Voltera says it is redefining the path to fleet electrification with its Infrastructure-as-a-Service model, combining data-driven site selection, flexible power options, and co-location strategies to streamline the transition to electric vehicles.
With flagship sites like the one in Lynwood, Calif., — North America’s largest operational charging hub for heavy-duty trucks — the company says it’s tackling the logistical, financial, and operational challenges of EV adoption.
“We go out, we’ll buy land, we’ll work with the utility. We get through the interconnect and bring power to the site. We take on all of the power procurement, but also the design, the permitting, the actual procurement of power equipment and infrastructure for the site on behalf of the customer, and then we deploy it,” said Jonathan Colbert, vice-president of marketing at Voltera.
“Our goal is threading the needle and making sure that we can support [fleets’] operations and bring the minimal amount of disruption — if not zero disruption — to their operations, while giving them the maximum benefit of charging.”
New acquisitions
On Oct. 16, the company announced the acquisition of the two new sites in California, bringing its portfolio to 22 locations across key transit hubs in California, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, and Florida.
The first site, located at 1707 East Pacific Coast Highway in Wilmington, Calif., is strategically positioned just four miles (6.4 km) from the Port of Long Beach and five miles (8 km) from the Port of Los Angeles. The 0.85-acre parcel is designed to support the region’s extensive drayage operations, offering up to 30 electrified charging stalls powered by a five-megawatt supply from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
The second site, a 2.75-acre location in West Sacramento, Calif., will feature up to 100 electrified charging stalls and has secured a power supply of one megawatt, making it a key site for supporting medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets.
Largest operational charging site in North America
Earlier this year, in partnership with electric freight mobility specialist Einride, Voltera opened what it calls North America’s largest operational charging site for heavy-duty electric trucks in Lynwood, Calif., near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Located along the I-710 corridor, the site features 65 chargers, each with dual ports. The chargers operate at 180 kW per port, providing redundancy and ensuring reliability and support for vehicles requiring higher charging rates, such as Freightliner models that use two CCS ports. The facility can charge up to 200 vehicles daily.
The site’s operations are guided by real-time data collection on energy usage, session duration, voltage, and current, enabling proactive maintenance and operational optimization. The data isn’t just stored — it’s actionable, Voltera said during TruckNews.com’s visit to the facility in October, explaining that fault codes allow technicians to arrive prepared to resolve issues, minimizing downtime.
The facility’s design also reflects a customer-centric approach, with charger placement tailored to vehicle requirements. For example, BYD Class 8 trucks, which have charging ports located behind the cab, influenced the alignment of chargers. Most trucks use the facility for overnight charging, with 50% charges taking approximately two hours and full charges requiring four hours.
Despite its high capacity, the Lynwood site operates within a 7 MW limit, supported by load-sharing technology that balances power distribution across active chargers. Voltera is also seeking a partner to co-locate at the site, leveraging its capacity to increase utilization and drive down costs for operators.
Co-location drives efficiency and lowers costs
Voltera’s co-location strategy enables multiple fleets to share charging infrastructure at a single site, optimizing utilization and reducing costs for operators. This approach allows the company to pursue larger properties and build high-capacity sites, which would require more work for individual fleets to develop independently.
“The higher the utilization, the lower that cost can be to the fleet. And if you are a fleet, it’s a lot easier to partner with another fleet or another — let’s say charging network — and split that site to drive utilization,” Voltera’s Colbert explained.
Flexible interim power solutions
A key component of Voltera’s model is its ability to deploy interim power options at sites with significant power demands, Colbert says. Utilities often face delays in bringing power online, so Voltera bridges the gap with temporary generators or battery storage.
“I always try to give the utility some grace because we’re asking a lot of them in short order, but what we’re finding is interim power solutions are key, and because, on average, our sites are over five megawatts of power, we’re having to bring power online on our own and for customers in advance of the utility being able to bring it to a location,” Colbert said.
By working with strategic sourcing partners, Voltera says it secures better pricing and long-term service agreements for hardware and software, ensuring reliable and cost-effective operations for its customers.
Site selection and operations optimization
Voltera is taking a data-driven approach to select and develop sites for its EV charging infrastructure, ensuring its projects meet the needs of fleets transitioning to electrification.
“From a customer perspective, a lot of it really ends up being [about] what is their strategy? What is their growth plan? Where do they want to be, and depending on the size of the fleet, depending upon the presence — whether it’s national or just regional — that can impact it a lot the zero emission freight corridor strategy,” Colbert said.
The company also works closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to understand where vehicle demand is concentrated. Power availability near potential sites is another critical consideration.
The company’s responsibilities cover not only site ownership but also full operational maintenance. By handling everything from waste collection to charger repairs, Voltera ensures sites remain operational and efficient, minimizing downtime for customers.
Voltera also works with local municipalities to address permitting and land-use challenges, which can vary significantly by location. “There is no nationwide defined land use for EV charging,” Colbert said. “We work with municipalities to either craft it ahead of development, or find land uses that are most appropriate for our case and won’t cause problems for us or our customers.”
The company also considers the physical characteristics of the land, ensuring the site is suitable for large-scale charging infrastructure, he added. “The other piece is, like, the actual elevation of the property. Is there a huge drop in elevation across the property? Are you going to degrade? Are you going to have to handle water retention?”
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