Top 10 Reasons Why California Needs EVCS

Everyone loves top 10 lists, right? After all, David Letterman made them a perennial staple of his popular late-night program for years until they eventually became one of the most anticipated segments of each episode. Not only were they hysterically funny, but they featured just enough truth that the viewer was able to make a connection with reality. Quite often, these lists were also centered around an important and topical subject. And what’s more topical right now than sustainable energy? Or protecting our environment? So, in the spirit of David Letterman, we thought we’d present the top 10 reasons why the state of California needs EVCS.

10. Climate change has created so many wildfires across the region, the Grumman S-2T tanker plane has been renamed California’s official state bird.

9. With gas prices consistently inching up to ever higher levels, it’s now cheaper just to ship your car wherever you’re going than to drive it there.

8. Gavin Newsom thinks we should all be driving electric cars by 2035. And seriously, how could anyone with a coif that pretty possibly be wrong?

7. Rolling black-outs have Californians sitting in their darkened homes tweeting nostalgically about the days when they could actually see all the damage caused by local rioters and earthquakes. Clearly a plea for someone to bring us back to normal! #goodolddays #shoreupthegrid

6. Think how fast everyone could get where they were going if they could ALL use the HOV lane!

5. California drivers stop to text at greenlights, but frantically run reds. Hmmm… Just imagine if they could kick back with a cappuccino, relax and get all of those urgent texts out of the way while their EVs charged. Two birds, one stone!

4. The CEC issued a report saying gas prices had gotten so bad in cities like Los Angeles, people were actually out walking.

3. EVs in every home means no one will die from sitting in their garage with the car turned on.

2. Saying “charge it” won’t mean paying 26% in interest to AMEX anymore.

1. We already give up 70% of our earnings to cover income taxes, property taxes, wealth taxes, excise taxes, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, disability, unemployment, health insurance, life insurance, car insurance, union dues, mortgage payments, car payments, childcare, utility bills, HOA fees and DMV registration fees. Now we can stop giving the remaining 30% to the gas stations.

Okay, so we’re not the writing team at the Late Show, but you have to admit there are at least a few compelling reasons in the bunch to advocate for greater EV infrastructure. Because at the end of the day, our mission is to better the lives of Californians (and eventually all Americans) by creating a safer, cleaner, healthier environment through responsible mobility. And that’s no laughing matter.

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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.