Recently, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), along with local and California state officials, opened four public DC fast chargers at a truck stop north of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. This is the first set of electric vehicle chargers to open at a truck stop in California that were designed to serve medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

These chargers, which have 250 kilowatts of power, are designed to provide high-power charging to trucks, delivery vans, buses, and other large vehicles—and also can be used to charge passenger vehicles. They can provide up to 250 miles per hour of charging for a passenger car and can charge a typical medium-duty box truck from 20 percent to 80 percent in about an hour.

The chargers are strategically located near the busiest commercial border crossing in California. The port processes nearly 1 million commercial trucks and 5 million privately owned vehicles per year. Vehicles idling at the port are a key contributor to air pollution in the San Diego region.

"Reducing air pollution and tailpipe emissions are top priorities for our region and California, especially in equity priority communities, and SDG&E is committed to building the infrastructure needed to enable businesses and residents to adopt electric vehicles and other clean technologies," said SDG&E CEO Caroline Winn. "We all share the goal of building a cleaner, more sustainable, and healthier future."

SDG&E built the underlying infrastructure that connects the chargers to the energy grid as part of its Power Your Drive for Fleets program. The program connects fleet operators with resources and financial incentives to easily and cost-effectively design and install charging infrastructure for medium and heavy-duty fleets.

Tags : The Energy Grid, All