2020: A Year in Review

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Two thousand twenty has been a year of undeniable adversity, but also one of remarkable achievement. A year of firsts and hopefully a few lasts. A time of toil and tribulation, but also of triumph. For genuine success is partly defined by our ability to hurdle those implacable obstacles that make the result so noteworthy in the first place. Now, as the EVCS team looks back on this unusual year, we take stock of our unique achievements that made 2020 one for the books.

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Financial Strength

Despite government-mandated shutdowns and prolonged work interruptions, we are on track to end 2020 – our second full year of operation – in profit. Moreover, we increased revenue over last year by a substantial order of magnitude and were able to secure several desirable financial instruments that look to have EVCS humming well into the future.

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Clean Fuel Connection

We acquired an electric installation company from Clean Fuel Connection, Inc., a respected equipment distributor and leader in EV charging infrastructure that already shared our commitment to improving air quality through alternative fuel technology. This acquisition gives us a strong foothold in the already competitive installation market. Learn more at www.cleanfuelconnection.com.

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West Coast Electric Highway

We advanced our mission to create wider accessibility for EVs through our acquisition of the WCEH, an extensive network of 112 DCFC and Level 2 fast chargers throughout Oregon and Washington. Stations are located every 25 to 50 miles in close proximity to freeways and at desirable points of interest. See more at https://evcs.com/wceh.

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Software Innovation

The key to powering such an enormous number of charge points is our new proprietary networking software. This end-to-end management solution allows site hosts a wealth of options, including usage metrics for peak and off-peak times, multiple payment processing options, data on the health of each port, and a world-class mobile app with customer-friendly interface.

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Online Facelift

Early this fall, we launched our brand new, fully redesigned website (https://evcs.com/) complete with details on our turnkey customer solutions, a state-by-state breakdown of EV-related funding programs, a map of our West Coast charging stations and, of course, this nifty blog. We also created a simple online intake form so prospective site hosts could easily reach out.

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A Top Installer

Supportive state-level organizations and a vigorous grassroots marketing effort created a strong tailwind that we were able to capitalize on, resulting in a record number of EVCS installations – with over 500 in the ground as of this writing. And with customer demand steadily increasing year over year, we are just grazing the surface of what we can do.

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What’s Ahead in 2021

With a robust 2020 now mostly in the rearview mirror, we focus our sights on the year ahead – strategizing our approach to build on and improve upon those strides we have already made toward fully realizing the EVCS mission. Our 2021 plans include a new customer subscription model with unlimited monthly charging; renovation of the WCEH, including the mass upgrade of Level 2 chargers to DCFC; continued growth throughout California via a strong pipeline of new projects; and early expansion of the EVCS brand into new states.

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Thanks for reading and we look forward to bringing you lots of useful insights in the new year! In the meantime, happy holidays from the EVCS team!

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Wall Street Journal Piece Brings Up Questions… And We Answer

Stephen Wilmot’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Investors Look for an EV Charge,” debates the merits of investing in EV infrastructure, admitting that while chargers likely make for better investments than cars, the sector still holds many potential pitfalls that should be considered before jumping in. While that may be true, many of the examples backing up this assertion cite the business models of the largest EV installers in the country while failing to consider what less visible but faster-growing companies like EVCS are doing to mitigate such risks. Below are a few quotes from the article and our thoughts on them, including how we’re different.

Commentary on EV Industry Profitability Claims

In a recent Driving.ca article titled “EV-Charging Industry is Doing Everything Except Making Money,” author David R. Baker makes a compelling argument that the EV infrastructure sector is a revenue desert, essentially incapable of generating enough cash flow to sustain profitability due to a lack of interest from motorists. “The dilemma boils down to demand,” he states, before adding that “lots of people still driving gasoline-powered cars won’t consider going electric until they see charging stations widely deployed.”

Installation of the Month (May 2021): LADOT Lot 656

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) notes on its website that ICE vehicles are one of the city’s top contributors to air pollution, accounting for 19% of all greenhouse gas emissions, before proclaiming, “We can do better… We’re investing in public transit, testing new technology, and adopting mobility innovations for a cleaner environment and brighter future.” At first, it might just sound like flowery rhetoric, but we can personally attest to that commitment. Starting in 2019, LADOT partnered with us to install DCFCs at 57 city-owned lots, with almost 30% of those installations now completed. This alliance has been integral in promoting our goal of zero-emission mobility in the City of Angels by facilitating greater access to infrastructure.

Addressing Pain Points in Creating EV Infrastructure

A recent GovTech.com article titled “How Biden Plans to Build 500 EV Charging Stations” discusses the President’s goals for creating a nationwide network of 500,000 such installations by 2030. While it does a smart job laying out many of the pain points we face in facilitating EV adoption, the mention of solutions was far less prevalent, and ones that were mentioned seemed speculative or tenuous. However, over the last three years, EVCS has already taken the lead in addressing many of these challenge areas, allowing us to dominate the installation market across the West Coast.

Spectrum News: SoCal Company Looks to Meet Growing Need for EV Charging Stations

Recently, our CEO and co-founder, Gustavo Occhiuzzo, was featured in a Spectrum News 1 segment titled “Inside the Issues” with Alex Cohen. He was able to not only convey the challenges we face as we work toward a more electric future, but also the strides EVCS has already made in addressing those challenges as well as some of our most significant achievements. Examples include our deal with LADOT to install DC fast chargers at 57 city-owned lots, our doubling of non-Tesla chargers in LA since last year alone, and the fact that EVCS has become one of the largest and fastest growing installers of EV charging stations on the West Coast in less than three years. See the interview clip and accompanying article below to learn more.