Truck chargers now available for public near Otay Mesa Port of Entry

The first public chargers for electric trucks, delivery vans, buses and other large vehicles in California were installed at the Truck Net LLC truck stop in San Diego, near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

According to its website, the Otay Mesa Port of Entry is the busiest commercial crossing in the state, processing 1 million trucks, 5 million vehicles and 2.1 million pedestrians annually.

A San Diego Gas & Electric news release said the chargers are the first in the state to serve medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. These 250-kilowatt chargers can charge a typical medium-duty box truck from 20%-80% in about an hour and fully charge from empty to 100% in about two hours, said the news release.

In addition, the chargers can also be used in passenger cars and provide up to 250 miles per hour of charging for those vehicles.

“Reducing air pollution and tailpipe emission are top priorities for our region and California,” Caroline Winn, San Diego Gas & Electric CEO, said in a statement. “SDG&E is committed to building the infrastructure needed to enable businesses and residents to adopt electric vehicles and other clean technologies.”

On March 27, local and state entities unveiled the chargers in a public ceremony.  

A $200,000 grant through the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program funded the chargers, while San Diego Gas & Electric built the underlying infrastructure tying the chargers to the grid, according to the news release.

“I am thrilled to see the electric vehicle chargers installed at this truck stop,” Nora Vargas, chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. “This is a true community infrastructure solution that proved that through public-private partnerships we can improve poor air quality for families and children and promote economic prosperity for the binational region.”

Nearly 1 million battery-electric cars have been sold in California, and nearly 2,000 zero-emission trucks and buses are on the road today, said the news release. The state currently has more than 80,000 public and shared private electric vehicle chargers.  LL

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