A Barrage of New EV Models Requires More Infrastructure

According to a recent article in Forbes, Americans will purchase approximately two million EVs in 2022. Dr. Shelley Francis, co-founder, and director of EVHybridNoire notes that demand is increasing “as public perception of the technology shifts from novelty to mainstream,” thanks primarily to the plethora of new EV models hitting the market and a rapid expansion of infrastructure spearheaded by fast-charging network operators like EVCS.

As we’ve noted in the past, the large influx of new EV models is partly due to the hearty embrace of electric mobility technology by almost every major automaker on the planet, several of whom have announced their intention to phase out ICE manufacturing altogether within the next decade. Consumers are seeing a confluence of established brands like Audi, Volkswagen, and Ford with innovative new EV-only manufacturers like Polestar, Tesla, and Lucid Motors. Whether it’s the sporty Audi A6 e-tron, the rugged Ford F-150 Lightning, the luxurious Lucid Air, or the more economical Kia EV6, it seems the marketplace really does have something for everyone.

Also propelling the surging demand for these new EVs is a sui generis suite of features coveted by discerning young buyers who are looking for a unique driving experience. Examples abound. The Polestar 2 (and soon 3) with its origami-inspired headlights controlled by a front camera that can detect oncoming drivers and adjust brightness in real-time. The Mustang Mach E with its front trunk, or “frunk,” and Co-Pilot360 Assist that combines adaptive cruise control with lane-centering to reduce fatigue. Or the VW ID4’s voice-operated panoramic roof and ultra-efficient electric-resistance heater.

It’s true that EVs typically cost a little more upfront than their ICE counterparts, but this is largely due to the fact that the former come better equipped, with features otherwise considered “luxury” in the ICE version offered standard on the EV model. However, when also factoring in tax subsidies and rising gas prices, the ultimate cost to EV owners over the life of their vehicle is often considerably less than for ICE owners.

What does rapidly growing EV sales mean for charging infrastructure? Well, when combined with recent legislative victories and the deluge in new government funding, we believe 2022 is poised to see a huge uptick in publicly accessible DC fast chargers. The Golden State alone recently approved a $437 million fund to build over 40,000 charging ports, the largest-ever program of its kind, and according to McKinsey & Co’s recent report, energy demand for EV charging could top 53 billion kWh by 2030, an increase of about 20-fold.

As EV adoption continues to grow, going to a store, restaurant, café, theater, or sporting event will become a multi-purpose experience. People will charge up while they shop, eat, and get entertained. Chargers will necessarily become more abundant at such venues. Moreover, our symbiotic relationship with automakers means we will continue to improve our technology in tandem with the newest and hottest EVs. As such, we foresee a future where things like V2G, adaptive demand response, and faster charging times are the norm.

Bottom line: no matter what model EV we’re talking about, EVCS is committed to making the driver’s experience an exceptional one. Our charging ports work with every known EV model on the road, our monthly subscription plan is suitable for any budget level, our easy-to-use mobile app allows drivers to quickly find available chargers on our network and our customer service is second to none. So, bring on the coolest, sleekest, gnarliest new EVs you can imagine! We’re ready for all of them!

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Installation of the Month (February 2021): Hollywood & Highland

In the movie Spider-man, Uncle Ben tells Peter Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The phrase, which came to be known as the “Peter Parker Principle,” is just as true today as it was 20 years ago when the movie first premiered. And just as Peter took seriously his newfound powers, we take seriously our responsibility to facilitate broader access to vehicle electrification options – quite literally the “great power” here is the electricity that keeps EVs moving. We also understand the power of movies and television to convey the importance of electric mobility, be it through information, entertainment or influence marketing. As such, Hollywood has become a tremendous partner in advancing the EVCS mission.

Installation of the Month (January 2021): Barlow Respiratory Hospital

While 2021 brings hope and promise for greater widespread adoption of electric mobility, a quick glance at our portfolio reminds us of all the headway we’ve already made toward that end. Last year, we seized on positive customer sentiment and abundant fiscal opportunities in the green energy space, allowing us to become one of the top installers of EV charging infrastructure in the State of California (with 500+ installations completed and counting). As such, we thought it might be worthwhile to share some of these installations with you – a new success story each month – so that you can see firsthand the favorable strides we’re making toward a carbon-neutral future.

2020: A Year in Review

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.

Electrification Progress in the Age of COVID

It’s pretty clear that vaccine or no, COVID will be here for a while, and with it the new normal of face masks, social distancing, telecommuting and (consequently) less road travel. While some might view this with trepidation, we see it as an opportunity. Since the earliest weeks of the pandemic, major metro areas like Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago – those with large reductions in automobile traffic – immediately began seeing improvements in air quality, according to articles in the New York Times and Washington Post. More recent, an NPR story noted ozone pollution has decreased as much as 15% in many of these places. It seems an unintended consequence of the lockdown has been to accelerate the transition to responsible mobility by demonstrating its positive effects on the environment.

Commentary on Geotab’s 2020 EV Fleet Trends Article – Part II

Two weeks ago, we published part one of our commentary on Geotab’s in-depth article, “Electric Vehicle Trends 2020: Top 6 Factors Impacting Fleet Electrification” (https://www.geotab.com/white-paper/electric-vehicle-trends/). Again, the idea was to assess whether each of the trends were evolving as Geotab predicted and, if so, how EVCS was responding to them in the marketplace. Below are the final three trends referenced and our thoughts on each.