Spectrum News: SoCal Company Looks to Meet Growing Need for EV Charging Stations

< Back
May 13, 2021
June 30, 2023
9:30 pm
2:35 pm
News
Electric Car Charging

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.

https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/news/2021/05/10/socal-company-looks-to-meet-growing-need-for-ev-charging-stations?cid=id-app15_m-share_s-web_cmp-app_launch_august2020_c-producer_posts_po-organic#

Los Angeles, CA – May 10, 2021 (Spectrum News 1)

At a city parking lot on Los Angeles’ Westside, Gustavo Occhiuzzo helped make its fast chargers a reality.

A native of Argentina, Occhiuzzo founded Green Commuter, an environmentally friendly car sharing business in 2014, but he soon realized there was a big problem: not enough charging stations.

What You Need To Know

  • EVCS has partnered with LADOT to install fast charging stations at 57 city-owned parking lots
  • Installations can run upwards of $400,000, which is why Gustavo Occhiuzzo says incentive programs are crucial
  • Part of President Biden’s infrastructure plan would establish grant and incentive programs to build a national network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030
  • EVCS says it has more than doubled the number of non-Tesla charging stations in the city within the last year

“In order to support out fleet of electric vehicles, we decided to also start working on the infrastructure, Occhiuzzo said.

That led Occhiuzzo to co-found the sister company EVCS, now one of the largest and fastest growing operators of EV charging stations on the West Coast.

“We also do installations at hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, office buildings, multi-family buildings, so really anywhere you park a car,” he said.

In 2019, EVCS partnered with LADOT to install fast charging stations at 57 city-owned parking lots. So far, 16 have been built.

“[The city] pretty much allows EVCS to own and operate the charging stations, and we secure the funding again from both public and private sources to do the installations,” Occhiuzzo said.

While they’ve come down in cost, installing them is still pricey.

“On average an installation like this will run about $400,000,” Occhiuzzo added.

It also takes about a year to complete, including design, permitting and construction, and is why he welcomes President Joe Biden’s proposed infrastructure plan, which sets aside billions of dollars to create a national network of a half a million EV chargers by 2030.

“We do need the support of the government and the public entities to kind of fund these construction through different programs, such as rebates or grants or subsidies,” Occhiuzzo said.

That public funding in California has helped Occhiuzzo more than double the number of non-Tesla charging stations in the LA area in the past year, crucial to ensuring electric vehicles have the power they need.

“You already don’t want to spend 30 minutes charging your car, let alone waiting 30 minutes for somebody else to charge before you can charge,” he said.

Occhiuzzo explained how LA is already miles ahead, but as demand grows, these charging stations — which were once an amenity — are now a necessity in Southern California and beyond.

“This feels like internet in 1993 when the future was unknown, but at the same time, the potential was unlimited,” he said.

For Occhiuzzo, building that future is nothing short of electrifying.

Back
29
Sep
/
23
2
October
/
23
Electric Vehicles
Electric Car Charging

Plugged In With Tritium: Supercharging the West Coast With EVCS

With Karim Farhat, Chief Commercial Officer, EVCS Tritium is proud to feature our partner EVCS, one of the largest public EV charging networks on the US West Coast. Tritium supplies direct current (DC) fast chargers for the growing charging network. EVCS and Tritium are working together to help more people drive electric.

READ MORE
31
May
/
23
30
June
/
23
Press
Press Release
News

EVCS Awarded $1.9M from the California Energy Commission to install 30 EV Fast Chargers in Northern and Central California

‍LOS ANGELES – May 31, 2023 -- EVCS, one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging network operators on the West Coast, announced today that it has been awarded $1.9 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) Rural Electric Vehicle (REV) program. The funds will support the installation of 30 DC fast chargers and 8 Level 2 chargers in Northern and Central California, with the aim of expanding EV infrastructure access to rural, low-income, and disadvantaged communities.

READ MORE
22
Apr
/
23
30
June
/
23
Electric Car Charging
Electric Vehicles
News

Happy Earth Day!

We are proud to join in on the celebration by sharing our vision and progress toward accelerating the transition to clean, carbon-free transportation. 

READ MORE
23
Feb
/
23
30
June
/
23
Electric Car Charging
Electric Vehicles

Installation of the Month (February 2023): City of Los Angeles Lot 715

As our network continues to expand, we’ve consistently maintained three key focuses: 1) Accessibility; 2) Affordability; and 3) Sustainability. These attributes are the cornerstone of everything we do, and our newest installation near the heavily trafficked intersection of West Pico Boulevard and Overland Avenue in Rancho Park helps us accomplish all of them.

READ MORE
31
Jan
/
23
30
June
/
23
Electric Car Charging
Electric Vehicles

Electric vs Gas: An Apple to Apples Comparison

The first quarter of 2022 saw a 60% increase in American EV registrations, according to Car and Driver, thanks in large part to a boost in model offerings, expanded infrastructure and an aggressive push by industry stakeholders aimed at educating the public. Yet EVs make up less than 5% of the total vehicles on US roads, with many consumers still reticent to take the leap.‍ However, the fact that many states plan to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered, or internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the next 10 to 20 years means these same consumers are having to take a long hard look at their electric biases to determine how EVs truly compare. In that vein, we decided to do our own comparison, laying out the pros and cons, and some of the findings may surprise naysayers.

READ MORE