Electric freight mobility specialist Einride has opened its first Smartcharger station in the US, launching as the largest operational charging site for heavy-duty EVs on the continent. The new station is strategically located in a busy freight corridor, providing electric truck drivers with 65 charging piles powered by Voltera.
Einride is a developer of all-electric trucks, fleet management software, and autonomous vehicles that has expanded well beyond its Swedish roots, especially in the US. Operating out of a second headquarters established in New York, we’ve seen Einride’s all-electric and autonomous heavy-duty vehicles navigate corridors via remote operators based in Texas and, most recently, operations in Selmer, Tennessee, as part of a partnership with GE Appliances.
During a Release Event streamed in November 2022, Einride shared an upgraded version of its Pod autonomous truck alongside plans for a new network of charging stations. At the time, we learned these Einride branded charging stations would be erected in Sweden and Los Angeles to begin.
Einride also intends to implement additional charging stations at strategic on-road locations in North America that are easily accessible to fleets of electric trucks while also providing a relaxing lounge area for drivers to recharge while their vehicles do the same.
Today, Einride shared that construction of its first station in the US is now complete and operational, a process that took a mere 18 months from start to finish. Today’s milestone kicks off a new vision for heavy-duty freight that is expected to expand throughout the country.
Einride opens new EV charging station in California
Einride’s first Smartcharger Station in North America is now open in Lynwood, California, near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which combine to receive 29% of all containerized international waterborne trade for the country.
The site was erected with the help of charging infrastructure developer Voltera, who installed 65 charging piles to deliver up to 200 electric truck charging sessions daily. This new Einride charging station was part of a recent $150 million investment by Voltera to expand the footprint of its commercial electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with plans to double its number of managed charging depots this year.
Einride says its new EV charging station will serve its connected fleet customers like Maersk while offering a robust site for future freight customers to recharge conveniently around Los Angeles County. Einride founder and CEO Robert Falck elaborated:
The launch of Einride’s first Smartcharger station in the U.S. marks a momentous stride in establishing digital, electric freight as an important enabler to a more resilient U.S. freight system. This facility will enable a key region to fast track to electric, given its proximity to the Port of LA, one of the world’s busiest container ports and a driver of the US economy
The Smartcharger station has been integrated with the company’s proprietary fleet management software, Einride Saga, offering fleet drivers real-time charging metrics such as charge status, remaining time, power output, and performance. All of which can be monitored from a driver lounge complete with “key amenities.”
According to Einride, additional charging stations are in the works on both coasts of the US, and construction will begin later this year. While the first Smartcharger Station is operational, Einride shared that it will not be officially open to the public until April but plans to hold a grand opening celebration to mark the milestone.