure provider Voltera hosted a ride & drive at its Lynwood, California, site on October 24, giving local truck fleet operators a chance to see a fully operational commercial EV charging depot in action.
Located directly off the 710 freeway, the charging depot provides access for fleets to stop in for a charge on their way to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Throughout the event, attendees heard countless diesel trucks pass by on the freeway, which was a reminder that this site supports the move towards electrifying the commercial transportation industry and putting more zero-emission trucks on the road. Within a matter of years, that diesel noise and related air pollution will be significantly less than it is today, thanks to companies like Voltera which are making fleet electrification possible at scale.
“The incredible thing about this site is that it’s operational,” said Jonathan Colbert, vice president of marketing at Voltera. “Some say that EV charging infrastructure isn’t readily available to make this transition possible, but we’re here with infrastructure built and ready for use today. We’re proud of that, and proud to be a leader in the heavy-duty trucking sector offering charging capacity for fleets who sign up for the service. It’s an exciting time and we’re committed to driving this movement forward and making sites like this Lynwood location a reality nationwide.”
This was the first event allowing the public to see the advanced technology behind Voltera’s operations, providing a unique, behind-the-scenes look at how the company delivers reliable, scalable EV charging for commercial fleets.
Guests also had the opportunity to get in the passenger seat and ride in the latest zero-emission trucks from brands like Volvo Trucks, RIZON, Kenworth, Nikola, BYD, XOS, and others. This allowed participants to experience how different electric trucks are in terms of their impressive torque, smooth feel, and acceleration.
Charging demos showcased how vehicles use the site and highlighted the design and maintenance that provide high reliability for Voltera’s charging infrastructure. As an example, each of the 65 stalls have two charging dispenser ports to ensure a seamless and successful charge every time, supported by high-tech software that balances site load and provides charging updates to drivers as they enjoy the site’s driver lounge and facilities.
Fleets were able to network and learn from industry experts about electrification solutions, funding and incentive programs, regulations and more. They also got a sneak peek of Voltera’s upcoming Wilmington charging facility through an immersive virtual reality experience. When live, that site will provide another charge location within blocks of the ports, so that fleets contracting with Voltera have more flexibility.
Many of the conversations about the EV transition in the commercial fleet sector surround topics like complexity to build, the time required, and cost associated with the transition. Voltera answers these challenges by buying the land, bringing the power, and building and operating the facility, which allows fleets to access charging as a simple operating expense – similar to traditional fueling – rather than a capital investment project. This simplifies an EV deployment for fleets and enables them to incorporate electric trucks into their operations more quickly and without such a significant upfront challenge.
This site’s location near the ports makes it ideal for regional haul or drayage trucks. Drayage is proving to be a particularly promising avenue for battery electric trucks since the shorter back-and-forth routes of drayage operations are well matched to the range of these electric Class 8 big-rigs.
Voltera currently owns 22 sites strategically positioned across key transit hubs in California, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, and Florida. Because Voltera establishes customer agreements to utilize these facilities, and often customizes design of the sites per fleet requirements, Voltera is in talks with commercial fleets operating all types of EVs, with more details available from Voltera’s Jonathan Colbert.