NXU continues California charging site splurge

Arizona-headquartered NXU has entered into agreements to buy four sites situated on California’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (Nevi) corridor 7 in less than a month, as it eyes the $40.5mn pot the state has allocated in its Nevi first round.

Corridor 7 is one of the six corridor groups included in this first round. Nxu, since mid-December, has contracted to buy sites at Tehachapi and North Edwards on California highway 58, at Barstow, situated where Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 intersect, and at Kramer Junction along the corridor.

The firm is confident that this will position it well for Nevi success this year. “We are aggressively pursuing optimal sites within Nevi corridors to ensure we are fully utilising the opportunity to bring EV drivers fast, reliable charging experiences as quickly as possible,” says NXU CEO Mark Hanchett.

“We are thankful our goals are aligned with Nevi,” he continues. “Expanding the NXU One EV charging solutions network for EV owners by utilising Nevi’s corridors is an important step we are proud to take.”

But these land purchases offer no guarantee of NXU success in winning money. “Securing these sites is a key step in positioning NXU as a strong contender for California’s Nevi grants in 2024,” Hanchett admits.

“We continue to deepen our relationships with Caltrans and the California Energy Commission, as we continue to secure sites in California,” he adds.

NXU aims to break ground this year on its first MW+ charging site in Quartzsite, AZ. The location is on a major highway corridor immediately off exit 19 on Interstate 10, which runs between Phoenix and Los Angeles.

The firm plans to roll out its NXU One charging solution designed to support up to 4.5MW of bi-directional DC power and up to 50kW of bi-directional AC power.

The first Nevi-supported charging station opened in Ohio in December.