BetterFleet has announced it's been selected by Helix Water District in San Diego, California to provide its proprietary Charge Management System (CMS) as part of the District's broader effort to transition to a zero-emission fleet. The system will support the development of what is expected to be one of the most advanced electric vehicle charging depots operated by a U.S. water utility.
The project includes the deployment of 87 high-power DC charging dispensers powered by electricity from San Diego Gas & Electric and managed through BetterFleet's EV fleet operations SaaS platform. The software will centrally control the charging infrastructure and coordinate vehicle dispatch, functioning as the primary operational layer for the depot.
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Helix is responsible for providing water service for over 500,000 residents in San Diego County.
Located at the District's Operations Center in El Cajon, California, the facility is designed to maintain the level of reliability required for a mission-critical public utility while enabling large-scale fleet electrification.
Upon completion, the site will deliver approximately 5.86 megawatts of total charging capacity and is also expected to support charging for emergency and other critical service vehicles from across the county, positioning the depot as a shared resilience asset for essential public services.
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"Helix Water District is setting a new benchmark for how utilities can electrify their fleets while maintaining operational reliability," said Daniel Hilson, CEO of BetterFleet. "This project demonstrates how advanced EV Fleet management, smart load control, and mission-critical design principles can come together to support real-world utility operations today while preparing for the future."
This latest project builds on BetterFleet's experience delivering fleet electrification solutions for transit, utility, and emergency service operators globally, including work with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other major public-sector fleets. The company continues to expand its presence across California.
"Our Nat L. Eggert Operations Center electrification project features cutting-edge charging infrastructure and a network that will power the district's fleet into the future," added Helix Water District Board President Kathleen Coates Hedberg. "This project will serve as a real-world model for other public agencies working to comply with the state's Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation."
Helix also reiterated that under ACF, 50% of all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles it purchases must be zero-emission with the requirement increasing to 100% for all new vehicles after 2030.
Following its current replacement schedule, Helix says it expects to fully transition its fleet by 2040. The company's electric vehicle infrastructure is also expected to support neighboring agencies as they work to comply with the same regulation.
At present, Helix operates 10 Ford F-150 Lightning trucks and 8 Toyota Prius hybrids, and with a fleet that includes box trucks, boom trucks, crane trucks, and water trucks, the company aims to expand its transition to zero-emission vehicles across all vehicle types in the years ahead.
