ALPINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EVPassport announced a new partnership with the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indian Tribe and Maada’oozh to deliver the largest EV charging superhub in North America beginning in Spring 2024. The Viejas Charging Superhub at the Viejas Casino and Resort will offer 410 L2 chargers and 8 dual port DC Fast Chargers for its customers. This new Hub will also provide charging services to people traveling on Interstate 8, which connects San Diego and Phoenix, AZ, and is a designated Alternative Fuel Corridor (AFC) in California.
The decision to move forward with the Viejas EV Charging Superhub was approved by the Viejas Tribal Council lead by Chairman John Christman in late August 2023.
“The Viejas are using its resources to do our part to solve the climate and energy crisis,” said Erich Hans the Viejas Director of Treasury and Chief Financial Officer. “Our customers want EV Charging options at our Casino and Resort, so we are delivering them that, but we also want to help the community, region and state by building a game-changing EV Charging Superhub to provide options on Highway 8 and to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.”
“The mission for Maada’oozh is to help its customers achieve their energy goals with equipment and materials that are sustainable, renewable, and cost effective. We are proud to have worked with the Viejas and EVPassport, to develop this project." said Dr. Craig Reiter Maada’oozh’s General Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer. ”We work to ensure that our business is having a positive impact on the environment, our communities, and the finances of our customers, and we partners with companies that share the values of and support Native American Tribes.
“EVPassport is building the nation’s most reliable and easy-to-use charging network, and this hub is a critical piece of it,” said Hooman Shahidi, CEO of EVPassport. “When completed, this super hub will be the largest in the United States and will bring charging to both the guests of the Viejas resort but to the thousands who travel on the I-8 corridor every day. Private sector investment like this, coupled with public sector partnerships, will help us build out a charging network that will accelerate the adoption of EV’s. EVPassport is proud to partner with the Viejas and Maada’oozh to deliver these chargers in the Spring of 2024.”
The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians are a progressive Native American Tribe in Southern California that are leading the way in reducing the harmful impacts of climate change by making its reservation sustainable and carbon-free. In addition to the EV Charging Superhub, The Viejas, in partnership with Indian Energy, LLC, a 100% Native-Owned energy developer, and the California Energy Commission (CEC), are in the process of building a Solar PV and Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) microgrid to power its casino, two hotels, restaurants and outlet center. The Viejas Enterprise Microgrid will offset millions of tons of carbon from the power grid using onsite renewable generation. The microgrid will also serve as a resilient and reliable energy system providing continuity of operations for the Viejas during Public Safety Power Shut-off (PSPS) events. The Tribe is also renovating all its commercial buildings with state-of-the-art energy efficient equipment to reduce its energy consumption and electricity costs.
Maada’oozh, LLC is a Native-Owned Distribution, Logistics and Maintenance company providing energy services to Native American Tribes, the US Military and customers who seek sustainable energy solutions. They are an expert in sustainability and have provided sustainable solutions to the energy industry for over 24 years.
EVPassport, Inc, is the Nation’s most reliable EV Charging Network. The company was founded by a team of leaders across technologies, enterprise software, and financial services. Together, the founding team represents experience from companies such as Twitter, Oracle, Salesforce, Booz Allen, and the White House. EVPassport is the technological evolution of EV charging software and hardware for forward-thinking companies around the world who place high value on the satisfaction of their customers. EVPassport is based out of Venice, California, that is backed by Northleaf Capital Partners, a $25-billion-dollar private equity firm. Some of EVPassport’s customers include Viejas Casino and Resort, Aqua Caliente Casinos, Brookfield, Hilton, Marriott, LaSalle, JLL, InterPark, and many more.
