The StackCharge, a Culver City-based company working on electric vehicle charging stations, has acquired a 1.3-acre site in Baker for its first charging station.
LL Development, which has the same ownership as StackCharge, is responsible for the acquisition and development of the sites.
Led by dentist and entrepreneur Lawrence Fung and real estate developer Lester Ciudad Real, StackCharge is looking to rival traditional gas stations by turning electric vehicle charging facilities into a modern hub with elevated experiences, according to a release from the company. Each hub will include quick-service restaurants, outdoor lounge areas, 24/7 restroom facilities, Wi-Fi and more.
Fung, the chief executive of the company, said with the rise in demand for electric vehicles he saw a way to reinvent the charging experience.
“Existing EV charging sites offer a poor user experience due to the lack of amenities, slow charge times, and inconvenient locations,” Fung said in a statement. “We are aiming to redefine electric car charging by turning stations into modern hubs with experience-driven amenities.”
Located at 56383 Mojave Pointe Rd., the Baker site is situated off Interstate 15, a primary thoroughfare that connects Los Angeles with Las Vegas. The property will be repositioned to include 40 DC fast-charging stations. Unlike standard EV chargers, DC units can recharge vehicles in 15 to 30 minutes, providing upwards of 200 miles of range per charge, the company’s release stated.
According to an article at Charged, a publication that covers the electric vehicle sector, eight of the hub’s chargers will be “universal charging stations,” leading to speculation that the remaining units are Tesla Superchargers.
Construction on the Baker site is expected to begin in the fourth quarter and be completed in the second quarter of next year.
The nearly 2,500-square-foot vacant drive-thru retail space will be leased to a quick-service restaurant tenant and upgraded to include an outdoor lounge and waiting area, the release said.
The company is looking to build 10 charging hubs in Southern California in the next year, according to Charged, including locations in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego Counties.
Following those hubs, it will continue its growth in Northern California and other areas with high EV usage.
“We are looking to acquire sites that have strong retail real estate fundamentals and benefit from high transit traffic as we anticipate demand to skyrocket as EVs continue to dominate the market,” Real said in a statement.
