Portland General Electric and Daimler Trucks North America are co-developing “Electric Island,” a large public charging site for medium- and heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles expected to be the first of its kind in the United States. Electric Island will help accelerate the development, testing and deployment of zero emissions (tank-to-wheel) commercial vehicles, according to the announcement.

The site is under construction near Daimler Trucks North America headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to be finished by spring of 2021. It is designed to support up to nine vehicle charging stations with charging levels of up to greater than one megawatt. Electric Island will provide DTNA, PGE, and the public the opportunity to charge light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles. Plans for more chargers, on-site energy storage, solar power generation, and a product and technology showcase building are being finalized.

Electric Island aims to address the intersection of vehicles and the grid, creating new opportunities for future EV drivers and utility customers. Powered by DTNA’s enrollment in PGE’s Green Future Impact renewable energy program, the site will be greenhouse gas emissions-free, including all vehicle charging.

“In cooperation with PGE, and with the plan to expand electric vehicle charging right here in Portland to support not only our EV charging needs, but those of other drivers in the area, we are paving the way to a brighter, cleaner CO₂-neutral future," said Roger Nielsen, president and CEO of DTNA, in a release. "As the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles, we can accelerate this shift and are excited to address, holistically, the complete EV ecosystem. Daimler Trucks has made Portland our home for the past 73 years, and having been born and raised in Oregon, I am incredibly proud to help make Swan Island an Electric Island.”

Maria Pope, president and CEO of PGE, said “Oregon's transportation future is electric. We are excited to launch this cutting-edge partnership with DTNA, demonstrating what is possible when utilities and the automotive industry collaborate and innovate."

Electric Island is designed to inform both DTNA’s work in commercial electric vehicle development and PGE’s work in meeting customer charging needs. The project will provide information on:

• Use of vehicle chargers featuring power delivery of up to over one megawatt (over four times faster than today’s fastest light-duty vehicle chargers), enabling PGE and DTNA to develop best practices for cost-effective future deployments;

• Integration of heavy-duty charging technology into PGE’s Smart Grid, such as vehicle-to-grid technologies, second-life use of Daimler’s battery packs, and onsite energy generation; and

• Testing information technology opportunities such as fleet and energy management by captive solutions and services.