DOE Invests $68M in Solar-Powered Heavy-Duty EV Charging Depots
- EVs Fleet & Depot Charging News Solar + Storage Integration
Marin Holt
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- 7 minutes read
- DOE awarded $68 million to three projects under the SuperTruck Charge initiative
- Projects target Class 6-8 electric trucks on I-10 and I-15 corridors in California and Utah
- Greenlane Infrastructure received $26 million for 10+ MW Barstow depot with solar and 3 MW battery storage
- Barstow site features 10 pull-through MCS megawatt charging stalls plus solar canopies
- Sites designed to demonstrate large-scale public charging for medium- and heavy-duty EVs
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded $68 million to three projects that combine solar generation, battery storage, and megawatt-class charging to electrify heavy-duty trucking corridors. The SuperTruck Charge initiative targets Class 6-8 electric trucks at sites along Interstates 10 and 15 in California and Utah.
What Is Being Built
Greenlane Infrastructure’s “Mega Charging the I-15 Corridor” project in Barstow, California received $26 million to build a 10+ MW charging station with solar arrays and battery storage. The station serves long-haul trucks traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas with megawatt charging system (MCS) compatible chargers designed for Class 6-8 vehicles.
Pearl Street Technologies and Terawatt Infrastructure received $20 million for their I-10 corridor project. The site features 10 pull-through truck charging stalls with MCS-compatible chargers, solar canopies, and 3 MW of battery electric storage. This design eliminates the tradeoff between fast charging speed and manageable utility demand charges.
Utah State University’s SUPERCHARGE facility received $22 million. The site delivers 9 MW of concurrent charging from 12 MW of installed equipment while drawing less than 4.5 MW from the grid. On-site solar, battery storage, and solid-state DC distribution architecture close the gap between installed capacity and grid demand.
Why This Matters
A single Class 8 truck battery holds 600 to 1,000 kWh. Fleet depots need multiple megawatts of simultaneous charging capacity. Without on-site generation and storage, grid upgrades cost millions and take years to complete, with national interconnection queues now exceeding 1,400 GW.
These projects demonstrate that solar canopies and battery storage cut grid dependency by 50% or more. Utah State’s design draws less than half its installed charging capacity from the grid. This model allows depots to operate where grid capacity is constrained, cutting years off deployment timelines and avoiding costly distribution upgrades.
Implementation Details
Battery storage costs fell 27% year-over-year to $78/MWh in 2025, making on-site storage economically competitive with grid infrastructure investment. The $68 million covers design, development, and demonstration. Each project must prove commercial viability for replication across the national freight network.
MCS technology delivers up to 3.75 MW per charger, enabling a full truck battery charge in under 30 minutes. Solar generation during peak daylight hours and battery dispatch during evening fleet returns create self-contained energy systems that supplement rather than strain the grid. The projects target ports, distribution hubs, and interstate corridors where truck traffic concentrates.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
Critical Analysis
MCS chargers at Greenlane’s 10-plus MW Barstow depot each draw up to 1200 kW through active rectifier front ends, generating dominant 5th, 7th, 11th, and 13th harmonic currents at the 480V distribution bus. Greenlane’s 10 MW instantaneous charging peak plus battery recharging creates more than 15 MVA apparent power demand on a remote I-15 distribution feeder.
5-Year Projection
During the 5-year outlook, capitalized Solar ventures will drastically compress technology iteration cycles, demanding continuous utility-level adaptations to accommodate high-velocity product launches.
Critical Perspective
The article highlights $68 million in DOE funding for solar-powered heavy-duty EV charging. Greenlane Infrastructure plans a 10+ MW station, similar to Nikola’s 150 MW charging hub in Arizona. Past large-scale charging projects have faced significant delays and cost overruns. Will these depots truly avoid the grid upgrade bottlenecks that have plagued similar initiatives?
