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.

Photo Courtesy of The Conmunity – Pop Culture Geek

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That is why, this month, we’re featuring the world-famous Hollywood & Highland complex, located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, California. See it here:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hollywood+%26+Highland/@34.1023194,-118.3399992,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xe9c39639f7356912?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHwICB0NHuAhUDZN8KHe5GBQcQ_BIwH3oECEUQBQ

The 387,000-square-foot property opened in November of 2001, quickly cementing its reputation as a shopping, dining and entertainment mecca for tourists the world over. Resting on the bones of the old historic Hollywood Hotel, the complex boasts more than 60 stores and restaurants plus the palatial Dolby Theatre, home of the annual Oscar telecast. First-time visitors often find themselves marveling at the magnificent four-story courtyard in the center, inspired by the Babylon Court set from the classic D.W. Griffith film Intolerance, and relishing in its close proximity to other nearby attractions like the Walk of Fame, Madame Tussauds and the Mann’s (now TCL) Chinese Theater. See more about the property here:

https://hollywoodandhighland.com/

According to commercial real estate firm JLL, Hollywood & Highland attracts 25 million visitors per year (about 5,000 every hour) and features 3,000 parking spaces (the most in the city). When the property’s management hired us to install three new 50 kWh DC fast chargers in their cavernous underground parking structure, of course we jumped at the chance. With so many visitors, the demand for an EV charging solution was growing and management took notice. The benefits included catering to a community already steeped in perpetuating environmentally friendly transportation solutions while also attracting new visitors with EVs who may have otherwise taken their retail or dining business elsewhere.

Moreover, case studies have shown that the average EV driver’s overall dwell time at commercial properties with charging stations is typically longer than that of the average customer since EV drivers shop at a more leisurely pace while waiting for their batteries to recharge. For instance, one large-scale discount retailer reported an EV driver’s average visit lasted 50 minutes longer than the overall average – an increase of 327%. And since customers spent an average of $1 per minute during their dwell time, the revenue increase of $56,000 over a nine-month period was more than sufficient to eclipse the scant $430 in extra charges the company spent on its electric bill. We expect, as time goes on, that Hollywood & Highland will note similar economic benefits and can serve as a torchbearer for comparable commercial properties considering EV infrastructure.

All that said, we’d like to give thanks to our highly valued customer, Hollywood & Highland, for trusting in us to install their charging stations and for helping advance the idea that an electric-powered future is not just fodder for the movies, but an achievable reality!

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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.

Recap of “Today, Explained” Podcast: It’s Electric!

Recently, we listened to Vox’s Umair Irfan discuss on his Today, Explained podcast how Norway has been trailblazing in the world of electric mobility and what strides the US can make to follow suit. We not only found the episode a fascinating exploration of how our Scandinavian friends serve as both innovators and motivators, but it elucidated ways in which EVCS can and has been working toward similar goals within the US. Below are some of the key takeaways from the podcast as well as how it relates to what we’re doing here and now.

EVCS Fast Charging Network to Use 100% Renewable Energy (Newsire)

One of the most common criticisms foisted on the electric mobility industry is that EVs are not technically carbon neutral since the electricity needed to power them is generated through fossil fuels, including coal and natural gas. This argument is not without merit and presents those of us in the EV infrastructure sector with yet another lofty goal – true carbon neutrality through electrical grids powered by renewable energy sources like wind and solar. And our most recent press release discusses how we at EVCS are doing just that.

EVCS Secures Credit Facility with Macquarie Group (Newswire)

We recently employed PR firm Firecracker to help us get the word out about all of the wonderful things EVCS is doing to make an all-electric future a reality. One major step toward this goal was our securing a credit facility that would allow for accelerated expansion of EV infrastructure, giving us confidence that the financial support required would be available when we needed it. Our PR team then went to work, drafting the following press release that outlines the particulars of this momentous achievement: