As electric vehicle sales soar in California, tech startups are racing to fill a demand for charging stations.
Costa Mesa-based Rove is one of them, breaking ground later this month on a mega-center in Santa Ana that will boast 40 fast-charging stations, a grab-and-go market, car wash, 24-hour lounge, free WiFi and restrooms.
The 1.2-acre facility, the site of a former Hometown Buffet two blocks from the 5 freeway, is expected to open in early 2024 as the first of six Rove charging centers in Southern California.
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Rove, founded in 2019 and funded by Newlight Partners in 2021, said it’s also developing charging centers in Corona, Costa Mesa, Long Beach, Torrance and Rancho Cucamonga. The Santa Ana facility will be the company’s first.
CEO Nathan McDonnell said his goal is to make EV charging more efficient and “customer-centric.”
“These are all things EV charging should be,” he said. “Our goal is to raise the bar by providing fast charging, clean amenities and onsite support.”
An EV owner since 2018, McDonnell, said he knows the frustrations of pulling into a charging station and having nowhere but his front seat to relax while the vehicle is charging.
“A lot of times they’re at shopping centers, and when you get out there’s no shade and no restrooms,” he said. “That’s always been a pain point for me. And depending on the chargers, they can be slow.”
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Rove’s system will use direct-current, 350-kilowatt fast chargers, which can fully charge an EV in under 30 minutes. The facility’s charging fees will be inline with what other charging stations charge, McDonnell said, adding that it will be able to charge all kinds of EVs.
The centers, staffed by three people during the day with a 24-hour security presence, also will keep its lounge open around the clock with vending machines stocked with food items from the center’s market, he said.
Rove also plans to generate renewable energy through the use of onsite solar panels and battery storage as a supplement to the electric grid during times of peak usage.
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McDonnell said Rove has secured land entitlements for the other five charging centers, although he can’t predict exactly when they’ll open.
“In some cases, we’re seeing 18 months from start to finish, depending on construction and finalization of the architectural drawings,” he said. “But in other cases that can take 24 to 30 months.”
In California, new EV sales lead the nation rising to 22% from 2% in the past five years, according to a Bloomberg analysis. The state ranks fourth in the world for EV sales.
Nearly 300,000 new EVs were sold in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2023, according to Cox Automotive. That was a record for any quarter and an increase of 48.4% from the same period in 2022.
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As more of them hit the road, expect demand for charging facilities to explode. A report earlier this year by Grand View Research estimates the charging infrastructure market will grow 26% through 2030.
A number of EV charging startups are growing in California thanks to partnerships with city governments.
EVgo in Los Angeles partnered with the city in 2017 and has grown to 160 charging stations and 290 chargers across the county. Greenlots, also based in Los Angeles and bought by Shell in 2019, plans to roll out half a million charging stations by 2027.
“Given the size of the market in California and automakers’ aversion to manufacturing different vehicles for different U.S. markets, California will lead the whole US market toward electrification,” Tom Ashley, Greenlots’ vice president of policy and market development, told Dot.LA in an April interview.
A groundbreaking for Rove’s Santa Ana facility — with stations capable of charging a vehicle in as little as 15 minutes — will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 28 at 1008 E. 17th St.
Rove’s other planned charging center locations:
- 1341 W. 6th St., Corona
- 1620 W. Wardlow Ave., Long Beach
- 1861 190th St., Torrance
- Rancho Cucamonga address not yet available
- Costa Mesa address not yet available
