{{Short description|U.S. EV charging company owned by Shell}} {{Infobox company | name = Volta Charging, LLC | logo = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = | trade_name = | former_name = | type = | traded_as = {{NYSE was|VLTA}} | industry = Electric vehicle infrastructure | predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = --> | founded = {{start date and age|2010}} in Hawaii | founders = {{ubl|Scott Mercer|Christopher Ching|Michael Menendez|Chris Wendel}} | successor = <!-- or: | successors = --> | hq_location = 155 de Haro Street | hq_location_city = San Francisco, California | hq_location_country = United States | key_people = Vince Cubbage<br />{{small|(Interim CEO)}}<br />Brandt Hastings<br />{{small|(Chief Commercial Officer)}}<br />Drew Lipsher <br />{{small|(Chief Development Officer)}}<br />Francois Chadwick<br />{{small|(Chief Financial Officer)}} | num_employees = | num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) --> | parent = {{ubl|Independent {{smaller|(2010–23)}}|Shell {{smaller|(2023–2025)}}}} | website = {{URL|https://voltacharging.com/}} }}
'''Volta Charging''' was an American electric vehicle infrastructure company. As of September 2021, the company had installed more than 2,000 charging stations in twenty-three U.S. states.<ref name="McInnis">{{cite news |last1=McInnis |first1=Brian |title=Former Hawaii startup Volta Charging goes public |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2021/09/02/former-hawaii-startup-volta-charging-public.html |access-date=11 January 2022 |newspaper=Pacific Business News |date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
Volta charging stations were compatible with all major plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicle types in the United States and had a digital screen featuring advertisements. Generally, charging a vehicle at a Volta station was free, because Volta was supported by advertisements.<ref name="Kolodny">{{cite news |last1=Kolodny |first1=Lora |title=Tesla, Volta are EV owners' top picks for charging away from home, JD Power finds |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/18/tesla-volta-chargepoint-top-jd-power-ev-charging-survey.html |access-date=6 January 2022 |website=CNBC |date=August 18, 2021}}</ref>
On March{{nbsp}}31, 2023, Shell{{nbsp}}USA acquired the company for approximately $169{{nbsp}}million.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.shell.us/media/2023-media-releases/shell-usa-inc-finalizes-acquisition-of-volta-inc.html |title=Shell USA, Inc. Finalizes Acquisition of Volta Inc., Scaling up its U.S. Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network |publisher=Shell |date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=2024-03-11 |language=en-US}}</ref>
On August{{nbsp}}4, 2025, Shell informed Volta employees that it would shut down the company and dismantle all charging stations by the end of the year;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hercher |first=James |date=2025-08-06 |title=Shell Shutters Its Volta EV Charging And Media Division |url=https://www.adexchanger.com/commerce/shell-shutters-its-volta-ev-charging-and-media-division/ |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=AdExchanger |language=en-US}}</ref> instead Volta was acquired by Australian company Jolt in November 2025.<ref name="util-dr-25">{{cite web |last1=Dworski |first1=Brett |title=Shell to sell ‘substantial portion’ of Volta EV business |url=https://www.utilitydive.com/news/shell-sell-volta-electric-vehicle-charging-jolt/805523/ |website=Utility Drive |access-date=14 January 2026 |date=November 14, 2025}}</ref>
==History== Volta Charging was founded in Hawaii in 2010 by Scott Mercer, Christopher Ching, Michael Menendez, and Chris Wendel.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hofschneider |first=Anita |title=Cash Infusion Energizes Hawaii Electric-Car Charging Company |url=https://www.civilbeat.org/2012/09/17008-cash-infusion-energizes-hawaii-electric-car-charging-company/ |work=Honolulu Civil Beat |date=September 3, 2012 |access-date=March 4, 2026 }}</ref><ref name="McInnis"/><ref name="yahoo">{{cite news |title=Volta founder on strategies for electric vehicle charging stations |url=https://news.yahoo.com/volta-founder-strategies-electric-vehicle-175911851.html |access-date=11 January 2022 |website=Yahoo! News |date=August 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Scott Mercer Chairman/CEO, Volta Inc |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/22481246 |website=Bloomberg |access-date=11 January 2022}}</ref> Leonardo DiCaprio was an early investor in the company.<ref name="strauss1">{{cite press release |last1=Strauss |first1=Sabrina |title=Volta Delivers 100 Million Electric Miles to Drivers |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211028005275/en/Volta-Delivers-100-Million-Electric-Miles-to-Drivers |access-date=11 January 2022 |publisher=Volta Inc. |via=Business Wire |date=October 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Moadel">{{cite news |last1=Moadel |first1=David |title=Speculators can Charge Up their Portfolios with Volta Stock |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/speculators-can-charge-up-their-portfolios-with-volta-stock |access-date=11 January 2022 |publisher=Nasdaq |date=December 5, 2021}}</ref><ref name="dicaprio">{{Cite tweet |author=Leonardo DiCaprio |author-link=Leonardo DiCaprio |user=LeoDiCaprio |number=1453715676015824899 |title=We must move beyond a carbon based economy to prevent irreversible climate change. Pleased to work with @VoltaCharging who has delivered 100 million electric miles to EV drivers across the U.S. #VoltaPartner}}</ref> thumb|Volta charging station in Boca Raton, Florida
In February 2021, it announced a special-purpose acquisition company merger with Tortoise Acquisition Company II.<ref name="Jasinski">{{cite news |last1=Jasinski |first1=Nicholas |title=EV Charging Firm Volta Is Going Public But Raising Less Money Than Expected |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/ev-charging-firm-volta-going-public-51630013685?tesla=y |access-date=6 January 2022 |magazine=Barron's |date=August 27, 2021}}</ref> After completing the merger, Volta went public on the New York Stock Exchange on August 27, 2021.<ref name="Jasinski"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Volta Charging to List on NYSE Under the Ticker "VLTA" Following Closing of Business Combination With Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210826005752/en/Volta-Charging-to-List-on-NYSE-Under-the-Ticker-%E2%80%9CVLTA%E2%80%9D-Following-Closing-of-Business-Combination-With-Tortoise-Acquisition-Corp.-II |access-date=11 January 2022 |publisher=Volta, Inc |via=Business Wire |date=August 26, 2021}}</ref>
By September 2021, the company had installed more than 2,000 charging stations in twenty-three U.S. states.<ref name="McInnis"/> In November, Volta partnered with Topgolf to install charging stations at Topgolf entertainment centers across the United States.<ref name="Strauss">{{cite news |last1=Strauss |first1=Sabrina |title=Topgolf Partners With Volta to Add Electric Vehicle Charging Stations to Select Properties |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/topgolf-partners-volta-add-electric-103000369.html |access-date=11 January 2022 |work=Yahoo! News |date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
In the third financial quarter of 2021, Volta's revenues increased 77 percent year-over-year to $8.5 million.<ref name="Moadel"/> In March 2023 the company was acquired by Shell USA in an all-cash deal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43485710/shell-dramatically-expands-its-network-of-ev-charging-stations/ |title=Shell Dramatically Expands Its Network of EV Charging Stations |date=April 1, 2023 |magazine=Car and Driver}}</ref>
==See also== *Charging station *Plug-in vehicle *Plug-in hybrid vehicle
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|https://voltacharging.com/}} {{Finance links | name = Volta Charging, LLC | symbol = VLTA | reuters = | bloomberg = | sec_cik = VLTA | yahoo = VLTA | google = VLTA }}
Category:Electric vehicle infrastructure developers Category:American companies established in 2010 Category:Special-purpose acquisition companies Category:Electronics companies established in 2010 Category:Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange Category:Companies based in San Francisco Category:2010 establishments in Hawaii Category:2023 mergers and acquisitions