WALTHAM, MA–The Mass Mobility Hub (MMH), a public-benefit corporation committed to creating a cleaner and more efficient, equitable, and sustainable transportation system for all, today announced a five-year partnership with real-estate leader BXP to launch a new industry hub in the heart of the Route 128 technology belt.
Electric vehicles, clean-energy charging solutions, battery systems, e-bikes, and electric-powered aircraft are some of the industries and technologies the new hub will aim to attract and serve with office and laboratory space and potential future secure outdoor testing zones. BXP’s seven-building CityPoint development, located close to the Route 128 (Interstate 95) Winter Street interchange in Waltham, is the initial location for the hub.
“Massachusetts already has more than 100 companies involved in the mobility ecosystem, and our Commonwealth can become a national leader in innovative, sustainable, emissions-free transportation,’’ said MMH Executive Director and CEO Jamey Tesler. “Moving to efficient, net-zero transportation is critical for Massachusetts and our country to fulfill our climate commitments, and this partnership can be an enormous driver of progress.”
Bryan Koop, BXP Executive Vice President, Boston Region, said: “BXP is proud to be an industry leader in sustainable practices and positive societal impact. We’re dedicated to managing our operations in ways that generate beneficial outcomes–economically, socially, and environmentally–for our clients, shareholders, employees, and the communities we serve, and we see the Mobility Hub as one more important way to live out that commitment.” BXP will make properties throughout its Bay State portfolio available to MMH partners.
MMH already has three active pilot projects and demonstration projects being planned and implemented, focusing on mobile battery, fleet electrification, and EVs. Examples of the many potential uses for the new Waltham hub could include:
- Large, paved surfaces for flexible test and demonstration zones, in full compliance with city and state regulations and laws
- Charging/equipment uses, both for EVs and for medium/heavy duty fleet opportunities
- Development of new batteries and battery systems for emissions-free transportation
- School bus electrification pilots and related uses
“Electric vehicle and transport mobility companies like us grow and thrive where they can test and demonstrate their products to public and private stakeholders,’’ said Will Graylin, CEO of Indigo Technologies. “We are excited about the partnership between Mass Mobility Hub and BXP in Waltham which can serve, like other sites in Detroit and New York City, as a nucleus and incubator for scaling up Massachusetts as a national leader in mobility innovation.’’
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) recognized the value and need for test and demonstration sites in the climate tech ecosystem overall in a recent Request for Information, stating: “MassCEC has identified that climatetech startup awareness of testing and demonstration facilities in Massachusetts is limited and that the navigation of these sites remains a challenge.”
”Ever since the 1950s and the legacy of ‘America’s Technology Highway,’ the Route 128 belt that includes Waltham has been a hotbed of innovation, from electronics and computers to software, telecommunications, and today cutting-edge life sciences and medical devices,’’ Tesler added. “It’s exciting to imagine how clean mobility can be the next transformational technology and industry to boom in this area.”
