Electrify America has launched its most advanced electric vehicle (EV) charging station to date in Santa Barbara, California, integrating a 1.9-megawatt battery energy storage system to support 20 ultra-fast charging dispensers. Located at 36 West Carillo Street—the site of a former Greyhound Bus depot—the station is designed to accommodate up to 20 EVs simultaneously, each capable of receiving up to 350 kilowatts (kW) of power. The battery system, the largest deployed by Electrify America, stores energy during off-peak hours and releases it during high-demand periods, reducing strain on the local grid.
High-Capacity Charging Meets Urban Demand
The Santa Barbara station is the fourth large-format facility Electrify America has opened in California, following locations in Santa Monica, San Diego, and San Francisco. According to the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), the company currently operates 1,149 DC fast charging stations across 47 states and the District of Columbia, totaling more than 5,700 individual fast-charging ports.
Rob Barrosa, President and CEO of Electrify America, described the station as a model for future charging infrastructure. "This facility represents the next evolution of EV charging, combining high-power dispensers with battery storage to provide reliable, scalable capacity in urban environments," Barrosa said. "The design allows us to deploy Hyper-Fast charging in areas where grid limitations have historically made it difficult."
The battery storage system is a key feature of the Santa Barbara station, addressing two persistent challenges in EV charging: grid capacity and urban accessibility. By storing energy when demand is low and discharging it during peak hours, the system enables the station to maintain full power output without overloading local infrastructure. This approach could prove particularly valuable in cities where grid upgrades are expensive or logistically complex.