Fleets with battery-electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks will be able to complete zero-tailpipe-emissions routes between Southern, Central, and Northern California by the end of next year, thanks to a new charging corridor being spearheaded by Volvo Trucks North America.

VTNA is joining forces with Volvo Financial Services, Volvo Technology of America, Shell Recharge Solutions, TEC Equipment, Affinity Truck Center, and Western Truck Center to develop a publicly accessible medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle charging network that connects several of California’s largest metropolitan areas.

With an award from the California Energy Commission of $2 million under its Bestfit program for innovative charging solutions, the Electrified Charging Corridor Project will address key barriers to long-range medium- and heavy-duty EV deployments and accelerate widespread adoption. The project will get underway in 2022, with all five stations anticipated to 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, Volvo Trucks North America, in a news release.

The Electrified Charging Corridor Project has the goal of enabling convenient charging for:

• Small business fleets that want to avoid making major financial investments in large-scale charging infrastructure at their site.

• Fleets looking to pilot an electric vehicle through rental and short-term lease opportunities.

• Fleets that need an OEM-neutral location to “opportunity charge” along their route.

When Will the Chargers be Available? 

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.

These new locations will serve as an extension to chargers already available at the TEC Fontana and TEC La Mirada locations in Southern California.

With publicly accessible charging stations strategically located at convenient intervals, fleets using battery-electric trucks will be able to complete zero-tailpipe emissions routes between Southern, Central, and Northern California.

“The Energy Commission is thrilled to support the Electrified Charging Corridor project, which will help California meet its goals for zeroing out tailpipe emissions from trucks," said CEC Commissioner Patty Monahan. "This project will showcase refueling solutions for long-distance, zero-tailpipe emission truck travel, and may stimulate additional investments in similar corridors throughout the state, across the country, and all over the world.”  

The CEC’s Bestfit Innovative Charging Solutions program funds projects that demonstrate transformative technology solutions and work to accelerate the commercial deployment of electric vehicle charging for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty applications.

Check out more information about how Volvo Trucks is pioneering electromobility initiatives.