Electrify America’s Next-Gen EV Charging Stations Are Bigger, Better, And Battery-Backed

A huge battery energy storage system backs the American company’s newest large-format station in California.

Electrify America large-format DC fast charging station in Santa Barbara, California

Photo by: Electrify America

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Jun 18, at 4:18am ET

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Electrify America has opened a new EV charging station in Santa Barbara, California.
With 20 ultra-fast dispensers and a huge battery energy system, it sets the stage for what’s next at EA.
The company’s large-format stations can cater to at least 20 EVs simultaneously, all while delivering up to 350 kW to each car.

Electrify America, one of the largest DC fast charging networks for electric vehicles in the United States, has opened its latest-generation site in Santa Barbara, California.

The company’s newest large-format station sets the blueprint for what’s to come, with a minimum of 20 stalls and a big battery energy storage system.

Electrify America large-format DC fast charging station in Santa Barbara, California

Photo by: Electrify America

Located on the site of the former Greyhound Bus depot at 36 West Carillo Street in Santa Barbara, EA’s newest large-format EV charging station has 20 individual stalls that can deliver up to 350 kilowatts of power to each EV in need of a top-up. This is the company’s fourth large-format station in California, but it’s the first with a 1.9-megawatt battery—the largest deployed by Electrify America to date.

The battery storage system can take energy from the grid when usage is low and discharge it when demand is high, expanding charging capacity and reducing stress on the grid.

“This large-format station showcases the next evolution of charging infrastructure, combining high-power charging with integrated battery energy storage to deliver reliable capacity at scale,” said Rob Barrosa, Electrify America President and CEO. “By incorporating advanced storage technology, we’re able to bring Hyper-Fast charging to locations that have traditionally been difficult to serve, while making it easy for customers to integrate charging into their daily routines in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.”

Electrify America’s battery-aided station in Santa Barbara currently has CCS1 connectors exclusively, which means NACS-equipped EVs like those from Tesla, Rivian, and Cadillac will need an adapter. That said, EA will start retrofitting NACS connectors at the site starting this summer, as part of its ongoing NACS pilot program.

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The other large-format Electrify America stations are located in Santa Monica, San Diego, and San Francisco, with many more scheduled for construction. With at least 20 bays, this type of charging stop can slash wait times, helping EV drivers get back on the road faster without having to sit in a queue. The fact that each charger can deliver 350 kW of power also helps.

The company currently operates 1,149 DC fast charging stations in 47 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC). In total, Electrify America has over 5,700 individual fast-charging ports.