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.

As the 2021 vacation season shifts into high gear, we felt it was only appropriate to make the beautifully appointed Hyatt Place Riverside/Downtown – home to one of our newest charging installations – the featured site for June. The contemporary five-story building located at 3500 Market Street in the heart of Riverside can be seen here:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hyatt+Place+Riverside%2FDowntown/@33.9854347,-117.385424,15z/data=!3m1!5s0x80dcb1f07ee885d5:0x9be8fe34febc200e!4m8!3m7!1s0x80dcb1f080deee6f:0x43303e7c9b61d412!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d33.9851488!4d-117.3735366

Hyatt Place is conveniently nestled among countless restaurants, bars and cafes, with popular area attractions like the Riverside Convention Center and Fox Performing Arts Center just a short walk away. Guests can enjoy luxurious guest rooms with signature bedding, a complimentary breakfast bar, swimming pool, fitness center, meeting rooms and a 24-hour mini market, all while their EVs charge outside. Moreover, the property sits along a key travel corridor that links metro Los Angeles with hip desert city vacation spots further east like Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. More about Hyatt Place can be found on their website here:

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/california/hyatt-place-riverside-downtown/ralzr

Clearly, we were thrilled when management asked us to install not one, but three Tritium Veefil RT50 DC fast chargers. These slim, stylish, lightweight stations boast up to 50kW of power, 380-480 VAC supply input, a liquid-cooled interior, and a durable UV-resistant, easy-to-use exterior. The units can charge any EV on the road, require very low maintenance, and feature Open Charge Point Protocol, which allows for seamless integration with the EVCS network.

Hyatt’s commitment to furthering green energy solutions is no surprise to anyone who takes a simple glance at their “Our Planet” webpage, which states, “The biggest environmental challenges cannot be solved alone, so we collaborate with companies in our industry and beyond, stakeholders, and experts to stay at the forefront of best practices and to contribute toward meaningful solutions.” Hyatt Hotels Corporation President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian goes further, declaring, “We have a responsibility to grow thoughtfully and with purpose. We have to build and operate more efficient hotels to reduce waste, energy… and carbon emissions.”

With industry leaders like Hyatt paving the way toward a future where responsible mobility is the norm rather than the exception, we’re confident other hospitality chains will soon follow. And not only hotels and motels, but landmarks, national parks, amusements and other tourist sites that see electrified transportation as an important part of our nation’s future. The ability to freely travel the roads of our great country is so critical to our identity as Americans, but thus far such travel has mainly been limited to pollution-emitting ICEs; now, with Hyatt’s help, EV drivers will be able to start experiencing that freedom, too!

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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:

Installation of the Month (April 2021): Hilton Hotel & Plaza San Gabriel

Hilton is one of the most recognizable and respected organizations in the world. They own 18 different brands and more than 6,400 properties in 119 countries. Since 1925, they’ve been a model of the hospitality industry – synonymous with customer relations, integrity and innovation, which extends into areas like sustainability and the environment. Their website’s “Corporate Responsibility” page cites a commitment to fighting climate change, stating: “We seek to operate and grow sustainably, reducing our consumption of natural resources… We are proud to have set carbon reduction targets aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement.” And they continue to back up this commitment, including recently asking us to install EV charging banks at one of their key Los Angeles locations.