LEINFELDEN-ECHTERDINGEN, Germany, and COLTONolton, Calif. — Greenlane, a joint venture between Daimler Truck North America LLC, NextEra Energy Resources LLC and BlackRock (through a fund managed by its Climate Infrastructure business), hosted a groundbreaking event at Greenlane’s flagship charging site in Colton, California, on Sept. 9.
The event marks the beginning of the construction of the company’s first commercial EV charging corridor, which will run from the Los Angeles to Las Vegas metropolitan areas, primarily along Interstate 15.
According to a company media release, key stakeholders, community leaders, and joint venture partners, including Daimler Truck North America leaders, John O’Leary, president and CEO of Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), and Rakesh Aneja, head of eMobility at DTNA, took part in a groundbreaking ceremony highlighting the importance of this project, its positive regional impact, and the commercial trucking industry in the U.S. as a whole.
“The establishment of this flagship charging site in Colton is a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision,” O’Leary said. “We are confident that this project will help to accelerate widespread adoption of zero-emission vehicles and drive the future of sustainable transportation by addressing the urgent need for a publicly available, nationwide electric charging infrastructure.”
The release also noted that the groundbreaking was held on the same day that Greenlane announced that they secured a $15 million grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) under the Carl Moyer Zero-Emission Infrastructure Program. The grant will allow Greenlane to accelerate the development of the Colton site for its commercial EV charging corridor. South Coast AQMD’s grant funds, specifically allocated for the Colton site, will be utilized for site design and engineering and charging infrastructure build-out, expediting development timelines to facilitate the opening of the Colton site by the end of 2024.
“The Colton charging site represents a major step forward in reducing emissions along several transportation corridors, while also benefiting the region economically in the long term,” said Patrick Macdonald-King, Greenlane CEO. “We are grateful to all of our partners and local leaders in the community for making this vision become reality.”
According to the release, Greenlane, alongside its JV partners, is developing a nationwide network of commercial charging infrastructure locations across the nation. Starting with electrifying heavy, medium, and light-duty vehicles, charging sites will also serve battery-electric passenger car and light-duty fleet customers. Greenlane also plans to provide hydrogen refueling for commercial vehicles in the near future.
To learn more about its first commercial charging corridor along I-15, click here.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
