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

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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.

This month, we feature Barlow Respiratory Hospital, located at 2000 Stadium Way in the vibrant Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. See it here:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Barlow+Respiratory+Hospital/@34.0757094,-118.2481853,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x2afb71f5d68ae17f!8m2!3d34.0757094!4d-118.2481853).

The historic property, originally built in 1927, is a 49-bed, not-for-profit, long-term acute care facility that has won numerous awards for its service, including 3-time recipient of the prestigious AARC Quality Respiratory Care Award and the only medical establishment in the Western US to earn the Passy-Muir Center of Excellence distinction. Barlow specializes in treating a diverse range of respiratory issues like pulmonary fibrosis, bacterial pneumonia, acute respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome as well as other related conditions like multi-organ failure and wound care. Learn more about them here:

https://www.barlowhospital.org/

We were naturally thrilled when the hospital asked us to install two 50 kWh DC fast chargers in their outdoor parking lot to satisfy the needs of patients and visitors with EVs. Their close proximity to places like Dodger Stadium, Chavez Ravine Arboretum, Angel’s Point, downtown LA and all its surrounding neighborhoods make it convenient for many local EV drivers while also serving as a bellwether of progress in an area that has been dominated by ICE vehicles for decades. Sometimes lengthy wait times or procedures mean that patients and visitors can rest assured knowing their EV will be fully charged when they leave, with a notification sent to their phone through the proprietary EVCS app once their charging is complete.

We now hope that as hospitals in the area begin to recognize the value of electrified transportation – from smog reduction to cost savings to greater efficiency – we’ll also start to see a conversion to electric ambulances and other emergency vehicles, which would naturally require additional installations. We expect government facilities (LA County operates four hospitals and 19 health centers) to lead the way here. The quality of the Barlow installation was already one of the contributing factors that led EVCS to secure a contract with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to install charging infrastructure at city-owned public parking facilities, so other government-run entities like medical centers is just a small leap.

Thanks again to our wonderful customer, Barlow Respiratory Hospital, for putting your faith in us to handle your installation and for helping not only advance the cause of healthier patients, but also a healthier planet!

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“Who’s Saving the Planet?” Podcast Interviews Gustavo Occhiuzzo

EVCS co-founder and CEO Gustavo Occhiuzzo recently spoke on the “Who’s Saving the Planet?” podcast about the electric mobility revolution and what we as a company are doing to help realize a truly carbon-neutral future. During the conversation with hosts Anthony Noto and Jessica Miles, Occhiuzzo made several critical points that help listeners understand where we are now in that mission, the obstacles we face, what EVCS has done to overcome those obstacles, and what we can do better as a global community. Here are some of the most prescient points:

Installation of the Month (June 2021): Hyatt Place Riverside/Downtown

The ability to travel is something many of us take for granted. Our Interstate Highway System allows us to freely traverse state boundaries – to go wherever we choose whenever we choose – from the snow-capped Colorado Rockies to the soupy Everglade swamplands to the historic lighthouses of coastal New England. However, EV drivers are more acutely aware of their travel limitations because many areas of the country have yet to adopt pro-electric infrastructure policies, often leaving them with few ground-travel options other than ICE vehicles. We knew getting more Americans to embrace the electric revolution would require buy-in from the hospitality industry. As such, much of our focus has gone toward hotels that, by serving as site hosts for charging stations, can help kickstart that ubiquitous access required to convert many EV holdouts.

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.