Penske Truck Leasing will open commercial heavy-duty electric vehicle charging stations with 14 high-speed chargers at four of its existing facilities in Southern California. These will be among the first DC fast charging stations in the US designed specifically for heavy-duty commercial electric vehicles.

The company’s near term plan includes adding at least six more chargers, bringing the total number to 20. Penske believes these are the first DC fast charging stations in the US designed specifically for heavy-duty commercial electric vehicles.

Located throughout Southern California at Penske Truck Leasing’s facilities in San Diego, Chino, Anaheim and La Mirada, these 14 chargers connect directly to a commercial truck’s battery charging system, providing a DC fast charging option for commercial electric fleets. Utilizing 50 kW to 150 kW chargers, this charging infrastructure allows Penske to power an all-electric class 8 tractor from zero to 100% charge in less than half a shift.

Penske celebrated the announcement of its new electric vehicle commercial charging capabilities at its La Mirada facility during a livestream ribbon-cutting event with the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach, California. Daimler Trucks North America’s electric class 8 Freightliner eCascadia semi-truck was on-hand as part of the charging demonstration.

Penske Truck Leasing has previously announced the addition of light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty commercial electric trucks to its fleets.