TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. —
The 60th Civil Engineer Squadron, in conjunction with City Light & Power, Inc. and 60th Air Mobility Wing leaders, participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for new electric vehicle charging facilities at Travis Air Force Base, March 11, 2024.
The ceremony was part of the 60th CES’s ongoing EVCF project at Travis and is a key component of the Non-Tactical Vehicle Fleet Electrification pilot program. This $9 million initiative aligns with the Department of the Air Force’s strategy to enhance energy resilience and reduce emissions by accelerating the integration of zero-emission vehicles into government-owned and leased fleets. The EVCF project aims to meet objectives within the DAF Climate Action Plan and Executive Orders 14008 and 14057.
“Sometimes we think that these buildings and the infrastructure just happens, but it does not,” said Brig. Gen. Derek Salmi, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander. “It is all the engineers out there leading the way and making it happen. I appreciate the partnership, and this was an exciting day for Travis as we go forward.”
As part of the pilot phase, Travis is on track to install 34 dual-port chargers across 22 strategically selected charging sites throughout the installation.
“These sites have been chosen to optimally support our mission requirements, ensuring that our efforts contribute effectively to our overarching environmental and operational goals,” said Brandon Carrico, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron electrical engineer. “To facilitate data-driven decisions for future expansions, all EVCF sites will be equipped with metering technology to monitor charging performance. This data will be invaluable in informing our approach to scaling up the infrastructure or selecting new locations for additional charging sites.”
According to Carrico, Travis is deploying Level 2 chargers, which offer a charging speed approximately 2.4 times faster than Level 1 chargers. DAF will be exploring the implementation or ability of a “charging as a service” concept, which will enable personally-owned vehicles to be charged at a predetermined cost, further extending the benefits of this project.
Carrico stated that base personnel should not be impacted by the installation of these EVCFs.
“The impact should be limited to the parking area where the chargers will be installed,” said Carrico. “Travis AFB is installing these chargers differently than other bases by installing them off of the electric grid instead of nearby building power, so we do not need to impact any building operations.”
The 60th CES estimates that the electrical infrastructure will be completed by the end of 2024. The actual chargers will be installed to coincide with the arrival of new the EV fleet.
