Santa Monica Begins $56 Million Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure Project

Santa Monica’s Department of Transportation is moving forward with a $56 million infrastructure project designed to support the city’s transition to a fully zero-emission Big Blue Bus fleet. The project brings together e-mobility companies ChargePoint and Eaton to develop an integrated charging and electrical power system capable of supporting the city’s growing fleet of battery-electric buses.

The Big Blue Bus program will deploy 130 DC fast-charging ports using ChargePoint’s Express Plus charging platform. Eaton will supply the electrical infrastructure needed to distribute and manage the substantial power requirements of the charging system, including medium-voltage switchgear, switchboards, panelboards, and engineering services. The infrastructure is being designed to support as many as 195 battery-electric buses. Big Blue Bus currently operates 34 zero-emission buses.

Construction began with the installation of overhead gantry charging systems, which will allow buses to recharge at the transit facility while supporting regular fleet operations. The project is primarily funded through a $53.3 million grant from California’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program.

Santa Monica officials said the investment is intended to improve air quality, reduce noise, and provide a more efficient and reliable transit system. Big Blue Bus provides more than 10 million rides each year, making reliable charging infrastructure critical to maintaining service as more diesel buses are replaced with electric models.

ChargePoint and Eaton also are working together on technologies designed to improve the connection between EVs, charging infrastructure, and the electric grid. Their collaboration includes bidirectional power flow and vehicle-to-everything capabilities, which can potentially allow electric vehicles to function as mobile energy resources or microgrids.

ChargePoint CEO Rick Wilmer described the Santa Monica deployment as one of the company’s largest transit projects, highlighting the need for scalable, high-power charging systems capable of supporting large commercial fleets while lowering total ownership costs.

ChargePoint’s fleet management software will provide monitoring of the electric buses both while they are operating on routes and when they are at the depot. The system can provide real-time information and help operators manage charging while tracking sustainability performance.

The project also demonstrates the growing importance of coordinating EV charging with electrical infrastructure. Large bus fleets can create significant power demands, making electrical distribution equipment and energy management essential components of fleet electrification.

Eaton and ChargePoint previously expanded their collaboration to develop more advanced DC charging and V2X technologies. The companies have emphasized that large-scale electrification requires coordination between vehicle manufacturers, charging providers, electrical equipment companies, utilities, and fleet operators.

Eaton executives have also pointed to the potential for advanced DC charging architectures to reduce infrastructure costs and physical space requirements. By using higher-powered charging cabinets and distributing DC power more efficiently, charging systems can potentially serve more vehicles within a limited footprint while reducing both capital and operating expenses.