A Smarter Way to Build Charging Infrastructure for Fleets and AVs with Brett Hauser

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This exclusive interview series from Automobility LA at the LA Auto Show is brought to you by Cars Commerce.

Everyone talks about EV adoption — but almost no one understands the brutal reality of actually powering the fleets that need to drive it.

In this episode from the LA Auto Show, we sit down with Brett Hauser, Chairman & CEO of Voltera, to unpack one of the biggest bottlenecks in the EV transition: the infrastructure required to power commercial and autonomous fleets. Brett breaks down why electrification isn’t a charging problem — it’s a real estate, entitlement, zoning, and utility problem. From 14-agency approval processes to landlords who won’t modify their properties, he explains the invisible obstacles fleets only discover two months before vehicles arrive… when it’s far too late.

Voltera has built 10 depots across major U.S. cities, powering 400+ stalls and nearly 40 megawatts — yet Brett is blunt: at the current pace, cities like LA won’t be able to build the charging infrastructure needed for events like the LA28 Olympics. He reveals why an “infrastructure tiger team” is critical, why autonomous fleets are accelerating faster than expected, and why natural gas generators are becoming a temporary inevitability. It’s a rare look at the real, unfiltered challenges of EV transformation, from the person solving them on the ground.

0:00 Intro — Live at the LA Auto Show

0:35 What Voltera Actually Does (And Why It Had to Exist)

1:17 10 Depots, 400 Stalls, 39 Megawatts — The Scale So Far

1:57 Why Commercial Electrification Is Happening Faster Than Retail

2:20 The “Oh Wait… Charging!” Problem Fleets Discover Too Late

2:31 Why Charging Isn’t Hard… But Everything Before It Is

3:14 Real Estate Control: The Hidden Key to Electrifying Fleets

4:18 Who Voltera Serves: Robo Taxis, Rideshare & AV Fleets

5:06 The Bigger Vision: Vehicles That Drop You Off and Run Your Errands

5:30 The Real Roadblocks: Entitlements, Permitting & 14 Agencies

7:13 The Power Crisis: Utilities, Delays & Temporary Generators

7:35 LA28 Olympics: 3,000 Fast Chargers Needed… and We’re Behind

8:21 Why Brett Wants a Citywide “Infrastructure Tiger Team”

9:06 What the Next 24 Months Look Like for Voltera

Connect with Brett Hauser: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretthauser/

Learn more about Voltera: https://www.volterapower.com/

Our coverage of Automobility LA is brought to you by our friends at Cars Commerce: https://www.carscommerce.inc/

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