How Voltera Built the Lynwood EV Charging Facility in Just 18 Months
The transition to electric fleets comes with challenges, but Voltera’s Lynwood EV Charging Facility proves that strategic planning, innovative technology, and strong partnerships can overcome them.
In a recent webinar, Virginia Hewitt (Business Development Director), Justin Sztyk (Director of Construction), and Mo Dali (Senior Manager, Hardware Product & Engineering) shared the story behind our Lynwood charging facility: How it was designed, built, and optimized to support drayage fleets operating out of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
With regulatory deadlines looming and power availability limited, the project had to be delivered in just 18 months, an aggressive timeline for any large-scale EV infrastructure project. Here’s how Voltera made it happen.
Why Lynwood? A StrategicLocation for Drayage Fleets
As Virginia Hewitt stated, “Voltera entered the market in 2021 with a goal of enabling fleets by providing access to charging, no matter where they were on their electrification journey.” That is the reason why we know the location of an EV charging site can make or break its success, and Lynwood was deliberately selected to address one of the most pressing challenges for electrifying drayage fleets: access to high-power charging near the ports.
As fleets transition to electric, proximity to freight corridors is critical to minimizing downtime and maximizing operational efficiency. Lynwood sits right off the 710 Freeway, a major corridor for trucks moving goods between the ports and inland distribution centers. Its strategic placement ensures that fleet operators can charge quickly and get back on the road without disrupting their routes.
Beyond location, another key factor was scalability. Lynwood isn’t just a short-term solution; it was designed to support growing fleet demand with the ability to expand charging capacity as more fleets electrify.
From Concept to Reality: Overcoming Construction & Supply Chain Challenges
Building a large-scale EV charging facility requires careful planning, but even the best-laid plans can face unexpected roadblocks. For Lynwood, the biggest challenges were long equipment lead times, supply chain disruptions, and power constraints.
Justin Sztyk, who led the construction efforts, described how global supply chain issues impacted the project. Some critical components, including metering switchgear, became impossible to source due to manufacturing delays, including one supplier based in Ukraine that was shut down by the war.
Utility power availability was another major hurdle. Power upgrades take time, and fleets can’t afford to wait years for charging infrastructure. To get Lynwood operational as quickly as possible, Voltera strategically phased its power deployment, ensuring that chargers could go live before the full utility power allotment was available.
Despite these challenges, Lynwood went from planning to completion in just 18 months, a testament to strong execution, smart problem-solving, and relentless commitment to fleet needs.
Justin also explained that “it was really demonstrated when we had to navigate the various twists and turns of the project throughout us, where our team was able to leverage some of their long-standing relationships and connections to see us through some of those challenges.”
Optimizing Performance: The Role of Hardware & Software
While site location and construction were critical, technology choices played an equally important role in making Lynwood a reliable and efficient charging hub.
Mo Dali explained how Voltera conducted extensive diligence before selecting its hardware partners, ensuring charger reliability, software integration, and a strong supply chain. The site features high-power 300 kW DC fast chargers, designed by our partner Zerova to maximize uptime and support continuous fleet operations.
Technology wasn’t just about the hardware, it also extended to how power was managed. Lynwood utilizes Voltera’s proprietary load-sharing software, which enabled the site to go live with more chargers than its utility power allocation technically allowed. By intelligently distributing power based on fleet needs, Voltera optimized charger utilization without exceeding grid limitations.
Voltera’s software solutions are a key differentiator in optimizing fleet charging.
- Load Sharing for Maximum Utilization: Lynwood opened with more chargers than its utility allocation by leveraging smart load management.
- Real-Time Charger Data & APIs: Fleets can access live performance data to optimize charging schedules.
- Automated Monitoring & Alerts: The system flags potential issues before they impact operations.
Regarding this technology, Mo stated that we have the capability to do different time of use optimization and all types of different energy solutions.
Lynwood is Ready, and So Are We!
The successful deployment of the Lynwood EV Charging Facility demonstrates that large-scale electrification is not just possible. It’s happening now.
For fleets operating in Southern California, Lynwood represents a turnkey solution that’s ready for immediate use, offering a scalable, reliable charging hub in one of the busiest freight corridors in the country.
If you missed the webinar, you can still access the recording to hear the full discussion on how Lynwood was built and what makes it a scalable solution for electric fleets.
Watch the full webinar recording here