This Ultra-Fast EV Charger Can Go Online Much Faster Than Traditional Installs

• A California startup wants to boost America’s EV charging infrastructure with a plug-and-play solution.
• The ElectricFish 400squared can be installed in as little as a few hours instead of months.
• That’s because it doesn’t need costly grid upgrades–and the secret lies inside the box.

America’s EV charging infrastructure is growing nicely, but there’s still more to do if charging anxiety is to become a thing of the past. The U.S. has over 14,000 DC fast charging stations with more than 67,000 individual ports, but one startup reckons it can speed up installations by eliminating one of the main bottlenecks: grid upgrades.

For a 300-kilowatt charger to work as intended, extremely costly grid upgrades are often needed, which can also take months–if not years–to complete. California-based ElectricFish says “no thanks” with its latest 400squared DC fast charger, which was unveiled this week at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.

Photo by: ElectricFish

The stall is an all-in-one solution that doesn’t need a separate power distribution cabinet, as is the case with most conventional stalls. The secret? Batteries.

The charger has 400-kilowatt-hours of energy stored in batteries, and the total power output is rated at 400 kilowatts–200 kW per port if two EVs are connected at the same time. Thanks to the huge battery, which can be intelligently charged and discharged, the bulky charging cabinet’s minimum grid connection requirements are more than reasonable. The battery can be charged when the stalls are free, and then energy can be transferred to EVs in need of a top-up.

The ElectricFish 400squared can power up from a split-phase 120- or 240-volt connection that can provide at least 55 amps. There’s also a three-phase 208-volt option that needs 83 amps, while the top-spec model can take in three-phase 480V and 115A.

Photo by: ElectricFish

The startup claims its solution has an uptime of 99% and that, in certain cases, the installation can be done in as little as two hours. That’s how much time was needed before flipping the switch at Hyundai’s California Proving Ground.

ElectricFish says its integrated DC fast charger is best suited for conventional gas stations, commercial centers and fleet operators, but the 400squared can also be quickly deployed in emergencies where authorities might need to power their EVs without having to search for a third-party station.

It’s an interesting solution, and it’s worth noting that it’s not the only one out there that promises similar benefits. XCharge is working on a 44-stall EV charging hub in Brooklyn that uses battery-powered GridLink chargers. Seattle’s Electric Era also builds battery-powered DC fast chargers that are used by companies like Costco.

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