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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How the Ukrainian Crisis Could Affect the EV Market

As the conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate, concerns over how a prolonged incursion may affect global markets has become a frequent topic of discussion, even as major world powers issue a raft of sanctions against Russia in an effort to end the conflict sooner. There are certain to be ramifications for the EV industry specifically as a consequence of the dispute, some of which we’re already starting to see, although their duration and severity are still in question. Here are some of the most prominent.

How EVCS is Helping Change America’s EV Charging Experience

As most of us know, Congress recently approved $7.5 billion in spending for new EV charging installations as part of the larger infrastructure bill, which we expect will help facilitate a speedier transition away from fossil fuels. Even with EV sales increasing in recent years, reports suggest that 25 percent of all carbon emissions still come from the tailpipe, so anything the government can do to kick things up a notch is surely welcome. However, even with such a sizable investment, many challenges still exist that network operators like EVCS will have to help overcome. In a recent article on TheVerge.com, several prescient examples were cited of core areas to focus on if we want to make mass EV adoption a reality. Below are a few such areas and how EVCS is addressing them.

Installation of the Month (February 2022): Sierra Commons Shopping Plaza

The next stage in the evolution of EV charging will be a network operator’s ability to target consumers with advertising and media content pertinent to their demographic. Our recent partnership with minority-owned iKahan Media has afforded us just that opportunity, allowing for the expansion and creation of “a digital billboard network combining EVCS chargers with state-of-the-art LED screens,” as reported last year in a release on PR Newswire. (You can read that entire piece here) Such an initiative is intended to improve the economics of public charging by generating an additional revenue stream for both us and site hosts, providing advertisers with a select new platform for reaching consumers, and increasing value for EV drivers who want to see content that’s relevant to them.

The Key to Becoming Carbon Negative

We hear a lot about the desire for carbon neutrality these days, and while that’s noble indeed, we at EVCS have set our sights on even loftier goals. Our mission is to become carbon negative, meaning not only have we reduced carbon emissions to negligible levels, but we have offset more carbon than we contribute to the environment through techniques like avoidance, sequestration and carbon capture.

EVCS Subscription Model Unique Among Industry Peers

Americans today want the following from the products and services they use: 1) freedom; 2) convenience; 3) simplicity; and 4) value. Let’s face it, we’re constantly being inundated by an increasing barrage of choices in just about everything, from the media we consume to how we interface with co-workers to the way we get our groceries. Options that rise to the top are those that offer the clearest and cleanest solutions for the lowest costs.