- The Sacramento truck stop will support an air freight hub near the Sacramento International Airport.
- The Salem EV charging depot will support EV trucks traveling on the electric highways from Mexico to Portland.
- WattEV just completed the largest EV truck charging depot at the Port of Long Beach.
Large class 8 trucks (semi-trucks) are responsible for emitting about 25% of greenhouse gas. To reduce the environmental impact of semi trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles, the Biden administration proposed stronger emissions, and companies that build EV truck charging stations like WattEV are paying attention.
Just a few days after opening the largest public charging station for electric trucks, WattEV announced that it was awarded $40.5 million in grants to open more electric truck stops between Northern California and Oregon.
The Largest Truck Charging Depot in the US
WattEV celebrated the grand opening of the Long Beach depot on July 24. This conveniently located electric truck charging station is near the Pier-A terminal at the Port of Long Beach. This charging depot will serve the semi trucks entering and exiting the busy Southern California port.
WattEV built 13 semi-truck charging stations at the Port of Long Beach, making it the largest public charging depot in the United States. The 13 dual-cord CCS 360KW chargers can fill 26 trucks using 5 MW of power from Southern California Edison.
The company will build three more electric truck charging depots in Gardena, San Bernardino, and Bakersfield. All locations are near warehouses and freight corridors.
The Newest EV Charging Depot Grants
With the new grant, WattEV can build two more ports. The first is for a solar-powered EV truck charging station near Interstate 5 and an air freight hub near Sacramento International Airport. The second will be for a grid-connected electric truck charger stop on Interstate 5 in Salem, Oregon.
The Sacramento Truck Stop
By the time the truck charging depots are completed, WattEV will have the nation’s largest electric charging stops on over 100 acres of land near the Sacramento International Airport. This electric truck stop should open in 2025 and have 15.6 MW of solar power. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District will add 7.2 MW of grid power to the truck stop.
This stop will have 30 DC fast chargers for passenger cars, 9 CCS-1 ports for commercial electric vehicles, and 18-megawatt ports for pass-through charging for HD trucks. The charging station will use the newest Megawatt Charging Standard that provides 3.75 megawatts (3,000 amps at 1,250 volts of DC) for large battery electric vehicles.
Being able to charge zero-emissions trucks at this location matters, as the Sacramento International Airport is one of the busiest goods distribution centers in California. The $34 million grant came from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Trade Corridor Enhancement Program.”
The Salem Electric Truck Stop
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality awarded WattEV with $6.5 million to build a six-acre EV charging depot in Salem, Oregon. This location will include 30 CCS 240 KW chargers and six MCS 1200 KW chargers. WattEV will open the location in 2025.
This charging station will support the network of electric vehicles traveling from Mexico to Portland, Oregon on Interstate 5. Industry insiders are referring to I-5 as the “electric highway,” and WattEV is finding its funding through government agencies and private companies to make electrification a reality for the trucking industry.
Air Quality and EV Charging in Sacramento
The Department of Transportation has standards for the installation, operation, and maintenance of EV charging stations that use federal money. The Biden Administration wants EV charging stations available at 50-mile intervals along major highways, but private companies have some say in where they put their EV chargers.
When WattEV applied for grants for its latest projects, the company chose the Salem and Sacramento locations based on a handful of factors: routes, EV truck ranges, and energy availability. The Sacramento EV truck charging depot is located near a spot where more than 10 million square-feet of warehouse space is being planned.
The Sacramento area has poor air quality because so many gas-powered trucks move goods through the area. WattEV is working closely with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District to monitor how the electric truck stop benefits the area’s air quality.
Achieving Zero Emissions
WattEV and Nikola have the achievable goal of getting 12,000 heavy-duty electric trucks on California roads by the end of 2030. The company uses innovative technology to build charging infrastructure and platforms that help trucking companies operate with minimal expenses.
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SOURCE | IMAGES: WATTEV
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