WattEV, the electric truck depot developer and trucking-as-a-service company, has just launched the world’s largest solar-powered truck charging depot in California.
The new infrastructure also serves as the US’ first megawatt charging station with 1.2MW speeds and solar power. It also marks the company’s fourth e-truck charging depot nationwide.
WattEV’s new charge depot in Bakersfield
The 119-acre WattEV Bakersfield depot is the first-ever facility of its kind to utilize a solar-powered microgrid with a battery energy storage system (BESS) and megawatt rapid charging (MCS), American Journal of Transportation reported.
It boasts 16 grid-connected dual-cord 360kW chargers and 15 single-cord 240kW CCS chargers. It also features three MCS 1,200kW rapid chargers connected to the solar array.
This revolutionary electric truck charging depot is located near the junction of busy highways CA-99 and CA-65. It will accommodate heavy-duty electric trucks taking the routes that connect the San Joaquin Valley’s enormous agricultural sector and warehousing complexes to California’s seaports and inland destinations.
About the Megawatt Charge System
The Megawatt Charge System (MCS) is a new charge standard CharIN is currently working on. The organization is close to completing the charging standard, but there are virtually no available MCS-capable trucks or UL-certified charging units as of today.
Therefore, WattEV’s installation seems to be an experiment.
Nonetheless, WattEV claims that MCS chargers can substantially reduce electric truck charging time from hours to sub-30 minutes.
“Reducing the charge time to less than 30 minutes for a 300-mile range will be a game-changer in the adoption of electric trucks. We developed all of our charging facilities to allow for the transition from the current CCS charging standard to the new, faster MCS charging, in preparation for this evolution.”
WattEV CEO Salim Youssefzadeh
Government support
WattEV secured financial aid from the California Energy Commission to enable its proposed grid-islanded setup—the 5MW of on-site solar and 3MWh of battery backup provide the energy demand for the chargers.
WattEV had the option to connect the setup to the grid. However, it decided that grid-islanding 50% of the site is better due to the expected delay in the permitting and interconnection process, the lack of UL-certified MCS chargers, and its grant from CEC.
The chargers at the new depot will be available to the public via membership or a credit card/QR code payment.
