New electric vehicle fast chargers installed at Tejon Pass Rest Area, throughout Central Valley
The Tejon Pass Rest Area will be the recipient of new electric vehicle fast chargers that will assist drivers of those automobiles traveling through the Central Valley or over the Grapevine. According to a news release from the California Department of Transportation, the charging station is one of nine that were recently installed by Caltrans throughout the state, including nine new stations in the Central Valley. “Fast chargers are essential to continue growing EV adoption in California and meeting our state’s goals for combating climate change,” Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin said in the news release. “Expanding the availability of convenient fast-charging stations along state highways is significant for the future of California transportation.”
There are four chargers at the Tejon Pass Rest Area on the southbound side of Interstate 5, a popular stopping point for travelers located about 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 40 miles south of Bakersfield, the news release states. Caltrans District 7 Director Tony Tavares said there will be 18 other chargers staggered 40 miles apart in the region, as Caltrans attempts to reduce “recharging concerns for plug-in EV drivers on long-distance trips through the Central Valley.”
The Level 3 DC fast chargers provide an approximate 80 percent charge in 30 minutes to electric vehicles with fast-charging capability, the news release states. The chargers have universal connectors and are able to serve all electric vehicles on the market, including Teslas with an adapter. The $4.5 million project was funded by Caltrans and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in Fresno, according to the news release.
Here are the new charging stations in the Central Valley, according to Caltrans:
• Caltrans Maintenance Station on Highway 41 and next to I-5 in Kettleman City
• Caltrans Maintenance Station, 805 S. Lexington St., next to Route 99 in Delano
• C.H. Warlow Rest Area NB/SB Highway 99 in Kingsburg
• Philip S. Raine Rest Area at SB Highway 99 near Tulare
• Philip S. Raine Rest Area at NB Highway 99 near Tulare
• Caltrans District 6 Office, 1283 N. West Ave., next to Highway 99 in Fresno
• Caltrans Maintenance Station, 125 W. Almond Ave., next to Highway 99 in Madera