Ava Community Energy has opened a large electric vehicle fast charging station in downtown Oakland, a facility it describes as the biggest non-Tesla fast charging site currently operating in Northern California, according to Bloomberg. The installation is the first of up to 15 planned stations the agency intends to deploy across its service area by 2030.
The Oakland City Center West Garage site includes 18 chargers with 31 connectors and is designed to accommodate all major electric vehicle models. The location is intended to expand charging access in underserved communities, particularly renters, as about half of Alameda County residents lack the ability to install home charging equipment. The station is positioned near housing, workplaces and transit corridors to serve high-density areas with limited private parking.
The project was developed in partnership with EV Realty, which managed engineering, procurement and construction and will operate the site. Charging hardware is supplied by Kempower. Ava Community Energy structured the installation to align with local climate and equity plans, including Oakland’s 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan, which prioritizes expanding clean-energy infrastructure in communities facing elevated pollution exposure.
Ava serves more than 2 million customers across Alameda County and the cities of Tracy, Stockton and Lathrop. The agency plans to work with member jurisdictions to add 14 additional fast charging stations by the end of the decade. The network rollout forms part of Ava’s broader decarbonization strategy, which includes renewable energy procurement, solar deployment programs, electric bike initiatives and building electrification efforts. As a community choice aggregator, the agency reports contracting more than one gigawatt of renewable energy projects and delivering over $170 million in customer savings since launch.
