California’s official goal is to install 250,000 public chargers, including 10,000 DC fast chargers, by 2025. Charging stations are especially needed in rural areas, to facilitate long-distance travel, but providing grid power to remote locations can be prohibitively expensive.

That’s where San Diego-based Envision Solar’s EV ARC comes in. The EV ARC is a solar-powered DC fast charger that can be deployed with no trenching or construction, and can operate without a utility grid connection.

The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have partnered to provide Envision’s EV ARC fast charging system at a rest area in Shandon, east of San Luis Obispo on California Highway 46. The Monterey Bay Air Resources District funded a similar deployment at rest areas on US Highway 101, north of San Luis Obispo in rural Monterey County.

The charging stations provide both CCS Combo and CHAdeMO charging at a max power level of 50 kW.

“Rest areas offer an ideal spot to pick up a charge while making a longer trip, but extending sufficient electrical capacity from the utility grid can be very expensive, time-consuming and environmentally impactful,” said Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Envision Solar. “The EV ARC uniquely solves that problem because its primary source of energy is the sun. There was no need to increase the electrical capacity at this remote location in order to serve up fast charging, saving money and time. We view our ability to rapidly deploy DC fast charging in any location without the need for costly construction and electrical upgrades as a major opportunity and differentiator for our continued growth.”

Source: Envision Solar