EVgo-Led Connect the Watts™ Program Releases Series of Best Practices Guides for Faster Infrastructure Deployment
August 31 2021 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
EVgo Launches an EV Charging Industry
Collaboration with Stakeholders Across the EV Ecosystem Committed
to Accelerating EV Adoption
EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ: EVGO), the nation’s largest public fast
charging network for electric vehicles (EVs) and first powered by
100% renewable electricity, today announced the Connect the
Watts™ initiative aimed at accelerating the electrification of
transportation by bringing together stakeholders across the EV
charging infrastructure ecosystem to work efficiently to site,
build, and deploy chargers. In response to growing consumer demand
and policy support for EVs, EVgo and others across the U.S. are
building a vast network of public fast chargers. Critical members
of the charging ecosystem include EV manufacturers, charging
infrastructure owners, utilities, site hosts, government funders,
local permitting authorities, and equipment providers who must all
collaborate to provide drivers access to convenient and reliable EV
charging across America. Today, EVgo will release the first set of
Connect the Watts EV charging implementation guides to expedite
fast charger deployment across the various facets of the
process.
Having held its first ecosystem-wide salon in May and the second
in July 2021, EVgo’s Connect the Watts initiative has already
garnered participation from more than 200 industry players, each
aiming to advance transportation electrification. This release, the
first in a series of implementation guides, is based on findings
from the sharing of best practices between Connect the Watts
participants and the requests from each and every sector involved
to learn from others about efficient and effective deployment of
charging infrastructure.
Industry research highlights that the most significant
reservation consumers currently have with respect to purchasing an
electric vehicle is access to charging1. Furthermore, Bloomberg New
Energy Finance cites a need for 77,000 fast chargers in the U.S. by
2027 in order to satisfy demand and create driver confidence.
Although it takes EVgo just four to eight weeks to construct a
fast-charging station, the typical all-in timeline for end-to-end
station deployment can take from nine to 24 months given current
practices, interactions and sign-off by hosts, utilities,
government permitting agencies, and other stakeholders. According
to PlugShare, the current installed base is approximately 20,000
fast chargers in the U.S., which means the pace with which chargers
are sited, funded, and permitted must accelerate significantly.
During 2021 EVgo has hosted virtual sessions with industry
leaders to share lessons learned from more than a decade of siting,
building and operating the US’s most expansive public fast charging
network, bringing all members of the ecosystem together to exchange
challenges and solutions, and provide resources for utilities,
permitting offices, landlords, and real estate owners to streamline
deployment schedules. Drawing from the first series of Connect the
Watts meetings, EVgo is publishing the inaugural set of best
practices documents for Local Permitting, Utilities and Public
Funding.
“The players in the charging ecosystem—retailers, utilities,
governments, and equipment providers— are excited about the EV
revolution and understand they have a key role to play in enabling
the transition,” commented Cathy Zoi, CEO of EVgo. “We’re working
together to create a flywheel that supports that. Much like Henry
Ford’s revolutionary production line for the Model T in 1913, each
of us has a role to play at enabling the efficient deployment of
chargers.”
“Transformation of the transportation industry will require a
deliberate and sustained effort to streamline the process for rapid
deployment of EV infrastructure,” said Garrett Fitzgerald,
Principal, Electrification at Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA).
“The Connect the Watts guides illuminate best practices, share
lessons learned, and generate new best practices for dissemination
and adoption.”
Not unlike the solar industry a little over a decade ago, the
advancement of technology is only a part of the picture to achieve
scale. To build and energize thousands of fast charging stations,
all stakeholders need to continue to work together to streamline
processes of siting, permitting, and funding. EVgo has convened the
EV community for knowledge sharing and constructive conversations.
Members of the Connect the Watts community include automakers
producing electric vehicles; equipment suppliers designing,
manufacturing, and shipping chargers and equipment; public funders
financing charger projects; property and retail organizations
hosting chargers in their parking lots; utilities supplying power
to the chargers; and local governments approving permits to build
chargers. Sign up to receive updates from Connect the Watts.
About EVgo
EVgo (Nasdaq: EVGO) is the nation’s largest public fast charging
network for electric vehicles, and the first to be powered by 100%
renewable energy. With more than 800 fast charging locations,
EVgo’s owned and operated charging network serves over 68
metropolitan areas across 35 states and more than 275,000 customer
accounts. Founded in 2010, EVgo leads the way on transportation
electrification, partnering with automakers; fleet and rideshare
operators; retail hosts such as hotels, shopping centers, gas
stations and parking lot operators; and other stakeholders to
deploy advanced charging technology to expand network availability
and make it easier for drivers across the U.S. to enjoy the
benefits of driving an EV. As a charging technology first mover,
EVgo works closely with business and government leaders to
accelerate the ubiquitous adoption of EVs by providing a reliable
and convenient charging experience close to where drivers live,
work and play, whether for a daily commute or a commercial
fleet.
1 Consumer Reports. December 2020.
https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CR-National-EV-Survey-December-2020-2.pdf
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For Media: press@evgo.com
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