First-of-its-Kind ‘Electric Island’ Public Charging Station Recognized by Fast Company’s ‘Innovation by Design’ Awards

Daimler Trucks North America, Portland General Electric and Black & Veatch awarded with honorable mention for sustainability

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the first-of-its-kind, high-capacity public charging station for medium- and heavy-duty commercial electric vehicles (EVs), “Electric Island” in Portland, Oregon, has earned honorable mention in the sustainability category of Fast Company magazine’s 2021 “Innovation by Design” awards.

Drawing on the power of creativity and collaboration as the market for battery electric truck models accelerates, Electric Island – opened in April 2021 near Daimler Trucks North America’s (DTNA) headquarters – began as a collaboration between the truck manufacturer and Portland General Electric (PGE). Black & Veatch, a global leader in EV infrastructure, completed the project design, engineering and construction.

Designed to handle megawatt-level charging, at a rate four times faster than most of today’s fast-charging options, the Electric Island design also incorporates flexibility as a charging test bed. Plans for future on-site energy storage, solar power generation, and a product and technology showcase building are under development. Electric Island is a proving ground for innovation and scalability for various chargers, grid integration and reliability to meet the demands of commercial fleets.

As one of the industry’s most-sought after design awards, Fast Company’s Innovation by Design competition, now in its 10^th year, honors creative work at the intersection of design, business and innovation, recognizing the people, companies and trends that have steadily advanced design to the forefront of the business conversation.

Judges include renowned designers from various disciplines, business leaders from some of the world’s most innovative companies, and Fast Company’s writers and editors. Entries are judged on the key tenets of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, and cultural and business impact.

“As countries, companies and communities around the world continue ambitious pursuits of decarbonization, Electric Island represents what the future of electrified transportation can and will look like,” said Paul Stith, Black & Veatch’s director of global transportation initiatives. “This recognition by Fast Company affirms that we’re on a solid path to remove the infrastructure barriers through teamwork and innovation.”

“Design is not just a beauty contest,” said Stephanie Mehta, Fast Company’s editor-in-chief. “It’s something that can change the world and create solutions in a time when we face pressing global issues such as systemic racism, climate change and a global pandemic. Many of these entries showcase these challenges while providing hope for the future through their steadfast commitment to elevate design.”

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch is an employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2020 exceeded US$3.0 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com.

Editor’s Notes:

• Watch videos and learn more about the Electric Island project development.