Depot Builders and Integrators

developers · EPC · hardware · software

Fleets increasingly buy charging as a service from developers who own the site. The contractor on the critical path is the one handling the medium-voltage connection.

Grid of who builds a fleet depot, by role, in the United States and Europe versus China. Developers and owners: Terawatt, Voltera, WattEV, Greenlane, Forum Mobility; in China State Grid, TELD, Star Charge and CATL's Qiji Energy. EPC and medium-voltage power: Black and Veatch, Burns and McDonnell, Quanta; in China PowerChina, China Energy Engineering and grid-company design institutes. Chargers: ABB, Kempower, Alpitronic, Tesla, Siemens; in China TELD, Star Charge, Huawei Digital Power, XCharge. Battery storage: Tesla, Fluence, FlexGen, Wartsila; in China CATL, BYD, Sungrow, Hithium. Software: Ampcontrol, The Mobility House, Geotab; in China the operators' own platforms. WHO BUILDS A FLEET DEPOT United States and EuropeChina Developer, owner Terawatt, Voltera WattEV, Greenlane, Forum State Grid, TELD Star Charge, CATL Qiji EPC and MV power Black & Veatch Burns & McDonnell, Quanta PowerChina, CEEC grid design institutes Chargers ABB, Kempower Alpitronic, Tesla, Siemens TELD, Star Charge Huawei, XCharge Battery storage Tesla, Fluence FlexGen, Wartsila CATL, BYD Sungrow, Hithium Software Ampcontrol The Mobility House, Geotab TELD, Star Charge operator platforms
Terawatt debt facility
up to $300M
Delivery models
three
Critical path
MV connection
China builders
grid cos., TELD
Hub
Charging

Finding

US depots are shifting to developers that own the land, power and chargers and sell charging as a service, while China's depots are built by grid companies and charging operators

Terawatt, which owns its real estate, grid connections, chargers and software and serves autonomous and commercial fleets, closed a debt facility of up to $300 million in June 2026. Voltera, WattEV, Forum Mobility at the Port of Long Beach and Greenlane - the Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy Resources and BlackRock venture - follow the same model. In China, State Grid, China Southern Grid, TELD and Star Charge build and run depots, and CATL's Qiji Energy builds battery-swap stations for heavy trucks.

Charging as a service moves the capital cost and the utility work off the fleet's balance sheet in exchange for a long-term per-kWh or per-stall contract. Large owner-operators - Amazon, UPS, FedEx, transit agencies and school-bus contractors - still build their own depots with a hired EPC, often using utility make-ready programs that pay for the service up to the charger. Either way, the schedule is set by the medium-voltage service, transformer and switchgear, so the EPC with substation experience matters more than the charger brand. Greenlane's I-45 truck lanes in Dallas and Houston are covered on the AustinIO page on Texas EV charging infrastructure.

The supplier base has consolidated. Siemens bought Heliox in 2024, Exicom bought Tritium the same year, Schneider Electric owns EV Connect, and Oshkosh owns the former JBT AeroTech airport equipment business. Powin filed for Chapter 11 in 2025 and FlexGen acquired its assets, a reminder to check the balance sheet of any integrator promising a 20-year service contract.

Roles

Who does what

Depot roles and representative firms
RoleDeliversUS and EuropeChina
Developer and ownerSite, power, chargers, long-term operationTerawatt, Voltera, WattEV, Forum Mobility, Greenlane, Zeem, EV Realty, bp pulse, Milence (Europe)State Grid, China Southern Grid, TELD, Star Charge, CATL Qiji Energy (truck swap)
EPC and power engineeringMV design, substations, switchgear, civil worksBlack & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell, Rosendin, Quanta ServicesPowerChina, China Energy Engineering (CEEC), provincial grid design institutes
Charger hardwareDC cabinets and dispensers, MCS, AC pedestalsABB E-mobility, Kempower, Alpitronic, Siemens (Heliox), Tesla, BTC Power, ChargePointTELD, Star Charge, XCharge, Huawei Digital Power, Infypower (modules)
Battery and microgridBESS, power conversion, microgrid controllersTesla Megapack, Fluence, FlexGen, Wartsila, Schneider Electric, Scale MicrogridsCATL, BYD, Sungrow, Hithium, NARI
SoftwareCharger management, EMS, fleet telematicsAmpcontrol, The Mobility House, EV Connect (Schneider), Geotab, SamsaraTELD and Star Charge platforms, Huawei FusionCharge

Delivery models

Three ways a depot gets built

Depot delivery models
ModelWho pays capitalWho carries the riskExamples
Owner-operatedFleetFleet: utilization, uptime, utility scheduleAmazon, UPS, FedEx, transit agencies
Charging as a serviceDeveloperDeveloper; fleet signs a long-term charging contractTerawatt, Voltera, WattEV, Zeem
Utility or grid-company ledUtility make-ready or grid companyRatepayers for the service; fleet or operator for chargersCalifornia make-ready programs; State Grid depots in China

Sector specialists

Ports, airports and mines need specialists

Sector-specialist integrators
SectorSpecialistsWhat changes
Ports and terminalsABB, Cavotec, Kalmar, Konecranes, ZPMC (China)Integration with terminal operating systems, shore power, automated equipment
AirportsOshkosh AeroTech, TLD, ABBAirside safety rules, ground support equipment duty cycles
Mines and plantsEpiroc, Sandvik, Caterpillar, Komatsu, Liebherr, ABB; XCMG and Sany (China)Trolley assist, battery swap, tie-in to existing substations

Sources

Sources and scope

Scope
Fleet Depot Builders and Integrators
Sources
Electrive (Terawatt financing, June 2026); company announcements; ElectronsX
Updated
October 2026