The city of Santa Barbara, California has a new EV fast charger station, courtesy of Volkswagen subsidiary and charging solution firm Electrify America.

Located at the site of a former Greyhound Bus station in downtown Santa Barbara, the charging station features a suite of 20 “hyper-fast” chargers, capable of delivering 350 kW. At peak performance, that could deliver up to 20 miles of driving range for EVs per minute, provided those EVs accept high-power charging options.

Additionally, the charging station contains a 1.9 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) unit. The system represents Electrify America’s largest public BESS deployment to date, according to Electrify America president and CEO Rob Barrosa, and will be able to recharge itself during periods of high solar generation.

“This large-format station showcases the next evolution of charging infrastructure, combining high-power charging with integrated battery energy storage to deliver reliable capacity at scale,” he says. “By incorporating advanced storage technology, we’re able to bring Hyper-Fast charging to locations that have traditionally been difficult to serve, while making it easy for customers to integrate charging into their daily routines in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.”

Improving Golden State infrastructure

Electrify America’s new location is the firm’s second in the Santa Barbara charging market, officials say. Additionally, the fast charger port is one of four large-format stations in California as a whole, as it joins locations in Santa Monica, San Diego and San Francisco.

The large stations around the state include 20 or more chargers, and are part of Electrify America’s wider strategy. The company says it aims to not only reduce wait times, but increase charging capacity as EV power demand continues to grow.

“With gas prices remaining a burden on working families, the move to electric is a matter of savings,” says Sen. Monique Limón, president pro tempore of the California State Senate. “By expanding our public charging network, we are making it easier for Californians to choose a vehicle that costs significantly less to fuel and maintain. Our legislative goal is simple: make the cleanest choice the easiest and most affordable choice for every driver in the state.”

Once fully operational, the new EV fast charger station will offer a total of 20 chargers with combined charging system (CCS) connectors. Later this year, the company will convert some of those connectors to the Tesla-developed North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors as part of an ongoing company pilot program.

“Increasing charging infrastructure is critical for speeding up our statewide transition to zero-emission vehicles,” says Gregg Hart, member of the California State Assembly for the 37th district, which covers Santa Barbara and nearby San Luis Obispo. “As we help drivers make the shift, we are reducing California’s carbon footprint, improving the air quality of our communities, and—importantly—saving consumers money at the gas pump. I am proud to support these efforts.”

As of June 2026, Electrify America has pledged to invest more than $2 billion in Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure. The company’s fast charging network currently operates in 47 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C.

Tags: California, Electrify America, EV, EV chargers, project