Reviewed by Lexie CornerFeb 23 2024
ev.energy, the leading electric vehicle (EV) smart charging software platform, today announced it has been selected for the California Energy Commission (CEC)’s competitive “Responsive, Easy Charging Products with Dynamic Signals” (REDWDS) grant, receiving £32 million ($41 million) of public funding. The grant aims to make affordable EV charging accessible to all Californians, furthering the state’s commitment to sustainable transportation solutions.
The funds, to be matched by select utility and Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs), will enable ev.energy to enrol EV drivers into smart charging programmes, fostering the development of a dynamic EV virtual power plant (VPP). As part of the ChargeWise programme, the matched funding will also support scaled-managed charging for 275,000 EV drivers in California, with a particular emphasis on serving disadvantaged communities. Over the next four years, participants in these communities will collectively receive over £39 million (approximately $50 million) in incentives.
“The CEC and the state of California have a long history of making California a global leader in decarbonization,” said Melanie Biesecker, Customer Programs Manager at MCE for transportation electrification. "MCE's partnership with ev.energy will provide EV drivers with greater access to grid-friendly charging solutions that save them money and support the clean energy transition. Most importantly, this grant will further our shared mission to improve access to simple, affordable, and green EV charging.”
As millions of EVs come onto the grid in the next few years, California faces the challenge of maintaining a green and reliable power system. Through ChargeWise, utilities and CCAs can expand their smart charging services, offering Californians energy bill savings and deferred grid upgrades while accelerating the clean power transition. Ultimately, the impact of this award will be that EV drivers will get access to affordable charging, while enhancing grid reliability and the integration of renewable energy sources.
In 2024, ev.energy will initiate Phase 1 of the ChargeWise programme with MCE, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Peninsula Clean Energy, and Southern California Edison, enrolling thousands of EV drivers. Phase 2, slated to commence in late 2024, aims to scale up to 275,000 drivers – equivalent to five percent of California’s estimated EV fleet – by working with current and new California utility and CCA partners. Fifty percent of participants will be from disadvantaged communities, as defined by the CEC.
“California’s ChargeWise programme will create a global blueprint for how public and private partnerships can augment these much-needed solutions and address the inequity of affordable access to EV charging”, said ev.energy CEO and Founder, Nick Woolley. “As we move towards an electrified world, it’s critical for underserved communities to have joint participation in the clean energy transition.”
With a global presence spanning the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia, ev.energy has dispatched over eight million charging sessions and manages a virtual power plant of over 120,000 drivers. The company’s wireless, hardware-agnostic technology has already been tapped by more than 30 utilities across the globe. The recent grant comes on the heels of ev.energy’s latest $33 M Series B raise which the company is using to bolster grid resiliency across North America.