New California charging hub will have 40 fast chargers, plus retail and restaurants

Charging hubs, which feature multiple DC fast chargers along with restaurants and retail outlets, could be the next big thing. But are they anything new? Not really—this is the model Tesla has followed for years at its Supercharger sites.

Source: The Stack Charge

Real estate developer LL Development plans to build a public charging hub called The Stack Charge near Baker, California, just off I-15, a primary thoroughfare between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

The Stack Charge will feature “elevated retail offerings and quick-service restaurants...outdoor lounge areas, 24/7 restroom facilities, Wi-Fi, and more,” says the company. “The nearly 2,500-square-foot vacant drive-thru retail space will be leased to a quick-service restaurant tenant and upgraded to include an outdoor lounge and waiting area.”

The company says the site will include 40 DC fast charging stations, of which 8 will be “universal charging stations.” That would seem to indicate that the other 32 will be Tesla Superchargers, as those are the only type of DC chargers that aren’t “universal” (although they soon may be). The company wouldn’t say who the operator(s) will be, but a photo accompanying the press release did indeed show some Tesla Superchargers.

Construction on the Baker site will begin in Q4 2022, and is expected to be completed in Q2 2023. The Stack Charge hopes to build 10 charging hubs in Southern California over the next year, at locations in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego Counties.

“There is a lack of fast-charging infrastructure despite the growth of EV sales,” said Stack Charge co-founder Lester Ciudad Real. “We are looking to acquire sites that have strong retail real estate fundamentals and benefit from high transit traffic, as we anticipate demand to skyrocket as EVs continue to dominate the market.”

“Existing EV charging sites offer a poor user experience due to the lack of amenities, slow charge times, and inconvenient locations,” added co-founder Lawrence Fung. “We are aiming to redefine electric car charging by turning stations into modern hubs with experience-driven amenities.”

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This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Source: The Stack Charge