“We feel that there’s a very comfortable place we can offer, where all types of fueling is present, and there’s conveniences. There’s offerings that make it very comfortable,” said Hamo Rostamian, president of HRI, a California-based commercial and retail developer, describing the concept behind the new Lebec Travel Center in northeast Los Angeles County, just off of Interstate 5.
The Lebec Travel Center will eventually include 112 Tesla fast-chargers and other amenities like an updated and modernized 7-Eleven convenience store, designed not only for quick walk-in traffic, but consumers who may want to hang out while their car charges. The travel center will also have gas pumps to serve the other 75 percent of vehicles on California roadways.
“We have come up with a concept which is, essentially, a comprehensive approach to fueling,” Rostamian said. “And we believe the consumer must have, and is demanding to have, options in the same location.”
Today, the project includes nearly 40 chargers, with the remaining 90-plus planned to be online by July 4, and the 7-Eleven to be open then, or soon after, the HRI president said.
The store will feature an electric vehicle “EV lounge,” designed as a “hospitality component … that is inviting to the EV audience,” Rostamian said.
“This is kind of, for us, a major step,” he added, noting the combination of the somewhat upscale convenience store paired with multiple fueling and charging options represents the future of travel centers. “We’re making a statement that all forms of fueling is really what moves us, and we have to be respectful of the consumer demand and make the offering, and let them make the choice.”
Another brand being developed by HRI is known as the High Voltage Lounge, which is imagined as a cafe-type experience with an espresso bar and other features in a contemporary modern setting, signaling the forward-looking direction of car travel.
“Think of an Apple Store,” Rostamian said.
State agencies and charging providers are also touting the completion of other charging infrastructure projects in Colorado. The state partnered with ChargePoint to develop six EV fast charging corridors across the state with 33 fast-charging locations. The projects are part of the Colorado EV Fast Charging Corridors program which launched in 2018, with $10 million in funding from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program and the Volkswagen trust settlement. This initiative is separate from the state’s participation in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which is making $57 million available to Colorado to further develop its EV charging network.
“Colorado is the national leader in EV sales, with electric vehicles making up 25.3 percent of new car sales in the third quarter of 2024,” Matt Mines, associate director of transportation at the Colorado Energy Office, said via email. “With tens of millions of dollars in state and federal investment, the state is committed to building out public fast-charging infrastructure in local communities and along major transportation routes to accommodate Colorado’s rapidly growing EV adoption. Developing a robust public charging network ensures that Colorado drivers can feel confident getting where they need to go in an EV.”
The state does not set the electricity rates drivers pay to use the chargers, officials said, though it does offer recommendations. Chargers developed with state funds are required to maintain at least a 97 percent uptime, to give drivers confidence that the charger they pull up to will be operable.
“This project is a testament to the leadership we’re seeing across the country at a state level to accelerate the buildout of a robust charging network for all EV drivers,” Rick Wilmer, ChargePoint CEO, said in a statement. “Public-private partnerships such as our relationship with the Colorado Energy Office continue to play a critical role in building out charging infrastructure.”
ChargePoint has formed a partnership with General Motors to serve the automaker’s GM Energy brand of high-speed charging stations with a seamless plug-and-charge platform using ChargePoint’s new Omni Port system. GM Energy has also partnered with charging network EVgo to support GM Energy. The Omni Port system allows vehicles using either the Combined Charging System (CCS) or North American Charging System (NACS) to access the chargers without requiring a plug adapter. The NACS was developed by Tesla, and is quickly being adopted by more car-makers, evolving into an industry standard. SAE International, which develops and sets charging standards, has established the NACS as the industry standard.
Back in California, the Lebec Travel Center will include no CCS charging ports.
“With the decision that was just made internationally, I think that’s the direction it’s going to go. I think it makes it so much easier,” Rostamian said.
