UK electric vehicle (EV) smart charging platform ev.energy has secured £32 million in funding to expand charging solutions in California, US.
The public funding, which has been allocated following selection for the California Energy Commission (CEC)’s Responsive, Easy Charging Products with Dynamic Signals (REDWDS) grant, will look to make EV charging more accessible to Californians.
The company, which last year raised US$33 million (£25.83 million) in Series B funding to continue its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) expansion across Europe and North America, will use the funds to enrol EV drivers into smart charging programmes, fostering the development of a dynamic EV virtual power plant (VPP).
The funding will be matched by what ev.energy called “select utility and Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs)”, and will support “scaled-managed charging for 275,000 EV drivers in California, with a particular emphasis on serving disadvantaged communities” through the ChargeWise programme.
ChargeWise is an initiative that grants qualifying members up to $500 to install a charging station or outlet of their choice and meter. Participation in the programme means that power is provided to the vehicle only during the off-peak hours of 11:00pm until 7:00am.
In 2024, ev.energy will initiate phase one of the ChargeWise programme alongside MCE, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Peninsula Clean Energy and Southern California Edison, enrolling thousands of EV drivers.
Phase two, which is slated to commence in late 2024, aims to scale up to 275,000 drivers – equivalent to 5% of California’s estimated EV fleet – by working with current and new California utility and CCA partners. As defined by the CEC, 50% of participants will be from disadvantaged communities.
“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.”
California continues to expand zero-emission transportation solutions
It is worth noting that this is the latest development the CEC has announced in a bid to bolster EV charging infrastructure in the region. On 14 February, the organisation approved a US$1.9 billion plan to accelerate the state’s EV charging and hydrogen refuelling goals.
These investments will help deploy infrastructure for light, medium, and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) across California, creating the most extensive charging and hydrogen refuelling network in the country.