San Diego, California, Jan. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BetterFleet has been selected to provide the Charge Management System (CMS) for Helix Water District, supporting the District’s transition to a zero-emission fleet through the development of one of the most advanced utility EV charging depots in the United States.
Located at Helix Water District’s Operations Center in El Cajon, California, the project supports the District’s transition to zero-emission vehicles while maintaining the reliability required of a mission-critical public utility. When complete, the site will deliver approximately 5.86 MW of total charging capacity, enabling large-scale fleet electrification without compromising operational readiness. The depot is also designed to support charging for other emergency and critical service vehicles across the County, extending its role as a shared resilience asset for essential public services.
The District is deploying 87 high-power DC charging dispensers, with energy from San Diego Gas & Electric, managed by BetterFleet’s EV fleet operations platform. The software will centrally control the charging infrastructure and orchestrate vehicle dispatch, serving as the primary operating layer in the depot.
The BetterFleet platform provides advanced load management and smart charging capabilities, dynamically optimizing power across vehicles based on state of charge, operational priority, anticipated charging duration, and site power constraints. Built specifically for mission-critical public fleets, the system enables real-time charger control, automated fault detection and incident management, offline fallback operation, and centralized visibility across vehicles, chargers, and charging sessions.
Security and resilience were key selection criteria for the District, with BetterFleet’s SOC 2 compliant platform designed to support reliable, secure charging operations for sensitive, mission-critical utility infrastructure.
“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.”
“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,” said 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 regulation.”
Helix Water District operates a diverse utility fleet of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty service vehicles, including crew trucks, service vans, and specialized equipment used to maintain pipelines, pump stations, reservoirs, and critical water infrastructure across its service area, ensuring uninterrupted water service for more than 500,000 residents across San Diego County.
The deployment builds upon BetterFleet’s extensive experience supporting mission-critical fleet electrification globally with transit, utility, and emergency service fleets including deployments with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Toronto Transit Commission, TasNetworks and Go-Ahead London. In California, BetterFleet already supports multiple public-sector fleets and continues to expand its presence across the state.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Helix Water District Operations Center charging depot is scheduled for March 27, marking the launch of a future-ready utility depot designed to support fleet electrification at scale.
About BetterFleet
BetterFleet is a reliable, secure SaaS platform that empowers mission-critical transit, government, utilities, and logistics fleets to make cost-effective transitions to efficient, sustainable technologies. By leveraging advanced AI and digital twin technology, BetterFleet helps fleets select the right vehicles and infrastructure, ensure assets are always ready for service, minimize operating costs, and capture data-driven insights for continuous performance improvement. Trusted by more than 200 fleets worldwide, BetterFleet delivers clarity and value when every minute counts. BetterFleet is the new brand name of EVenergi, a global leader in planning, procurement, implementation, and operations software for zero-emission fleets and infrastructure.
About Helix Water District
Helix Water District is a local government agency responsible for drinking water in San Diego’s East County suburbs. The district treats water for 500,000 residents in east county San Diego and distributes water to 278,000 people in La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley and other unincorporated areas of the county.
- Helix Water District EV Charging photo