Photo: ChargePoint
Santa Monica, California’s public Big Blue Bus fleet is getting 130 DC fast-charging ports as it works toward building an entirely electric fleet by 2032.
The chargers are part of the city’s $56 million investment in electric transit infrastructure. ChargePoint will supply its Express Plus charging hardware and fleet management software, while power management company Eaton will provide the electrical equipment needed to deliver power across the depot.
The project will be one of ChargePoint’s largest transit deployments to date.
Powering an electric bus depot takes more than installing a row of chargers. The electrical system needs to support a lot of large vehicles charging at once, and the buses must be ready when their routes begin without overloading the site or disrupting daily service.
Eaton is supplying the medium-voltage switchgear, switchboards, panelboards, and engineering support behind the 130-port charging network. That’s the equipment that will receive, distribute, and control the large amount of electricity needed to keep the fleet moving.
ChargePoint’s software will monitor the buses both at the depot and while they’re on the road. It can adjust charging in real time and track the fleet’s sustainability results, helping Big Blue Bus coordinate charging with its operating schedule as more electric buses arrive.
“Santa Monica’s leadership in clean transportation demonstrates what’s possible when cities commit to bold climate action,” said ChargePoint CEO Rick Wilmer. “This project represents one of ChargePoint’s largest transit deployments to date, showcasing how our scalable, high-power charging solutions can meet the complex needs of large bus fleets and help agencies transition to fully electric operations while delivering a lower total cost of ownership.”
The Big Blue Bus fleet provides more than 10 million rides each year, so the charging system will need to support regular transit service while the fleet conversion is underway.
The 130 chargers and their supporting electrical infrastructure are designed to serve the buses operating today while leaving room for the higher power demand that will come as Big Blue Bus approaches its 2032 all-electric deadline.
Read more: GM just added ChargePoint to its EV apps
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