Smartcar has a solution for the future of EV charging
CEO and co-founder of Smartcar, Sahas Katta, has spoken to CleanTech News following the announcement of their new and innovative EV charging solution for energy and electric utility providers in the US.
Smartcar has launched a first-of-its-kind electric vehicle (EV) charging solution for energy and electric utility providers in the United States. This solution allows utility providers too quickly and easily integrate EV charging into the electric grid.
Their solution means utilities in the US can digitally monitor and manage EV charging and best balance electric grid load.
Nationwide electricity usage is expected to surge by 38% by 2050 due to an increase in EVs on the road. Smartcar have found the solution utilities have been looking for to facilitate this surge in electricity usage.
As a leading developer platform for the mobility business, Smartcar’s software and APIS are already used in many companies. This software manages EV charging, tracks vehicle locations, verifies mileage and issues digital car keys.
With their solution, utility providers will be able to easily connect their customers’ EVs and integrate EV charging into their existing load balancing. It offers dynamic pricing, demand response and electricity usage products.
To facilities the growth in EVs and consequently electricity usage, utility providers need to start monitoring EV charging-induced spikes in electricity demand and overloaded grids. This is where Smartcar’s EV charging solution will help.
A ‘unique’ solution for the US
Using only a single integration effort, utilities in American can now connect directly to most electric vehicle models such as the Tesla Model 3, the Chevrolet Bolt and the Nissan LEAF. Already partners are using this innovative solution such as Rolling Energy Resources, Greenely, and Krafthem.
The solution offers residential electricity customers to opt in to connect their EV directly from the utility providers web or mobile app. The app lets the utility monitor and charge the customer’s vehicle regardless of the charging system. This app tracks whether they used a regular 120-volt outlet, a residential charger or a public charging station and charges them accordingly.
Offering dynamic pricing, smart charging schedules and demand response programs, to name a few, Smartcar’s pioneering solution to EV charging could transform the EV charging market in the US.
Speaking to Smartcar
Following its announcement, CleanTech News spoke to Sahas Katta, CEO and Co-founder of Smartcar to discuss their first-of-its-kind EV charging solution and learn about the companies hopes for the future…
Why was it important to incorporate sustainability into your business model?
We work with utility companies and EV networking companies, that undoubtedly need to start including EV charging management into their offering. Specifically with utility providers there has been no easy way to monitor and control EV charging to balance the electric grid. This is gong to be especially important when there are more EVs on the road than gas powered vehicles.
Sustainability is an urgent necessity, to leave our planet in a healthy condition for future generations. We’re excited to see that businesses are incorporating going green and becoming carbon neutral as part of their goals. Car sharing companies plan to shift to EVs. Many fleets have targets to have a certain portion of their inventory become pure electric within the next year. We’re seeing the same shift with car rental companies too.
We want to help these companies accelerate their transformation.
What makes your solution the best in the market?
Smartcar’s solution is unique to the market, because there is no hardware necessary to connect to the vehicle. Our APIs connect to the vehicles cellular modem right out of the box with a few simple lines of code.
Companies of all kinds use our software and APIs to manage EV charging, track vehicle locations, verify mileage, and issue digital car keys. With out EV charging solution, electric utility providers can easily connect to their customers’ electric vehicles and integrate EV charging into their existing load balancing, dynamic pricing, demand response, and electric usage products.
We simply have the largest and most comprehensive selection of compatible PHEVs and BEVs. Integrate once and you’ll have most of the market covered.
How do you hope that this solution will push the United States to adopt more sustainable alternatives in day-to-day life?
This solution will motivate utility companies to start thinking about more sustainable alternatives than what they already have in place. Electric vehicles are still fairly news when you think about it.
The concept of balancing the electric grid and digitally monitoring and managing EV charging will quickly be adopted as more EV charging networks start to emerge on every corner and in residential homes.
What are your hopes for the future of Smartcar?
Our hope is to continue to partner with utility providers mentioned above. We love to see our customers build and scale new innovative sustainable solutions, especially in the utility space. 80% of cars manufactured this year are connected. As cars become more and more connected we see ourselves at the centre of the mobility landscape as the leading connected car platform.
We are looking forward to sharing more soon about what to come next. We hope to be the fabric that empowers developers building innovative apps and services to accelerate their efforts to build a more sustainable tomorrow.