California awards $4M to launch Capital Charge Yard EV Charging Testing Lab

The Capital Charge Yard will serve as a publicly accessible testing and demonstration facility where vehicle and charger manufacturers can validate interoperability, assess conformance to emerging standards, and evaluate future-facing technologies such as vehicle-to-grid (V2G). The site will also host policy-focused convenings and public demonstrations, connecting technical validation with real-world deployment and regulatory insight.

As a core project partner, CharIN will lead interoperability testing activities at the Charge Yard, convening vehicles, chargers, and test systems through structured test events. CharIN will also deploy its global conformance testing framework, enabling standardized, repeatable, and on-demand validation aligned with international charging standards.

Cal EPIC will oversee project leadership and coordination, KERI will contribute advanced testing expertise informed by its operation of the Global Interoperability Testing Center (GiOTEC), and Momentum will support long-term operational sustainability. Industry supporters include Rivian, ChargePoint, Kempower, Nextracker, and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).

“Congratulations to Cal EPIC on the launch of this dedicated EV charging test facility; an important step toward building a more reliable, interoperable, and future-ready charging ecosystem.”

Erika Myers, Executive Director of CharIN North America