Electrify America Opens One of its Largest U.S. EV Charging Stations in California

author: FutureCar Staff    

The Electrify America EV charging station at Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.

Electric vehicle charging provider Electrify America has just opened one of its largest U.S. EV charging stations in Silicon Valley. The station, which is located at the Westfield Valley Fair shopping Mall in Santa Clara, Calif., features 14 ultra-fast chargers with solar-powered canopies.

With the opening of the new station, Electrify America has reached a milestone. It's the 200 ultra-fast EV charging station opened by the company and over 830 individual chargers in California, the state with the highest EV adoption rate in the U.S.

Electrify America has committed to invest $800 million in charging network infrastructure, education and awareness initiatives in California over ten years.

"This premier charging station, with one of our largest offerings of chargers and solar canopy technology, is another step in Electrify America's journey to provide a seamless and innovative EV charging experience for consumers, while also taking measures to reduce the impact on the electrical grid," said Anthony Lambkin, senior director of operations at Electrify America. "We are excited to bring this quality charging experience to Westfield customers in the heart of Silicon Valley."

The 14 ultra-fast chargers available at Westfield Valley Fair mall will range in power from 150 kilowatt (kW) to 350kW for rapid charging for vehicles that can accept the higher charging rate, such as the Porsche Taycan and Lucid Air sedan.

The solar canopies above the chargers also protect EV drivers from the elements while at the same time being able to reduce the amount of electricity drawn from the local utility.  The solar panels are used to help charge a battery energy storage system (BESS) which can store power when electricity costs are low and supplement power during peak times, minimizing impact on the electrical grid. The BESS units are supplied by electric automaker Tesla.

Electrify America's plans to build charging stations at 17 Westfield-owned shopping center locations in seven states totaling more than 100 individual chargers by the end of 2022. 

To make the charging experience more customer focused, the Westfield location will offer curbside meals to customers delivered from the mall restaurants while drivers wait for their vehicles to charge.

"We are incredibly proud that Electrify America's largest solar installation to date has found a home at Westfield Valley Fair," said Shelly Schembre, SVP, Center Management Operations. "This is an incredible milestone for one of the most productive shopping centers in Northern California –  which is now among one of the region's most environmentally-conscious shopping destinations as well."

Since opening its first U.S. charging station in May 2018, Electrify America's network has grown to include more than 670 charging stations. Nearly 2,900 of them are DC fast chargers. 

Electrify America has set a rapid pace for its network expansion, opening an average of nearly four stations per week. By the end of 2025, Electrify America plans to more than double its infrastructure with 1,700 charging stations comprising 9,500 individual chargers in the United States.

Virginia-based Electrify America, a wholly-owned  Group of America. The company was established as restitution for the automaker's dieselgate scandal.

In total, Electrify America is investing $2 billion over a 10 year period ending in 2027 in EV charging infrastructure in the U.S. The massive investment represents the largest of its kind ever made.

In June 2020, Electrify America announced the completion of its first cross-country charging route from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, CA. The route spans 11 states following interstate highways  I-15 and I-70. The route covers a distance of 2,700 miles, enabling coast-to-coast travel across the U.S. in a fully-electric vehicle.

FutureCar Staff