WattEV, a company focused on progressing the transition of the U.S. heavy-duty freight industry to net zero, has secured two grants totaling $40.5 million to expand its network of electric truck stops into Northern California and Oregon.
"These grant awards will allow us to meet our plans to expand our network of electric-truck charging depots from the Mexican border to Portland, Oregon, via Interstate 5, on what government planners and industry stakeholders are calling the 'electric highway,'" said Salim Youssefzadeh, WattEV Co-Founder and CEO.
The first grant – worth $6.5 million – was provided by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to help WattEV build a six-acre grid-connected EV charging depot along Interstate 5 in Salem, Oregon. The depot will feature 30 CCS 240 kW chargers and six MCS 1,200 kW chargers and is expected to be operational in 2025.
The second grant – worth $34 million – was provided by the California Transportation Commission to help WattEV build a solar-powered truck charging depot on more than 100 acres of land south of the Sacramento International Airport (SMF) on Interstate 5. The site will also be located near the Metro Air Park Logistics Center, which is planning on adding more than 10 million square feet of warehousing space.
The project, marked for completion in 2025, will feature 30 DC fast chargers for passenger vehicles, 90 high-power CCS-1 cords for heavy-duty commercial EVs, and 18 MW cords for heavy-duty truck pass-through charging.
"We're proud to partner with WattEV as they continue to advance the transition of U.S. trucking transport to zero emissions," said Cindy Nichol, Director of the Sacramento County Department of Airports. "Sacramento International Airport's proximity to one of largest goods distribution centers in the state makes this an ideal location to serve California's 'electric highway.'"
The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District has also publicly committed to supporting the SMF project due to the significant air quality benefits it will provide for Sacramento.
"Emissions from fossil-fuel powered cars and trucks are the largest source of air pollution in the Sacramento region," said Sac Metro Air District Transportation and Climate Change Program Manager Raef Porter. "Over the past 25 years, the Air District has invested $300 million in clean air projects. We're proud to continue that commitment by partnering with WattEV on this transformative solar-powered, electric charging depot.”
