Electric Era Opens New Mexico's First NEVI-funded EV Charging Site, Demonstrates Industry-Leading Deployment Speed Beating Tesla

Seattle-based EV charging solution partner, Electric Era, combines its unprecedented charging technology and install time with the efficiency of its Grants and Implementation teams to be the very first NEVI site in New Mexico.

SEATTLE, Jan. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric Era, the end-to-end EV charging solution partner, opens New Mexico's first fast-charging EV station (Level 3) funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. Electric Era beat out Tesla and all other awardees to achieve the first NEVI-funded station in New Mexico. 

To rapidly develop the site in just over six months for Skycharger, the site owner, Electric Era combined its patented technology with turnkey solutions that included site acquisition, station design, utility coordination, and construction. Furthermore, Electric Era collaborated closely with Columbus Electric Co-Op and site host Bowlin's Travel Centers, located in Akela Flats along the key I-10 corridor in Deming, N.M.

This is the first of 18 NEVI sites that Electric Era is building for Skycharger in California, New Mexico and other states.

The speed of the company's first NEVI site demonstrates Electric Era's agility to meet urgent EV fast-charging needs, all while delivering a seamless, quality charging experience, plus the unique ability to circumvent capital intensive upgrades with its patented battery-backed design.

"Our track record of exceeding 98 percent uptime per charging port not only exceeds the NEVI requirements, it also demonstrates that reliable EV charging infrastructure can actually exceed the availability of traditional gas stations," said Quincy Lee, CEO of Electric Era. "Through innovative battery-backed solutions and efficient grid utilization, we're building charging infrastructure that drivers can consistently rely on."

The site features two 400kW EV fast-chargers, capable of charging four EVs simultaneously at a minimum of 150kW.

Strategically designed and tailored to advance NEVI-funded projects
Since entering the market alongside the NEVI program's launch in 2022, Electric Era's patented, reliable and battery-backed EV-charging stations combined with its streamlined team to manage and deliver comprehensive end-to-end EV charging solutions make it the tailor-made NEVI project partner.

To date, Electric Era has secured and is executing on 31 NEVI site awards across the U.S. and is the most-awarded vendor of battery-backed EV charging stations.

The New Mexico project proves Electric Era's NEVI deployment strategy:

• Reliability: Electric Era's patented and battery-backed solution delivers more than 98 percent uptime per port (exceeding 97 percent NEVI requirement), ensuring charging stations are operational and ready for use. (Uptime is the percentage of time a charging port is available and functional)
• Streamlined team: Comprehensive collaboration and laser-like focus between Electric Era's Grants and Implementation teams supports rapid deployment
• Speed to Market: Industry-leading deployment time demonstrates how Electric Era's battery-backed solution allows it to bypass traditional infrastructure constraints (circumventing more than 3 year long transformer lead times)
• Cost Efficiency: The patented technology combined with the battery-backed solution not only improves reliability but also provides significant cost savings on large grid upgrades and demand charges.
• Investing in America: Electric Era creates skilled American jobs through local construction and maintenance operations

"These projects demonstrate how American innovation can deliver reliable charging infrastructure at scale," added Director of Government Partnerships, Kyle Rowe. "We're not just installing chargers – we're building and maintaining highly available infrastructure that drivers can count on, while creating jobs and strengthening our nation's charging network."

The NEVI program calls for state-level Department of Transportation offices to first install a highly reliable and high-power EV fast charging station every 50 miles on U.S. highways. This puts the network's gap areas, often grid constrained, rural areas, into focus. Electric Era's solutions are perfect for this challenge.

Electric Era will continue to publicly share its performance metrics and uptime data, maintaining transparency with state DOTs and the public through standardized reporting tools and regular updates.

Unleashing American Energy Executive Order: With the new change in administration, uncertainty around NEVI funding continues to circulate.

EVs combined with the NEVI funding program were another path for American energy independence, national security, and helping to expand consumer choice.

President Trump's "Unleashing American Energy" executive order calls for halting disbursements and delaying funding to ongoing EV charging infrastructure projects that fill key gap areas of the American energy landscape along key highways and commuting corridors.

While no government program is perfect, the NEVI funding program was designed to increase the quality of charging infrastructure for drivers (97% uptime requirement), backed by financial penalties for non-compliance and providing accountability to the American taxpayer.

"We believe in American energy independence and consumer choice, and our customers, along with Republican and Democratic state DOTs, have voiced their position to see the current NEVI funding program completed," added Lee. "Are there improvements that can be made to NEVI? Absolutely. We look forward to working with the Federal Highway Administration as they review the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs like NEVI."

For more information about Electric Era, visit www.electricera.tech.

About Electric Era
Electric Era is a leading EV charging station company on a mission to decarbonize and electrify transportation by powering all of EV charging for retailers. With a vision to accelerate the world into the Electric Era, the company focuses on delivering innovative, reliable, and retail-centric charging solutions that enhance both the driver experience and retailer operations.

SOURCE Electric Era