Hillwood
Fort Worth-based Hillwood on Tuesday said it was partnering with an Austin company to develop Texas' first public commercial electric vehicle charging facility, marking a “significant leap forward in sustainable infrastructure,” the company said.
Gage Zero, an Austin-based fleet electrification solutions company that deploys and operates EV charging infrastructure, will develop, own, and operate the facility that will be located within Hillwood's AllianceTexas development in north Fort Worth.
The facility in Fort Worth will cater to trucks and last-mile fleets. It will be part of Gage Zero’s network of sites planned throughout the U.S.
“This groundbreaking initiative exemplifies our unwavering commitment to advancing sustainable infrastructure solutions that prioritize our customers' needs," said Russell Laughlin, Hillwood executive vice president, in a statement. “Through the deployment of innovative technologies, we expect to significantly enhance transportation efficiency, particularly in the crucial first and last mile segments of the logistics supply chain.”
AllianceTexas’ global logistics hub consists of the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ), BNSF Alliance Intermodal Facility, one of the largest intermodal hubs in the nation, and Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.
“Our vision is to enhance AllianceTexas' forward-thinking infrastructure ecosystem, further empowering businesses to thrive while enabling them to take steps toward meeting tomorrow's supply chain resiliency and reliability challenges.”
Gage Zero has $10 billion in combined experience deploying “innovative, utility-scale clean energy projects” around the world, according to a press release.
Last year, Gage Zero announced a commitment of $300 million from ARC Financial Corp. to develop charging infrastructure sites for medium- and heavy-duty electric fleets. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, though they make up less than 5% of vehicles on the road in the U.S. today medium- and heavy-duty fleets account for almost 25% of the transportation sector's emissions with most of that impact on local communities where those trucks operate.
“Hillwood is exactly the type of collaborator Gage Zero wants to work with to fulfill our mission,” said Zeina El-Azzi, Gage Zero founder and CEO. “As innovators and leaders in our industries, together we can solve the complexity of both land development and electrification for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in a convenient location for fleet customers. Projects like this serve as a blueprint for how fleets across the country can partner with land and clean energy developers to reduce their carbon footprint and meet sustainability goals.”
