EV Charging Where Vehicles Already Stop: Lessons for LA

Introduction

Most conversations about EV charging begin with the charger. A more useful question for a Los Angeles property owner is where vehicles already stop for a while, because that is where charging fits with the least disruption to the business. Three announcements made between October 23 and November 2 all point to the same idea, and a Los Angeles utility rebate program that plans a new enrollment this month gives it a local angle. At Shaffer Construction, we plan and build commercial EV charging infrastructure across Los Angeles, and here is what these stories mean for the electrical work behind a project.

Two of the announcements come from outside the United States, and one concerns a single site in Georgia. None of them is a Los Angeles project, and we will not pretend otherwise. They are useful because they show how operators are solving problems that Los Angeles owners face too, including limited electrical capacity, tight space, and the need to match charging speed to the time a vehicle actually sits.

A Restaurant Parking Lot Becomes a Fast-Charging Site in Georgia

On November 2, Electrek reported that a company called Energized EV has opened four fast-charging ports at a Hardee's restaurant in Temple, Georgia. The site uses two dual-port XCharge C7 chargers rated at 240 kilowatts each, with software from Monta and both NACS and CCS1 connectors. Electrek also reported that the Temple site is meant to be the start of a rollout at Hardee's and Carl's Jr. locations across the country.

There are important gaps in what has been disclosed, and they matter. Electrek says no site count or schedule has been announced, and it did not list charging prices for Temple. It also did not name any specific Carl's Jr. location. So the accurate summary is that one Georgia site is open and a wider rollout has been described in general terms. It would be a mistake to assume chargers are coming to any particular Los Angeles restaurant.

The logic of the idea is still worth studying. A restaurant visit is a natural time to charge. A meal takes a predictable amount of time, so a driver who wants a meaningful charge during that visit generally calls for DC fast charging rather than a Level 2 port, although the energy a given vehicle needs varies. The electrical consequence is significant. Two 240 kilowatt units can draw a very large load at once, so a restaurant lot has to be able to deliver it, which is a very different job from running a few circuits for lighting and kitchen equipment.

For a Los Angeles retailer, restaurant owner, or shopping center landlord, the lesson is to start with dwell time. If customers stay thirty minutes, fast charging may be a fit. If they stay two hours at a medical office or a gym, Level 2 charging may serve them just as well at a fraction of the electrical cost. We cover that tradeoff in more detail in our guide to commercial EV charger installation cost in Los Angeles.

Overhead Charging in Existing Loading Docks in Slough, England

The second story is about trucks rather than cars. In a press release dated October 23, Kempower described how its overhead charging equipment is being used at the first electrified truck depot of the UK food wholesaler Bidfood, in Slough. Four charging bays sit inside the depot's existing loading docks. Four control units hang from a gantry, each paired with a cable arm so that the plug is reached from above instead of from a ground-mounted cabinet.

The power arrangement is the most instructive detail. According to the release, a single 600 kilowatt power unit feeds the four control units dynamically, and each control unit can deliver up to 160 kilowatts. That suggests the site does not need to be built for four full-power sessions at the same moment. Trucks charge during loading stops that last from 45 minutes to two hours, which fits the way the depot already works. The release says two electric trucks are operating at the site today, and it notes that Bidfood runs more than 1,200 trucks in the UK. This is a vendor announcement, not an independent performance review.

Even so, the design approach carries over to Los Angeles warehouses, distribution centers, and delivery yards. Sharing one power source among several bays, and charging while a vehicle is already being loaded, can reduce both the amount of new electrical capacity and the amount of ground space a project needs. A utility will still have to approve the service, and the arrangement has to be coordinated with the building's switchgear, but it is the kind of option an owner should ask about before committing to one dedicated charger for every stall. Our article on a battery-backed EV charging depot in Brooklyn looked at another way of working around a limited connection.

A Charger With a Battery Built In

The third announcement addresses the problem of waiting for more power. On October 27, EV Infrastructure News reported that the British company Allye Energy has launched the Allye MEV, a depot charger with built-in storage made from repurposed EV battery packs. The company says the unit can deliver up to 400 kilowatts to two vehicles at once, even when it is connected to a supply as small as 16 amps, because it stores energy from the available supply and can release it quickly when vehicles arrive.

Prices start at 70,000 British pounds, and deliveries are expected from the second quarter of 2027. The performance claims come from the manufacturer, and the product is not yet delivered, so they should be treated as promises to verify. The product is described as a UK product, so California availability and required equipment listings would need to be confirmed with the manufacturer before specifying it here.

The broader point is still relevant. In Los Angeles, a new or upgraded utility service can take a long time to arrange, and many properties have only a small amount of spare capacity. Charging equipment that includes storage, or that manages load carefully, is one way to make use of the capacity a building already has. Storage has limits, though. Stored energy is finite, and a 16-amp supply limits how quickly it can replenish, so peak output does not establish sustained daily throughput. Whether it makes sense depends on measured demand, which is why the first step is an electrical load study, not a hardware purchase.

What Is Different in Los Angeles: LADWP Plans New Enrollment

Now to the Los Angeles piece. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power runs a Commercial EV Charger Rebate Program. The program page, last updated October 10, says applications are currently closed and that LADWP plans a new enrollment opportunity in November 2026, with revised terms, funding amounts, and documentation requirements. Nothing on the page guarantees the date, so the enrollment should be treated as planned, not confirmed.

LADWP says rebate amounts and terms may change, so the terms listed now should not be treated as the November numbers. As an illustration, the current listing includes up to $5,000 for Level 2 chargers at qualifying multifamily or public sites in a disadvantaged community. LADWP reviews grid impact before installation, and the page says customers can submit plans year-round through its portal.

Because the design review does not wait for an enrollment window, a property owner can do the engineering now and be ready if enrollment opens as planned. The load study, the single-line layout, the charger selection, and the permit plan all take time, and the page notes that rebates may be prioritized based on project readiness. Our guide to when Los Angeles businesses need electrical load studies explains what that first step involves.

A Local Reminder About Fleet Charging and Neighbors

One Los Angeles County example shows why site planning is not only an electrical question. In a July 28 announcement, the City of Santa Monica said a Los Angeles County Superior Court had granted its request for a preliminary injunction, issued July 27, that barred overnight operations from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. at Waymo's charging and servicing facilities at 1222 and 1310 Broadway while the public nuisance case proceeds. The court found the city had shown a reasonable probability of winning on the claim that noise, lights, and traffic interfered with nearby residents.

The situation has since become more complicated. The Santa Monica Daily Press reported in a story first published September 15 and updated October 30 that an appeals court stayed that injunction while the appeal is pending. The article does not report what happened at an October 23 status conference, so the current operating status of those lots should be confirmed before anyone relies on it. We mention the case only as a planning lesson. Whenever a charging depot sits near homes, noise, lighting, truck routes, and operating hours deserve attention at the design stage, not after neighbors complain.

What a Los Angeles Owner Can Do This Month

Taken together, these stories suggest a sensible order of work. First, decide how long vehicles will actually stay, because that determines whether the site needs Level 2 charging or DC fast charging. Second, measure what the building can support, since a load study replaces guesses with real demand data. Third, ask whether shared power, load management, or storage could reduce the size of the electrical upgrade. Fourth, look at the location of the equipment, including trenching distance, space for conduit, lighting, and the effect on neighbors. Fifth, line up the permit and utility paperwork so the project is ready if LADWP enrollment opens as planned. Our EV charger installation guide for Los Angeles walks through the permit side of that process.

Conclusion

A restaurant in Georgia, a loading dock in England, and a battery-equipped charger from the UK are far from Los Angeles, but they all show operators fitting charging into places where vehicles already stop and power is already limited. The local news is the LADWP rebate program, which the utility says it plans to open for a new enrollment in November with revised terms. Owners who prepare their load calculations and plans now will be in a better position if enrollment opens as planned.

If you own or manage a business, multifamily building, warehouse, or parking facility in Los Angeles and want to understand what your electrical system can support, Shaffer Construction, Inc. can help with load studies, permitting, and installation. Call 323-642-8509, email hello@shaffercon.com, or visit shaffercon.com to request an estimate.