Installation of the Month (March 2021): The Elysian

EVCS continues to put charging stations in the ground at a record-setting pace, further proving that the notion of responsible mobility is gaining momentum with SoCal motorists. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve been able to do over the past couple years, which has simultaneously benefitted countless individuals (with cheaper modes of transport), businesses (with new revenue models), and the environment (with cleaner air quality). Moreover, many of our newer sites are residential buildings, making EV ownership more of a practical reality for tens of thousands of Californians who have otherwise been apprehensive about cutting the cord with ICE vehicles.

As such, our featured site for March is The Elysian apartment building, a mid-century architectural marvel located in LA’s scenic Victoria Heights neighborhood at 1115 W. Sunset Blvd. See it here:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Elysian/@34.067081,-118.249001,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x3bc0c1003adbe337!8m2!3d34.067081!4d-118.249001

The steel, glass and concrete edifice was originally designed in the early 1960’s by globally renowned architect William Pereira (also famous for the TransAmerica Building in San Francisco), and was deemed an “essential structure” at the time by LA city planners. By 1973, the eight-story tower was completed, and for another 20 years faithfully served as the Metropolitan Water District Headquarters. In 2011, the property was purchased by Linear City Development and converted into the 96 luxuriously appointed residential units we see today. What makes The Elysian extra special is not just its historic pedigree, but its sweeping views thanks to a prime perch overlooking Sunset Boulevard and its close proximity to key points of interest like Chinatown, Echo Park and the 101/110 interchange. See more about the property here:

http://theelysian.la/

We’ve long recognized that one of the greatest barriers to wider EV expansion in the marketplace is the lack of available charging options at residential complexes. This is especially poignant considering a 2019 survey by The Drive that found more than half of all EV drivers prefer to charge up at home. So, when Linear City entrusted us to source and install chargers at this iconic property, we were both thrilled and humbled at the chance to broaden our footprint in an area that has already been vocal in demanding environmentally friendly lifestyle solutions. Our final installation included 46 Blink Level II stations, which are available to both residents and the public. We then increased the project’s financial viability by covering all of Blink’s networking fees, leaving the site host with only the comparatively minor cost of the electricity. We also installed three BTC DC fast charging stations specifically for public consumption.

Linear City Operations VP Alexandra Leekley is on record stating that she and her team are eager to offer free EV charging as a standard amenity for all residents, just like use of the fitness center, yoga deck or common area Wi-Fi. This is a powerful gauntlet being thrown at the feet of residential real estate developers across the Southland. Moreover, as we launch our own subscription plan for EV drivers, we see the public component as equally important, luring Uber, Lyft, delivery and rental car drivers who need a place to charge that’s convenient to downtown. The subscription service will be easy to use and offers tremendous value, likely reducing the average motorist’s fuel bill by as much as 90% — from about $500 per month to $50.

We want to thank The Elysian for being a trailblazer in the fight for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future by helping to make EV ownership a practical reality for all its residents, and we sincerely hope that this property can exemplify the fact that living (and driving) responsibly starts at home.

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Navigating California’s New EV Mandate

California’s going all in on electric. On August 25th, Governor Gavin Newsom made a very important announcement concerning the future of transportation in the Golden State: “We can solve this climate crisis if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to cut pollution. California now has a groundbreaking, world-leading plan to achieve 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035.” Big and bold, indeed. And while highly encouraging, it brings up a number of questions moving forward.

How EVCS is Repairing Reliability Concerns

One of the biggest concerns among EV drivers today is the reliability of public chargers. One recent survey from the Department of Bioengineering at UC Berkeley claims as many as 23% of public chargers in the Bay Area alone are, as Wired sums up, “nonfunctioning at any given time, stymied by broken screens, shoddy credit card or payment systems, network connection failures, or damaged plugs.” And that’s in a locale prioritizing the conversion to electric. Testimony from motorists seems to corroborate these findings. A CEC survey of 1,290 EV drivers found that fully 60% had experienced damaged or inoperable chargers, while almost half needed assistance from customer service. We find this wholly unacceptable and have taken measures to ensure that chargers in the EVCS network rise to the standard of operability our customers expect. Here are a few ways we’re doing that:

Installation of the Month (July 2022): Kenwood Inn & Spa

A key focus for us over the last several years has been the installation of additional chargers at holiday hot spots, tourist destinations, and other key points of interest. Not only will it help dispel long-range travel anxiety among many new EV drivers, but it will also lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions otherwise generated by gas-guzzlers during peak vacation seasons. Moreover, our egalitarian approach to site selection means we’re just as likely to install a charger at a McDonald’s as we are at a Morton’s since we understand the value in catering to a broad clientele. However, higher net worth individuals continue to drive EV sales in the US (a June 2021 Fuels Institute study specifies middle-aged males with household incomes over $100,000), so catering to venues that offer a luxury experience will encourage even greater participation by this group while serving as a bellwether for lower-income drivers who are attracted to the idea of electric mobility as a symbol of status.

Mexico to Canada EV Road Trip: EVCS Interview

We sat down with EV owner and enthusiast Anthony Williams, a 60-year-old business owner from San Diego, who recently commemorated the 10-year anniversary of his first trans-American road trip in an EV by retracing the same route to see what had changed in the world of EV fast charging, for better or for worse. Below are some of his insights and feedback.

Installation of the Month (June 2022): KPC Anaheim Global Medical Center

“For us, healthcare is not only about caring for our patients, but also about investing in the people who live in our communities.” These are the words emblazoned across the home page of the KPC Anaheim Global Medical Center’s website. Facilities like these are attractive partners for us because, like us, their goal is the betterment of humanity. In fact, just replace “healthcare” with “electric mobility” and “patients” with “planet,” and you have the EVCS mission statement in a nutshell. Allying with kindred spirits creates a natural synergy for us through the sharing of core values like customer service and an improved quality of life. Imagine then our excitement when KPC decided to install four of our newest DC fast chargers on their Anaheim property, giving us the opportunity to continue expanding our network southward.