ABC7 Interview with EVCS: Making the switch to an EV? This company uses subscription pricing to ease cost at charging stations

Link to the full article and video here:

‍

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With lots of electric cars already on the road, and potentially millions more to come, one of the related issues is charging infrastructure. Can it work?

General Motors is planning a whole slew of EVs in the years ahead, and has set up an ancillary division called GM Energy. It will deal with a wide range of infrastructure to coincide with the rollout of so many planned EVs.

Public charging is seeing lots of movement with some of new ideas. A company called EVCS have been busy installing charging stations and quick-charging stations in many areas that may have been overlooked in the past.

"We're trying to bring those barriers down to make it easier for people that maybe rent, live in an apartment, or even a condo. Give them a viable public option so that going EV is something that's accessible to them," said Kirk Johnson from EVCS.

They're also trying the innovation of subscription pricing to ease the cost of power access.

"Really, it starts to lower the barrier for entry for customers to make the decision to go electric," Johnson said.

For light users, about $50 per month should do the trick. If you need to juice up more frequently but want to charge during off-peak hours overnight, the next tier is unlimited in terms of power. It is limited by limited by the hour of the day and is $100 per month.

Peak charging times can be accessed for an extra charge, but at a discounted rate. For what they call heavy users - think of busy Uber or Lyft drivers - the full-on anytime unlimited plan will run $200 per month.

With how much gas is now, it's cheaper to go the electric option.

"And let's say you're driving 3,000 miles a month. You could save upward of $5,000 a year, unlimited charging, anywhere on our network. No surge charges, no hidden fees," Johnson said.

The subscription is completely optional. If you randomly need to use one of these EVCS charging stations, you can use their app or by putting in a credit card.

The infrastructure has a long way to go, but charging companies are trying various solutions to make more drivers comfortable about living with an electric car.

"We're really focused on building clusters around communities. Both neighborhoods, and businesses, to ensure that there's convenient access to our stations," Johnson said.

‍

Written By: Dave Kunz (ABC7)

‍

Back

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

At the beginning of this year, Geotab published a very interesting white paper titled “Electric Vehicle Trends 2020: Top 6 Factors Impacting Fleet Electrification.” (The piece can be found in its entirety here: https://www.geotab.com/white-paper/electric-vehicle-trends/) Now that we’re approaching the end of 2020, we thought it might be useful to go back through the assertions made in the paper to determine (1) whether the trends are evolving as Geotab predicted, and (2) if so, how EVCS is able to address those trends, including the targeting of customer pain points. Below are the first three trends referenced out of the six and our thoughts on each.

How a Biden Administration Helps EVCS

For EV enthusiasts generally and EVCS specifically, the election results are cause for great optimism. Joe Biden has shown himself to be a true friend to the electric mobility industry, so we thought we’d outline a few ways a Biden presidency will likely benefit our company, our mission and our customers.

Top 10 Reasons Why California Needs EVCS

Everyone loves top 10 lists, right? After all, David Letterman made them a perennial staple of his popular late-night program for years until they eventually became one of the most anticipated segments of each episode. Not only were they hysterically funny, but they featured just enough truth that the viewer was able to make a connection with reality. Quite often, these lists were also centered around an important and topical subject. And what’s more topical right now than sustainable energy? Or protecting our environment? So, in the spirit of David Letterman, we thought we’d present the top 10 reasons why the state of California needs EVCS.

The Benefits of Working with CARB and CEC

The California Energy Commission (CEC) bills itself as a pioneer in “leading the state to a 100% clean energy future.” It recently celebrated its 45th birthday and will be launching a “Clean Energy Hall of Fame” by announcing on December 10th awards honoring groups that are successfully contributing to a carbon-neutral California.