21st Century Truck Stop: 1st MD/HD eTruckStop in California
WattEV, Inc.
Recipient
Long Beach, CA
Recipient Location
33rd
Senate District
69th
Assembly District
$3,504,650
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
The project is in the commissioning stage, with the system anticipated to be fully commissioned by the end of Q1 2025. The different distributed energy resources (DER) are all functional, and the system is undergoing live load testing under manual operation. The upcoming final step is the commissioning of the Energy Management System (EMS) to turn the system into commercial operation under automatic energy flow control.
The Issue
Medium- and heavy-duty (MDHD) vehicle electrification is beginning to accelerate but lacks the necessary infrastructure to support widespread adoption. Currently, adoption of MDHD plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) has been limited to short-range and return-to-base operations. To increase adoption to longer-range vehicles and ensure equity among fleets that lack the physical and financial resources for onsite charging infrastructure, public charging options are needed along major corridors. Since fueling is the largest component of a fleet’s operational cost, certainty around fueling is essential for a fleet to remain successful. These problems have not been solved in part due to the infant nature of the market but also because of the significant investment required to demonstrate a scalable DER package specifically designed to provide low-cost energy to MDHD PEV.
Project Innovation
The purpose of this Agreement is to fund the design, construction, and commissioning of a modular distributed energy resource (DER) package composed of solar, battery storage, and an alternating current (AC)/direct current (DC) distribution control system at a public access electric truck stop. The scalable DER package will provide reliable low-cost renewable energy for a dedicated fleet of 10 to 30 Class 8 battery electric trucks as well as support broader public access MDHD PEV charging for fleets in a burgeoning trade corridor. By increasing the availability of public charging, this will stimulate MDHD PEV adoption and equity in adoption of these vehicles for the commercial sector.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
The integrated DER-supported charging infrastructure will be operated as an island, allowing for reliable, affordable, zero-emission public access and fleet charging of MDHD PEVs. The DER system will produce all of the power needed for customer charging, mitigating impact of time-of-use rate changes and potential public safety power shutoffs.
Reliability
The site DER depends on a self-generation strategy without any grid interconnection. The onsite solar deployment of 5.2MWdc with 3.6MVA inverter along with 2.75MWhr/1.2MVA battery energy storage system (BESS) is used to create an islanded/microgrid operation. This system is isolated from the utility/grid connection, relying primarily on the BESS inverter to create a virtual grid following operation.
Energy Security
An Energy Management System (EMS) is used to achieve automatic energy flow control, ensuring that the virtual grid stays active after initial start-up.
Affordability
The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) has been calculated as $0.238/kWh using the unmanaged charging with no DERs, and after applying charging management and DERs, the LCOE reduces to $0.145/kWh, which is a $0.094/kWh improvement over the baseline case.
Environmental Sustainability
The project will achieve significant emissions reductions through both its dedicated fleet and public charging.
Consumer Appeal
The ability to offer low-cost renewable energy to a dedicated fleet of electric trucks and broader public access MDHD PEV charging can potentially appeal to environmentally conscious consumers looking for sustainable transportation options.
Economic Development
The project can potentially stimulate economic development by creating new jobs related to the design, construction, and commissioning of the DER package and associated infrastructure. In addition, it can promote the development of local renewable energy resources, leading to increased economic activity and investment in the area.
Equity
The project can potentially promote equity by expanding access to affordable and reliable renewable energy for underserved communities, particularly those located in the trade corridor. Additionally, by showcasing the benefits of fleet electrification and providing cost savings, the project can potentially increase opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses in the transportation industry.
Safety
By testing the Li-ion EV batteries and promoting off-grid resiliency, the project can potentially increase safety by ensuring that the fleets have access to a reliable and uninterrupted power supply in case of power outages and minimizing the risk of fire incidents associated with battery storage.
