Grant will help develop EV charging stations

A Colton company has secured a $15 million loan from the South Coast Air Quality Management District that it will help develop an electric vehicle charging-station corridor on Interstate 15.

Greenlane will develop the 280-mile project’s first phase in Colton, Barstow and Baker, California, according to a statement.

Further stations will be added after that, extending the development to Southern Nevada at one end San Pedro at the other. Cost of the project, which was announced in March, has not been disclosed

The AQMD grant is expected to speed up the corridor’s completion. Construction will start at the Colton site, which will include more than 60 chargers for heavy-, medium- and light-duty zero-emissions vehicles when it’s completed.

That site will be a model for the corridor’s future charging stations.

“Greenlane is clearly defining a path towards a more sustainable future not only for the transportation industry but also for residents living in San Bernardino County,” said Larry McCallon, the AQMD’s governing board member and a member of the Highland city council in the statement. “Freight transportation from the goods movement corridor has been a major source of air pollution in our region, and this project will help improve air quality and bring us closer to meeting federal standards.”

Greenlane is a joint venture between Daimler Truck North America LLC, NextEra Energy Resources LLC and BlackRock Inc., a multinational investment company. Greenlane’s goal is to develop commercial charging infrastructure stations across the United States and Canada, according to the statement