Otay Mesa, CA — San Diego Gas & Electric has deployed four high-power fast-charging stations at the Truck Net facility, marking a tactical expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure at the U.S./Mexico border. The installation provides 250-kilowatt capacity chargers capable of bringing medium-duty box trucks from a 20% charge to 80% in less than 60 minutes, with full charges completed in under two hours.

This location sits at a critical choke point where nearly one million commercial trucks and five million passenger vehicles transit the Otay Mesa Port of Entry annually. Long wait times at the border often force idling engines to burn fuel for hours, contributing to localized air quality issues in the San Diego region. The project aims to mitigate these emissions by providing a reliable energy source for electric-powered fleets operating in the immediate vicinity of the border crossing.

The California Energy Commission provided a $200,000 grant through its Clean Transportation Program to fund this specific infrastructure site. This grant is part of a larger, billion-dollar investment strategy that has supported alternative fuel technology for over a decade. SDG&E is managing this rollout under its Power Your Drive for Fleets initiative, which provides financial incentives and technical support to carriers looking to transition their equipment. These developments align with state executive orders mandating that all new medium and heavy-duty trucks sold in California must be zero-emission by 2045.

What This Means for Drivers

For the average CDL-A driver or owner-operator running short-haul routes in Southern California, these chargers represent a shift in how daily operations are planned. Access to 250-kilowatt power levels allows for rapid turnaround times that were previously impossible with slower Level 2 equipment. Any OTR truck driver or local operator moving goods across the border should account for these charging windows in their daily logs to avoid downtime. As more trucking companies are hiring for electrified fleet roles, understanding the charging infrastructure at major hubs like Otay Mesa will become a standard part of the job.

Industry Reaction

State officials, including California Energy Commissioner Patty Monahan and San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas, have framed this project as a necessary step for cross-border logistics. The focus remains on scaling a network that can handle the transition to zero-emission vehicles without disrupting the flow of trade. While the transition remains a point of contention for many in the industry, the deployment of this technology signals that the state is moving forward with its infrastructure commitments regardless of current fleet adoption rates.

Key Points

• Four 250-kilowatt fast chargers are now operational at the Truck Net facility in Otay Mesa.
• Medium-duty trucks can achieve an 80% charge in under an hour at this location.
• The California Energy Commission funded the project with a $200,000 grant.
• California aims for all new medium and heavy-duty truck sales to be zero-emission by 2045.

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