Unique charger for electric vehicles debuts in Northern California

(FOX40.COM) — A Bay Area-based company that specializes in manufacturing solar-powered, portable electric vehicle charging stations is introducing the technology to the Sacramento region.

Paired Power, based in Campbell, California, is the company behind the “PairTree,” a solar-powered electric vehicle charging system capable of charging two vehicles at a time.

The charging station made its debut in downtown Davis on Tuesday in the Boy Scout Parking Lot at 616 First St.

Paired Power CEO Tom McCalmont said, “It’s an honor to be selected to provide the first public solar microgrid charger for the city of Davis delivering renewable energy for EV charging.”

Mayor of Davis Josh Chapman said the city chose PairTree because of its “quick-to-install solution that greatly lessens construction time and costs compared to a traditional fixed charger installation.”

He added that the location of the charging station was chosen because it is right off Interstate 80 and in the heart of downtown Davis.

The city of Davis said the PairTree chargers will be free “initially,” and didn’t state a specific timeframe for when that could change. It also said the charging stations won’t collect any personal information while being used, but it will “collect aggregated data” about sessions and usage for sustainability reports.

The city also plans to install another PairTree at Playfields Park, 2500 Research Park Drive, by fall 2024, adding that because of their portability, the stations can always be moved to other locations based on the community’s needs.

The building of the charging station was funded by about $2 million from Electrify Yolo, a grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments awarded to Davis in 2018.

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