WattsCharging
Weekly EV Newsletter

May 5, 2026 l Past Issues​

WattsCharging This Week:

(3 min read)

• Tesla's new Basecharger is basically a "home charger" for electric big rigs — and it's a big deal for fleet operators
• Washington D.C. is turning lampposts into EV chargers, targeting the apartment-dweller charging gap
• Tesla Semi momentum is building: 60 new trucks ordered for California port duty
• The NACS takeover continues — the 2027 Chevy Blazer EV is ditching CCS for good

Let's dive in.

Top Charging News

​Tesla's New EV Charger Looks Familiar, But It's Nothing Like Its Predecessors​

• The Basecharger is an all-in-one 125 kW DC fast charger built for electric big rigs like the Tesla Semi — it gets a Semi's battery to 60% in about four hours.
• Unlike conventional DC fast chargers, it has no external power cabinet at all — the AC-to-DC conversion happens inside the unit itself, which makes installation way simpler.

The biggest headache for trucking fleets going electric was never finding a fast charger on the highway. It's been having reliable, affordable overnight depot charging — which is exactly what the Basecharger solves. It's basically a Wall Connector for an 80,000-lb truck.

​DC is Turning Street Poles Into EV Chargers — Voltpost Is Helping​

• DC's Department of Energy and Environment awarded Voltpost $609,500 to mount Level 2 chargers on existing curbside lampposts and utility poles across the city.
• ​Up to 16 stations are planned, prioritizing underserved neighborhoods and spots near parks, libraries, and rec centers.
• This initiative comes at the right time, as EVs accounted for 20% of all new vehicle registrations in DC last quarter — the highest rate in the country.

By retrofitting existing poles, Voltpost eliminates the need for expensive trenching and new construction, which is historically what's made urban curbside charging so slow and costly. If DC's pilot goes well, other cities will copy it. Worth keeping an eye on.

Top Charging News

​Tesla Semi Lands 60-Truck Order from Port Drayage Fleets in California​

Two California port trucking operators — Big F Transport (40 trucks) and NICA Container Freight Line (20 trucks) — placed a combined order for 60 Tesla Semis through Forum Mobility, the Amazon-backed charging depot operator. Both fleets will run out of Forum Mobility's Rancho Dominguez depot, currently under development. Short-haul port drayage is arguably the strongest use case for electric trucks — fixed routes, predictable mileage, and overnight dwell time. Fleet operators clearly see the numbers working, especially now that Semi production is actually ramping.

​2027 Chevy Blazer EV Drops CCS for Tesla-Style NACS Port​

The 2027 Blazer EV gets a native NACS port — no more CCS. GM will include adapters so existing CCS infrastructure still works. Fast charging tops out at 150 or 190 kW, depending on trim, and vehicle-to-home is now standard across the board. At this point, the NACS story is pretty much settled. Every new GM EV is making the switch, and the Blazer is just the latest to get the memo.

That's it for today. See you next Tuesday!

If you're shopping for home EV chargers or EV adapters for the road, check out our revamped deals page with real time pricing — and if a friend is considering going electric, send them our way 😉

WattsCharging Editorial Team ⚡️

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