Ava Community Energy, the local energy provider for Alameda County and the City of Tracy, and EV Realty, an EV infrastructure development platform, jointly announced the construction of Oakland’s largest public EV fast-charging hub.
This will be the largest public fast-charging site in Oakland, increasing the overall amount of public fast-charging infrastructure in the city by nearly 45 percent. EV Realty selected EV Connect, an EV charging management solutions provider owned by Schneider Electric, to construct and service the project under a multi-year agreement.
Supported by a ten-year services contract with Ava, EV Realty will develop, build, own, and operate a 33-stall EV charging project at the Oakland City Center Garage, centrally located to serve the adjacent disadvantaged community.
Construction on the Oakland charging hub is expected to begin early next year; the project is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2024.
California state policy aims to promote equity in electrification by directing investments to support disadvantaged communities. However, challenges exist in the upfront cost of electric vehicles and access to at-home charging infrastructure, which are not always present in disadvantaged communities and areas with high density of multi-dwelling units. Additionally, nearly half of all EV shoppers surveyed by J.D Power who rejected the idea of purchasing an electric vehicle in 2023 said their primary reason was the lack of public charging stations – reflecting a trend noticed since the inception of the study in 2021.
EV Realty was selected through a competitive process to partner with Ava to bring the Oakland charging hub to life. The novel contract structure enables Ava to set prices ensuring utilization, while EV Realty provides infrastructure that is meant to enable drivers to quickly and reliably charge their vehicles. The long-term contract structure provides project revenue certainty that supports private investment in public EV charging solutions.
