Volvo Trucks is joining up with Shell and three truck dealerships to develop a public medium- and heavy-duty EV charging network that connects several of California’s largest metropolitan areas. The Electrified Charging Corridor Project has scored $2 million in funding from the California Energy Commission, and is expected to get underway in 2022. All five stations should be online by the end of 2023.
“This project will open the door to a truly electrified freight future in which zero-tailpipe emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks are no longer limited to short-mileage, return-to-base operations, and can reach far and wide across the state,” said Peter Voorhoeve, President of Volvo Trucks North America. “We are excited to begin construction of the Electrified Charging Corridor Project this year in collaboration with these pioneering truck dealerships so that we can further support fleets in successfully integrating battery-electric trucks into their operations, including our Volvo VNR Electric model.”
During the next 18 months, the project will deploy high-powered chargers at several existing Volvo Trucks dealership locations in Central and Northern California, including TEC Equipment Oakland, TEC Equipment Dixon, Western Truck Center in Stockton, and Affinity Truck Centers in Fresno and Bakersfield.
The goal of the project is to enable convenient charging for small fleets that want to avoid making major financial investments in charging infrastructure at their sites; fleets looking to pilot EVs through rentals or leases; and any fleets that wants an OEM-neutral location for opportunity charging along their routes.
“This investment for an electric truck charging corridor is critical to accelerate customer confidence in today’s commercial battery-electric offerings,” said Matt Androski, Chief Commercial Officer, Shell Recharge Solutions.
Source: Volvo Trucks