Cliff Wu General Manager
Technologicaldevelopments,revolutionarymechanicsandaneedtotranscendfrom
combustiblesubstances,allconvergedfortheconceptionofamarvelonwheels. Electric th Vehicles,whichcameintoexistenceinthemid-19 century,areredefiningthewaysof commutingandtransporting.AkindlinginterestindevelopingEVshasbeenincitedbythe environmentaleffectsofvehiclespoweredbynon-renewablesourcesofenergy.
TheenergyconsumedbyEVscanbederivedfromarangeofsources,nuclearenergy,andalso renewablesourcesliketidalenergy,solarenergy,andwindenergyoracombinationofanyofthese. Theonboardbatterystorestheenergyusingflywheelorsupercapacitors.Theapplicationof regenerativebraking,whichinitiatestherecoveryofkineticenergyisalsooneofthereasonsofa surgeinthedemandofEVs.
ThebatterycostexhibitingasignificantnosedivehasledEVstobecomeaprofoundlyreformative technology.TheoverallcostofEVownershipiscommendablylowerthangasoline-powered vehicles.Alongwiththis,savingsonannoyingmaintenancecosts,oilchanges,replacingbelts,and transmissionrepairsbecomeseldom.
ToshedlightoverorganizationswhichcatertothedevelopmentoftheEVindustry,InsightsSuccess hascuratedalistof“The10FastestGrowingEVsSolutionProviders,2018,”whichareexcelling theirprovisionofbest-in-classEVsolutionsthatincessantlyadvocateingenuityintechnological innovationanduniversalservices.
OurCoverStoryfeaturesHongKongEVPower,whichprovidescomprehensiveand professionalEVchargingsolutionsincludingtheEVchargingstations.Itisaprominentexpert inElectricVehicle(EV)chargingaimedtowidentheadoptionofEVinHongKongandChina. TheorganizationaimstowidentheadoptionofEVinHongKong.Itprovidessolutionswhich aresuitablefordifferenttypesofEVcarstouse,toallkindsofcustomerslikeindividuals, corporates,powerutilitiesandgovernments,aswellasoperatingEVchargingstations.
HongKongEVPowerisaimingtodeliverreliableEVchargingservicestodriversandmaking surethatthereisnoconcernregardingthesame.However,itisintheprocesstobuild5000 morechargingstationsbytheendof2018.
Inthisissue,wehavealsoenlistedcompanieswhichareprovidinginsightfulandinnovative solutionstoenhancetheapplicationsofSAP.IESSynergywhichisleadingcompany recognizedforadvancedelectricvehiclebatterychargingsolutions;EVBoxwhichistheleading globalmanufacturerofelectricvehiclechargingstationsandchargingmanagementsoftware; CLEVERwhichistheleadingelectricmobilityoperatorinScandinavia;EOChargingwhich isoneofUK’sleadingelectricvehiclechargingmanufacturers,whichdesignchargersfor homes,fleetsanddestinations;BlinkChargingwhichisaleadingowner,operatorandprovider ofelectricvehiclechargingequipmentandnetworkedEVchargingservices;LocalMotors whichisagroundmobilitycompany,focusedonshapingthefutureforthebetter;KULR TechnologywhichaimstomakeEVsmoreefficientbyimprovingtheperformanceandsafetyof theirbatteriesandhigh-performancecomponents.OVOEnergywhichisUK’slargest independentenergytechnologycompanyandsupplier;andWallBoxChargerswhichis focusedinhelpingtheEVindustrytomakeelectricandpluginhybridcarsanattractive alternativetomoretraditionalwaysoftransportation.
Also,makesuretoscrollthroughthearticleswrittenbyourin-houseeditorialteamandCXO standpointsofsomeoftheleadingindustryexpertstohaveabrieftasteofthesector
Let’s start reading!
Hitesh Dhamani
Thespeedatwhichautomotiveindustryisgrowing, electricvehiclesnolongerseemlikeadreamofthe future.AccordingtoaUBSglobalautosurvey,itis estimatedthatoneinsixnewcarsintheworldwillbe electricbytheyear2025.Theemergenceofelectricvehicle hasrevolutionizedthewaypeoplecommute.
Thisdisruptivetrendofelectricvehiclesisexpectedto continue,especiallywiththebillionsofdollarsthatauto manufacturersareinvestinginthesevehicles.Traditional automakersincludingGeneralMotors,Volkswagen, DaimlerAG,andothersareallinvestingheavilyinelectric vehicles.
Withtheinfluxofelectricvehiclesintothemarketcomesan essentialneedforcharginginfrastructure.BeinganEV chargingsolutionpioneer,HongKongEVPowerLimited isleadingthemarketwiththebestchargingsolutionsand standards.
InaninterviewwithHongKongEVPower,theCEOand Founder,LaurenceChan,and,theGeneralManager, CliffWu,sharedtheirinsightsonEVCharging InfrastructureandhowHongKongEVPoweris contributinginit.
Giveabriefoverviewofthecompanyanditsvision.
LaurenceandCliff:HongKongEVPower,amemberof EVPowerGroupandaspinoffcompanyfromAMOS EnterprisesLimited,isafastest-growingHongKong companywithtwoofitsbrands, EV Power and
Charles Lui Cliff Wu Elvis ChungE-Charge.WeaimtowidentheadoptionofEVsinHongKong.WeprovidecomprehensiveandprofessionalEVcharging solutionsincludingtheEVstation,whichissuitablefordifferenttypesofEVcarstouse,toallkindsofcustomerslike individuals,corporates,powerutilitiesandgovernments,aswellasoperatingEVchargingstations.
Initially,ourfinancinghistorywassmooth,comparedtootherstartupsinHongKong.Theseedfundingcamelargelyfrom personalsavingsandearningsfromprojectsundertakenbyus.InAugust2011,afterafundraisingexerciseperiodofsome fivemonths,wesucceededinraisingHK$3millionthroughthreeangelsfromtheHKBAN.Inthisway,wewentonraising furtherinvestments.FocusMedia,aChinesecompanywhichoperatesthelargestout-of-homeadvertisingnetworkinthat country,isoneofthelargestinvestorofourcompany.
TheGroup’sbusinesshasbeenexpandedtoMainlandChinasince2014andcurrentlycovers30citiesincludingBeijing, Shanghai,Guangzhou,Shenzhen,HongKongandMacau.WearepromotingtheuseofelectricvehiclesinHongKongand Chinabyprovidingaconvenient,safeandcost-effectivechargingsolutionforallEVdriversandvariouscompanies.Wehope toturnthecitytobegreenerandmoreenvironmentalfriendly.
LaurenceandCliff:Weprovideourclientswithavarietyofservicesincludinginstallationforprivatecharging,consultancy anddesignforpubliccharging,trainingforchargingsystem,management,operationandmaintenanceofchargingstations,as wellastheinternetconnectionforthechargingstations.Ourproductscovercarparkchargingnetworksystem,carpark managementsystem,mediumchargerandquickcharger.ThechargersareconnectedbyE-Charge,whichisaplatformthat driverscanlookupthereal-timestatusofallchargingstationsandcaninspectthechargingprogress.Withtheincreasing charginginfrastructure,EVdriverscanenjoyasafeanduser-friendlychargingexperience.
Over200carparksinHongKonghaveinstalledourchargingstationsandmorethan50ofthemallowpublicaccess.We haveservedmanyresidentialandcorporateclients.Currently,wearethepublicchargingpartnersofPorsche,BMW, Hyundai,MercedesBenz,JaguarLandRoverandDFSK.Inadditiontothis,wearetheleadingresidentialchargingservice providerinthemarket.
Hong Kong EV Power has been invited to speak and exhibit in the “Smart EV Smart Charging” Seminar hosted by HK Electric on 28 September 2016.HowdoesHongKongEVPoweroffermorevaluethan itscompetitors?
LaurenceandCliff:Whenpeoplecheerheartilyfor convenienceandpollution-freefeaturesbroughtbythenew energyvehicles,theyhavetofaceaproblemofpromoting them.Theproblemishowtoinstallandusethecharging pilesafterthecommunityresidentsbuyingnewenergy vehicles.Inthemarket,wehaveastrongproperty relationshiptoofferuserstheultimatesolutiontothe problemofhomecharging,aswellastheirconcernsbefore buyingthevehiclesandtheirfundspressuretoinstallthe charger.Intermsofthemall,wemainlyconstructthefast chargingstationsassupplyforsomeuserswhodonothave
thechargerathometouseelectricvehiclesinthefirst place,andthentrytosolvetheproblemofhomecharging.
Additionally,weconsistofagroupofhard-workingand dedicatedpeoplethatnotonlywanttohelpbetterthe environmentbutalsotoensuretheusers’safetyand conveniencewhenusinganyofourproducts.Wehave installedEVchargingstationsthroughoutmalls,public parkinglots,corporatesaswellasprivatehousingstoallow theuseofourEVChargers.
Whatarethechallengesfacedbyelectricvehicles industryandhowisHongKongEVPowerservingto tacklethem?
LaurenceandCliff:AsthepioneeroftheEVcharging serviceprovider,wealwaysstrivetoimprovetheservices andmakebreakthroughtoexistinghurdlesinthemarket. Webelievethathomechargingistheonlysolutionto promotethewideruseofelectricvehiclesinprivatesector inHongKong.
However,itismoredifficultforanindividualusertosetup homechargingfacilitiesintheresidentialapartmentsdueto manyissuessuchaslimitedelectricitypowersource,high initialcostofconstruction,rejectionofpropertymanagers andincorporatedownersfortheapplication,etc.
Inordertoserveourvisionthatstates, Make Everywhere EV Ready, Lead EV Ready Everywhere,wehavelauncheda PrivateEVChargingServicenamed Residential Apartment Scheme (RAS)inlate2014.Wetakecareoftheinitial capitalinvestmentsandthesubsequentoperationsofthe charginginfrastructureinthewholeresidentialcarparks withobtainingtheapprovalofpropertymanagersand
We are the only company providing holistic charging services in Hong Kongfor all EV drivers and various companies.
‘‘Hong Kong EV Power has exhibited in “Eco Expo Asia 2016” held in Hong Kong in October 2016.
incorporatedowners,whileindividualEVuserscansimplyapplyandpayamonthlyfeefortheEVchargingservicesattheir ownparkingspaces.Therefore,RAShighlyeasesthesetupofhomechargingfacilitiesandrelievemostoftheconcernsof propertymanagersandincorporatedownersinordertoprovidethewin-winsituationsforthesustainablegrowthoftheuseof EVinHongKong.
WheredoesHongKongEVPowerseeitselfinthelongrunandwhatareitsfuturegoals?
LaurenceandCliff:AstheanticipatedwidespreaduseofEVisreachinganinflexionpointinthecomingyears,weare strivingtopositionourselvestocaptureanexplodingmarket.WeareaimingforallthedriverstorelyonourEVcharging servicesandmakingsurethatthereisnoconcerninourchargingsolutions.However,weareintheprocesstobuild5000 morechargingstationsbytheendof2018.
HongKongEVPowerhasbeenripenedundertheleadershipofLaurenceChan,CEOand Founder,andCliffWu,GeneralManager.
LaurenceChansteerstheoverallbusinessdevelopmentandtheoperationsofEVPower GroupinmainlandChina.Hehascompletedhismastersinelectronicengineeringfrom theChineseUniversityofHongKong.Duringhisstudies,LaurencefoundedAMOS TechnologyCompany,whichwasthenprovidingdesignerandconsultancyservice forelectronicandelectricpowerautomationsystems.HesubsequentlyfoundedEV PowerLimitedin2010.Underhisleadership,EVPowerhasbecometoday’s fastestgrowingEVChargingServiceProviderinHongKong,Macauand mainlandChina.
CliffWuhasover9yearsofextensiveexperienceinengineeringprojectmanagement ofelectricalsystems,telecommunicationandbroadcastingnetworkinfrastructurein aterritory-widescale.PriortojoiningEVPower,heheldmanagerialrolesin HongKongTelevisionNetworkLimitedandHongKongBroadbandNetwork Limited.AfterjoiningEVPower,hehasbeenresponsibleforformulatingand developingintegratedEVchargingsolutionsaswellastheone-stopEV chargingnetworkplatform‘E-Charge’,andcurrentlyoverseesHongKong andMacaubusinessoftheGroup.Underhisleadership,histeamhas completednumerousremarkableEVchargingprojectsinthepastfew years,workingcloselywiththeHKSARGovernment,HKInternational Airport,powerutilities,landdevelopersandinternationalEV manufacturers.HealsograduatedfromtheChineseUniversityofHong KongwithaBachelorofEngineeringHonorsdegreeandaMasterof PhilosophydegreeinElectronicEngineering.Apartfromthis,heis acredentialholderofProjectManagementProfessional(PMP)®.
BlinkCharging blinkcharging.com
CLEVER clever.dk
EOCharging eocharging.com
MichaelFarkas Founder& ExecutiveChairman
CasperKirketerp-Møller CEO
BlinkChargingisaleadingowner,operatorandproviderof electricvehiclechargingequipmentandnetworkedEV chargingservices.
CleveristheleadingelectricmobilityoperatorinScandinavia.
EVBox evbox.co.uk
HongKongEVPower hkevpower.com
CharlieJardine Founder&CEO
KristofVereenooghe CEO
EOChargingisoneofUK’sleadingelectricvehiclecharging manufacturers,whichdesignchargersforhomes, fleetsanddestinations.
EVBoxistheleadingglobalmanufacturerofelectricvehicle chargingstationsandchargingmanagementsoftware.
LaurenceChan &CliffWu CEO&Founder GeneralManager
HongKongEVPowerprovidescomprehensiveandprofessional EVchargingsolutionsincludingtheEVchargingstations.Itisa prominentexpertinElectricVehicle(EV)chargingaimedtowiden theadoptionofEVinHongKongandChina.
IES ies-synergy.com
KULRTechnology kulrtechnology.com
LocalMotors local-motors.com
OVOEnergy ovoenergy.com
WallBoxChargers wallbox.com
Jean-MichelCornille President&CEO
Dr.TimothyKnowles CTO
IESisaleadingcompanyrecognizedforadvancedelectricvehicle batterychargingsolutions.
KULRaimstomakeEVsmoreefficientbyimprovingthe performanceandsafetyoftheirbatteriesand high-performancecomponents.
MattRivettExecutive VicePresident
StephenFitzpatrick CEO&Founder
LocalMotorsbyLMIisagroundmobilitycompany,focusedon shapingthefutureforthebetter.
OVOistheUK’slargestindependentenergytechnology companyandsupplier.
EnricAsunción CEO
WallboxisfocusedinhelpingtheEVindustrytomakeelectric andpluginhybridcarsanattractivealternativetomore traditionalwaysoftransportation..
Thelogisticsandsupplychainmanagementindustry isonethatisconstantlyevolvingandoptimizing, andbecauseofthecompetitivenatureofthe industry,innovationiskeyforsuccess.Modern technologieshavenotonlyaidedinthestreamliningof supplychainsandcompanyprocesses,buthavealsosetthe industryonatechnologicallyadvancedpaththatmany couldnothaveevenimaginedfifteenortwentyyearsago. Fromroboticsinwarehousesandautonomousshipsand trucks,tocomputerizedshippingandtracking,technology haschangedtheindustryforthebetterandhasprovided newlevelsofvisibility.
Withtheaidoftechnology,supplychainsofthefuturemay beabitmorecomplex,butwillcertainlybemoreefficient andlessexpensive.Afewofthetechnological advancementsthathavechangedthegameforthelogistics andsupplychainmanagementindustryare:
ComputerizedShippingandTracking Moderntechnologyhasdrasticallyimpactedtheshipping industryandhasmadeformoreefficientandaccurate tracking.Withawidearrayofdifferentsupplychain managementsoftwareprogramsonthemarket,logisticsand supplychainprofessionalsandtheirclientsareabletokeep aneyeontheirshipmentsduringeverystepofthesupply chainjourney.Witheverysecondbeingcrucialintheworld ofsupplychainmanagement,theabilitytoprovide completetransparencytoclientsintermsofwheretheir packagesareandwhentheywillarriveissomethingthatis extremelyvaluable.
Computerizedshippingandtrackinghasalsolargely reducedtheamountoftimespentshipping,receiving, trackingpackagesandcompilingshipmentdata,asall necessarydatacanbestoredinoneeasy-to-accessplace. Andinthiscase,savingtimemeanssavingmoney.Being abletodigitallyorganizedataandmonitorshippingand trackinginformationalsoreducestheopportunitiesfor humanerror.Withdigitalrecordsthereisnolongeraworry thatsloppyhandwritingoramisplacedpieceofpaperwill throwawrenchinashipmentbeingdeliveredontime,orto therightplace.
Abigtechnologicalpushintheindustryrightnowisthe advancementofautonomousvehicles,electrification,useof solarpower,andenergystorage,allofwhichwillbeused acrosstheboardtobothreducecostandincreaseefficiency. Rightnow,energyandtransportationmakeupmorethan halfoftotalsupplychaincostsandlaboraccountsfora littlelessthanathirdofcosts.Withfurthertechnological
advancements,thetransportationandlaboraspectsof supplychainswilleventuallycostvery,verylittlecompared towhattheydotoday.
Theeventualimplementationofautonomouselectric vehicles,whichcanbeprogrammedtousethemostefficient routesandrunthroughoutthenightwithoutadriver,will drivedownthecostoflaborandincreasecapacityonthe roads.Autonomousvehicleswillalsoaddressthegrowing concernoftruckdrivershortagesthroughouttheindustry.
Alsoontheverynearhorizonistheuseofautonomous ships.Autonomousshipswouldaddresstheissuesofpiracy, talentshortageintheoceanshippingindustryandaccidents causedbyhumanerror.
Logisticsandsupplychainmanagementprofessionalslive anddiebydata.ArecentstudybytheCouncilofSupply ChainManagementProfessionalsshowsthat98percentof third-partylogisticsfirmsand93percentofshippersfeel thatdata-drivendecisionmakingiskeytosupplychain activities.Technologicaladvancementshavemadeit extremelyeasytogatherandanalyzekeypiecesofdata.
Datasurroundingshippingtimes,cargoweight,weather patterns,trafficroutes,andmorecanleadtogreater transparency,optimizedroutes,greaterreliabilityand automatedsupplychains.Havingateamthatisableto accuratelyinterpretbigdataiskeytosuccess,andwill likelysaveacompanybothtimeandmoney.Thereisa reasonUPSdriversdon’tmakeleftturns.Someoneonthe UPSteamanalyzedlargeamountsofdata,whichisnow availablethankstotechnology,anddeterminedthat eliminatingthemajorityofleftturnswoulduse10million lessgallonsoffuel,emit20,000tonneslesscarbondioxide intotheairandhelpdeliver350,000morepackagesevery year.
Technologyissomethingthatishardtopredictandoften difficulttowrapyourheadaround,butthelogisticsand supplychainindustryisbenefitingfromeverynew technologicaladvancementinourfield.Thesupplychains thatweareworkingwithtodaywillbedrasticallydifferent infiveortenyears’time,andalmostunrecognizablein twentyorthirtyyears.Technologyhasmadesupplychain managementmoreefficient,transparentandcost-effective.It isimportanttohavemembersofyourteamthatarewilling toembracenewwaysofdoingthingsandthatareableto stayup-to-dateonnewformsoftechnology.Thisindustryis constantlychanging,andinordertobesuccessfulyouneed tobewillingtochangealongwithit.
equipment,andhavegreaterbrandmanagementand priceuniformity.
ExperiencewithProductsandServicesofOtherEV ChargingServiceProviders:Wehavehadan experienceofowningandoperatingotherservice provider’sEVchargingequipmentthatincludes GeneralElectric,ChargePointandSemaConnect.This experiencehasprovideduswiththeworking knowledgeofthebenefitsandchallengesofother equipmentmanufacturersandtheirapplicableEV chargingnetworks.
BlinkCharging
IntheElectricVehicle(EV)industry, isa leadingenterprisewhichprovidesEVchargingequipment andnetworkservices.Ithasthousandsofchargingstations acrosstheUnitedStates.InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess, MichaelFarkasFounder ExecutiveChairman ,the and ofthe company,shareshisinsightsoverexperiences,productsand mottooftheorganizationalongwiththefuturegoalsin revolutionizingtheEVindustry.
Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterviewconductedbetween FarkasandInsightsSuccess:
GiveabriefoverviewoftheBlinkCharging,itsuniqueness anditsvision.
BlinkChargingisheadquarteredinFloridawithofficesin ArizonaandCalifornia.Itisdesignedandestablishedto accelerateEVadoptionwithavisiontokeepexpandingnot onlyinNorthAmerica,butallaroundtheworld.
Herearesomeexampleswhichdifferentiateusfromour competitors:
OwnershipandControlofEVChargingStationsand Services:Weownalargepercentageofourstations,whichisa significantdifferentiationbetweenusandsomeofourprimary competitors.Thisownershipmodelallowsustocontrolthe settingsandpricingforourEVchargingservices,maintainthe
BlinkNetworkisproprietarycloud-basedsoftwarethat operates,maintains,andtracksalloftheEVcharging stationsconnectedtothenetworkandtheassociated chargingdata.BlinkNetworkprovidesproperty owners,propertymanagers,andbusinesseswithcloudbasedservicesthatenabletheremotemonitoringand managementofEVchargingstations,payment processing.ItalsoprovidesvitalEVcharger informationincludingstationlocation,directions, availability,andapplicablefeestotheEVdrivers.
BlinkChargingofferindividualswithaflexiblerange ofbusinessmodelsforEVchargingequipmentand services.Initscomprehensivemodel,thecompany owns,operates,installs,managesandmaintainstheEV chargingset-up,andsharesapieceoftherevenuewith thepropertyowner.Alternatively,propertyownersmay shareinthesystemexpensesincludingproviding connectivitytotheBlinkNetwork.Forbusinesses interestedinpurchasing,owning,andmanagingthe chargingstations,BlinkChargingprovidescomplete supportfromequipmenttonetworkconnectivityand maintenanceservices.
Giveadetaileddescriptionofthe Founder/CEO/Management’sinfluenceoverthe companyandtheindustry.
InfoundingBlinkCharging,MichaelFarkasconceived theEVcharginginfrastructurebusiness,andwasthe first“playerinthegame”–pioneeringanindustry.The modelprovedsosuccessful,thatBlinkcompetitors havehistoricallytriedtoreplicateFarkas’methods.To date,Farkasisanexpertintheelectricvehicle,EV charging,andgreentechnologyspace.Heisconstantly lookingforwardtointroducedisruptivemethodology
Farkas Founder & Executive Chairman
into Blink Charging and looks towards hardware advancement to change the direction of EV charging tactics.
Describe the experiences, achievements or lessons learnt that have shaped the journey of the company.
Our plans have changed and evolved throughout our years in business, and we are proud of what we’ve accomplished. This includes our R&D successes and our successful rounds of funding. We’ve raised the capital when we needed it, and now with the increasing capital, we will see as a result of being the only pure-play charging company on the NASDAQ.
We’ve found that a big part of maintaining our entrepreneurial spirit is being flexible. We’re always ready to make the best use of new opportunities that emerge in the clean transportation sector. We’ve made mistakes along the way, and we regret none of them, because we learned so much from each mistake. If you believe in electric vehicles, the smartest investment to make is not necessarily in car companies. Historically, 99 percent of
them have gone bankrupt. The money to be made is among fuel supplying companies, required at every moment when a vehicle is in operation. We are certain the future is electric.
What are the challenges faced by electric vehicles industry and how is Blink Charging serving to tackle them?
There are different issues that have arisen at different times. Lastly, the issue that arose was having the right product of EV. The first generation of EV were compliance cars that only went 30-40 miles on a single charge.
As an answer, Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3 are economically priced, fullbattery vehicles that an average consumer can afford. By 2020, all major manufacturers will have several EV models that will go an excess of 300 miles on a single charge.
Another issue was charging infrastructure, or lack thereof. Blink
Charging came in and took steps to deploy hardware in the areas where it’s needed. Now, the main obstacle, that the industry faces is consumers’ awareness. We have to let the people know that they can buy an electric car that can satisfy their transportation needs.
Give us a few testimonials of your clients that accurately highlight Blink Charging position in the market.
“Blink is a leader in the network service and EV charger markets in the US, and its products and solutions serve as the standard technologies in the region.” – Hong Dong-ho, CEO of DSPOne.
“As an urban institution that is deeply engaged with its communities, Temple is committed to creating a sustainable campus environment and culture. The Blink EV chargers are an important part of Temple’s sustainability initiatives to reduce transportationrelated greenhouse gas emissions.” –Kathleen Grady, Temple University’s Director of Sustainability.
Providing convenient and affordable EV charging services.
Theelectricautomobileisassociatedwiththe integrationoftransportation,whichisresulted accordingtothecustomerneeds.Customer demandsareinitiatedtowardsrenewableenergiesinterms ofazero-emissionandsustainablemobility.The"Smart Grid"couldbeahypotheticmethodologywithelectrically collectedfromvehiclesthatrunonrenewableresources. However,E-mobilityconsequentlyspecializingincustomer demandsandbuildaneffectivesourceofenergythrough mobility.
ElectromobilityorE-mobilitysuggestscleanand environment-friendlytransportthroughelectricvehicles.It conjointlydeliversclimate-friendlytechnologywith massivegrowthpotential.Intheautomotiveindustry, electricitysuppliersandgovernmentinfluencersarealso pushinge-mobilitywithinthefieldofstandardization.For sequencingtotheperfection,utilitiesandnetworkoperators areheavilyinvestingunderdevelopmentof‘intelligent’ electricitydistributionsystems.
Insmartgrid,smartenergynetworkdependsupon comprehensivecommunicationwithintegratedcharging stations.Thecommunicationwiththesmartgridis incessantlymeasuredandcontrolledthroughanIP-based connection.Itadditionallypermitsloadcompensationwith theassistanceofinterconnectingchargingstations. Additionally,vehicle-to-gridcommunicationmakesit potentialtointegratespecialchargemodelsandsupplynew services.Moreover,infuturethevehiclesconnectedtothe smartgridunitexpectedtoperformbatteriesforstoring extraenergyasneeded.
RenderingaheadwithSmartGrid
Themovetowardsalow-carbonsocietywouldrequire progressinrenewableenergyproductionandine-mobility. Thesuccessofe-mobilityisconnectedtosmartgrid developmentthathelpsintelligentcharginginfrastructure forbigscaleacceptanceofelectricvehicles.The dependencyworksbothwaysinwhichcomparableto massivescaleacceptanceofe-mobilityhelpsmassivescale infrastructureinvestmentstobeprofitable.
Therearetwodifferentkindsofplug-inelectricvehicles, suchasplug-inhybridvehicleandpureelectricvehicle. Wereplug-inhybridvehiclesareequippedwitha combustionengineandpureelectricvehicleencompass pureelectricconnectivity.Theproperelectricity-production drasticallyreducesCO2emissionscomparedtotraditional combustionenginecars.Fromtheperspectiveofthe electricalgrid,people’shabitsanddailyschedulescan probablycausepeakdemandatcertaintimesofday,which maycauseelectricitynetworkcongestionorvoltagesbelow normal.
Inanelectricalgrid,theenergysystembecomes progressivelyreliedonrenewableenergysources.The wantstotheelectricalgridareever-changingwithlatest trends.Thealternativeenergyisgenerallynon-controllable, suburbanizedandunsteady.E-mobilitybringspurposeful technologywhichreinforcesthetransportationmediumand efficientmethod.
E-mobilitymaybeaversatileelectricaltransportation mediumimmenselycapturingclientdemands.The flexibilityofe-mobilityhelpstoreducecostsofnetwork investmentsandelectricitybillswithgridoperators.The networkhastheflexibilitytodealwithworstcasesituation. Itadditionallyreducesenergyandabsorbsexcessiveenergy generation,andadditionallythingsandvoltageissues.
Thewell-knownautomobilebrand,Nissanisintroducingits ownelectronicvehicleore-mobilityvehiclewithsmartgrid technology.Nissanadditionallyproposestointroduce technologyandbusinesstiesbetweenelectricdrivingand smartgrid.Moreover,Nissanisonthepointofintroducing energystorageforavehiclefordomesticusagesupported second-lifebatteries.Nissan’sisaimingtoprovide concerningonehundredelectricvehiclechargingstations foreachnon-publicandbusinesspurpose.Theautomotive
usersarereadytoofferthebatterycapacitytovehiclesand tocreateenergyforgrid.Hence,Nissandrivesits e-mobilityvehicleseffectivelywithunifiedconsumer experience.
Thefutureofelectricvehiclesisremodelingwithinthefield ofenergyandqualityhappeninginthefieldsofenergyand quality.E-mobilityisinfluencedbymarketfactorsand forthcomingtrendsthatarenearlyunbeatable.The conjunctionofe-mobilityandsmartgridisachancefor manyautomobileindustries.Throughautomobile, businesseshavemanypossibilitiestoheadinthemarket.
Henceforth, e-mobility delivers significant solutions to automobile industry comprises with a smart grid. It’s a revolutionary step towards automobile segmentation comprises with electric transport mobility solutions.
Digitization,automationandnewbusiness modelshaverevolutionizedmanyindustries, andtheautomotiveindustryisnotanexception. Theglobalautomotiveindustryhasstartedexperiencing theeffectsofglobaldisruptionafterthevehiclesarebeen intheprocessofgettingelectrified.Inthiseraof disruption, oneoftheleadingelectricmobility Clever, operatorsispavingthewayfortomorrow’ssustainable mobility.InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,theCEO CasperKirketerp-Møllerunveiledthejourneyof Cleverandhowitprovidessustainablevaluetostay aheadofcompetition.
Whatarethecutting-edgeproducts/servicesoffered byClever?
Casper:Wehaveinventedthefirsteverflatratecharging subscriptioncalled ,aNetflixforEVcharging. Unlimited Unlimitedgivesourcustomerslimitlesschargingand freedomwhereverit’sneeded.Thereisnofussasthe monthlyfeegivesconsumerlimitlesschargingathome withahomeupgradeconsistingofahomechargingbox includinginstallation,limitlesschargingonourpublic chargingnetwork,andlimitlesschargingonournew ultra-fastchargingstationsalongtheEuropeanfreeways. OurinventionofUnlimitedismassivelysuccessfuland hassubsequentlybeencopied1:1bythecompetition.We continuallydevelopandenhancetheuserexperiencein ourproducts,carvingawayfrictiontomakeitan effortlessanddigitalexperiencetodriveandchargeour customer’sEV.Thisuncompromisingfocusiswhathas madeCleveramarketfrontrunner.
Wehavedesignedthefutureofchargingstationswhich willgivegasstationsalong-neededrunforitsmoney. Withthedesignofournewultra-fastcharging(UFC) stations,weprovideourcustomerswithameaningful breakthatwillfast-chargethementalbatteriesalong withtheEV’s.
Describetheexperiences,achievementsorlessons learntthathaveshapedthejourneyofthecompany.
Casper:Throughourlifespan,ithasbeenallabout identifyingandrelievingpainpointsinconsumers’ everydaylife.
Initially,in2009,therewereaverylimitedamountof EVsinDenmark,andasaconsequence,Clever,which wasnamedChooseEVatthetime,developedan extensiveuser-studyalongwiththeDanishtransport authoritywhichlet2500Danesdriveandexperience EVsinordertogatherdata,knowledgeandusecasesto makeinformedapproachestoimplementEVsforthe Danes.Basedonthestudy,itbecameevidentthat charginginfrastructurewascrucialinordertosupport theEVintegrationandbattle‘rangeanxiety’.Thisledus toraisefundingtoinvestinastrategicimplementationof thepublicchargingnetwork.
Withthepublicchargingnetworkbeingimplemented, nextstepwastodevelopasolutionforhomeownersin ordertobringchargingtothedoorstepoftheconsumers bymakingsurethattheywouldwakeuptoafully chargedEVoutsidetheirdoor.Afterbringingchargingto thehomesofconsumers,itbecameevidentthat transparencyandeaseofusewascrucialinorderto continuetheimplementationofEVs.Thisledtothe productdevelopmentofCleverUnlimited,markinga neweraofEVcharginginDenmarkandinternationally aswell.
Currently,weareinvestingextensivelyinuser-centred digitalandphysicalproductsandservices,suchasapp, website,ITinfrastructure,upgradestoUnlimited, partnershipswithcarbrandsandtheUFCproject.
Whatarethechallengesfacedbyelectricvehicles industryandhowisCleverservingtotacklethem?
Casper: Deep-rooted fossil-based mind-sets and myths surrounding the EV performance and experience are barriers keeping the mass of consumers from even trying an EV. We are nuancing and challenging those mind-sets and myths by showing the value of emobility through our partnerships, and our user-centric products and services as driving an EV is not only more fun and a meaningful experience – it’s also in most aspects easier.
Compared to the situation in Norway, Sweden and Netherlands, Danish consumers, car dealers, leasing companies and companies in general are lacking economic motivation to invest in EVs caused by swaying and unstable Danish taxation politics on the EV area. We are working together with the industry to put pressure on Danish politicians to ensure security and confidence in the market.
What, according to you, is the future of electric vehicles and what role does Clever play in that?
Casper: The EV is a superior product that will dominate the future of road-
based transport as a whole. In ten years, 3 out of 4 new cars sold will be EVs. And as long as there are EVs around, we will be there to make sure that driving and charging EV is meaningful, easy and frictionless. No matter if the car is autonomous, if our costumers live in the city or on the country, or they charge the car while driving. We will continue to put users first and make use of the technologies and expertise available to create the best possible user experience.
Casper is e-mobility enthusiast to the bone but rely deeply on the 50 dedicated co-workers of Clever as the organization has a flat hierarchy that empowers every co-worker to make autonomous and smart
decisions in their everyday work. Clever as a company has attracted international attention and recognition for the unique way of designing the future of e-mobility charging.
Clever is the leading electric mobility operator (EMO) in Scandinavia. It provides charging solutions that make it convenient, fast and safe for its customers to charge their EV at home, at workplaces and on the go. It has established a nationwide network of public charging stations in Denmark, Sweden and Northern Germany and delivers charging solutions for all models of electric cars. It is owned by two of Denmark’s most innovative energy companies, SEAS-NVE and NRGi, who teamed up to create the conditions for the electrification of transportation.
Casper Kirketerp-Møller CEO
Everything we do, we do to inspire people to drive EVs – it’s the brightest idea we know, and we want to share it with the world.
EOChargingisoneoftheUK’sleadingelectric vehicle(EV)chargermanufacturers.Foundedin 2015,thecompanydesignschargersforhomes, fleetsanddestinations–offeringaholisticsolutiontoall typesofEVdrivers.Injustthreeyears,EOhasgrown fromasmalloperationinanoldbarntoaglobalEV chargingbrand,nowsellingin25countriesaroundthe world.
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,CharlieJardine, FounderandCEOofthecompany,shareshis experience,company’sproductsandmottoofthe organizationalongwiththefuturegoalsin revolutionizingtheEVindustry.
Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterviewconducted betweenCharlieandInsightsSuccess:
Giveabriefoverviewofthecompany,itsuniqueness anditsvision.
Charlie:EOChargingisoneoftheUK’sleadingelectric vehiclechargingmanufacturers.Wedesignchargersfor homes,fleetsanddestinations.WeseeEVchargersas thefirstpieceofthepuzzleinhelpingconsumersgain energyindependence–bothintermsofgenerationand storage.
Whatarethecutting-edgeproducts/servicesoffered byEOCharging?
Charlie:EOhasanumberofindustryleadingproducts includingtheeoMini,theeoBasicandtheeoGeniusand theeoHub.
TheeoMiniiscurrentlythesmallestfastchargeronthe marketandisfullycustomizable.It’stheperfectoption
forelectricvehicledriverslookingforadiscreetand easy-to-usecharger.
OureoBasicisasimpleplugandplayEVcharger availablein7-22kwoptions–perfectfortheeveryday EVdriver.Wherewe’releadingtheindustryisour eoGeniuscharger–themostcost-effective,scalable smartchargingsolutionthatallowsfleetmanagersto growtheircharginginfrastructurewithease.Sohow doesitwork?Well,byconnectingoureoGeniuschargers totheeoHub,asmartunitthatconnectsupto32 chargers,fleetmanagersandEVdriversgetaccesstothe eoCloud,eoAppandallofoursmartfunctionality.
Bynothavingthesmarthardwareineachcharger,fleet managersorbusinessownersdon’tfacelargeupfront costsandareabletoeasilyscaletheircharging infrastructureasmoreandmoreelectricvehiclesare purchasedandentertheirfleet. Describetheexperiences,achievementsorlessons learntthathaveshapedthejourneyofthecompany.
Charlie:Aswithanystartup,EO’sgrowthtodatehasn’t comewithoutcomplications.ThefirstEOchargerwas designedandmanufacturedonCharlie’sGrandfather’s farm–infact,inanoldpigshed!Fastforwardthree yearsandthecompanynowhasastate-of-the-art manufacturingfacilityinStowmarket,Suffolk employingover15people.Oneofthebiggesthurdlesfor EOhasbeenkeepingupwithdemand–thecompanyto datehasmanufacturedaround4000chargersand currentlysellsinmorethan25countriesaroundthe world!
Whatarethechallengesfacedbyelectricvehicles industryandhowisEOChargingservingtotackle them?
Charlie:Oneofthebiggestproblems facedbytheelectricvehicleindustry ischarginginfrastructure.Currently intheUKtherearen’tenough chargerstosupporttheincreasing numberofEVsontheroad.
EOisworkingdirectlywithboth consumersandbusinessestoensure they’reinstallingthemost appropriate,future-proofcharging solution.
What,accordingtoyou,isthe futureofElectricVehiclesand whatroledoesEOChargingplay inthat?
Charlie:We’recurrentlywitnessing thesecondautomotiverevolutionfirstthecombustionenginetookover fromthehorse&cart,nowelectric takesoverfrompetrol&diesel.
Wewillsoonbemoving outofthe‘earlyadopter’ stageofvehicle electrificationandsoon intothe‘earlymajority’ whereeveryday consumerswillembrace EVswithopenarms.EO playsavitalrolein enablingthisrevolution (orrEVolution,ifyou will)andthecompanyis currentlyworkingona numberofinnovation projectstoprovetheuse casefortechnologieslike Vehicle-to-Gridcharging.
EOiscurrentlyworking alongsideInnovateUK andaconsortiumofUK businessesand organizations(including
EDFenergy,OxfordshireCounty CouncilandOxfordUniversity)to developaVehicle-to-Grid(V2G) charger.Oncethetechnologyisfully developed,EVswillbeableto assistthegridattimesof suddenspikesindemandor supply.
AbouttheLeader:
EOwasfoundedby26-yearoldCharlieJardine.Having workedatarivalUK manufacturerforanumberof
years,Charliemadethedecisionto setupthebusinesswiththemission ofbuildingsimpleyetreliableEV chargers.
WhilstCharlieistheyoungestleader withintheindustry,hisfocustobuild abrandandproductthatEVdrivers lovehaspropelledhimtothe forefrontoftheglobalEVrevolution. Heisadrivingforcebehindthe company’ssales,partnershipsandis constantlystrivingtoensure EOstaysattheforefrontof innovationinthesector.
EO is focused on developing charging technology that is simple and reliable. ‘‘ ‘‘ —CharlieJardine Founder & CEO
‘‘ ‘‘
Electrovayawasestablishedin1996asaresearch anddevelopmentcompanyfocusedonLithiumion technologiesandmanufacturingprocesses.In2000, itwaslistedontheTorontoStockExchange(TSX:EFL) andhascontinuouslydeliveredcuttingedgetechnology projectsforaerospace(NASA),automotiveandpersonal electronics.Overtime,ithasdevelopedkeytechnologiesfor fundamentalcellandbatterytechnologywithmorethan 150patentsinthesefields.
Recently,Electrovayahasconcentratedonbatterysolutions forheavy-dutyapplicationsrequiringsuperiorlifecycleand performance.Ithassuccessfullydevelopeduniqueultralonglifecyclebatterysystems,whichareparticularly designedforMaterialsHandlingElectricVehicles(MHEV).
Currently,itsuppliesmajorOEMswithspecializedbattery moduleandsystems.Ontheaverage,MHEVsand passengerEVsrundailyforaround10hoursand2hours, respectively.Electrovayasultra-longlifecycletechnology ’ isextremelysuitableforthesekindsofapplication.
Comparedtovehiclespoweredwithfuel,Electrovaya poweredvehiclescanfunctionwellwithin24hoursevery dayunderextremetemperatureconditionswithannual mileageof20,000km.
SixFortune500companiesinthelogistics,e-commerce andmanufacturingsectorshavestartedusingElectrovaya batteriesfortheirforklifttrucks,MaterialHandlingElectric Vehicles(MHEV)andAutomatedguidedvehicles(AGV). Thisemergingmarketgeneratedaround$3.3millionof revenuefrombattery-operateddeliveriesmainlyfrom WalmartfromtheJanuarytoMarch2018.Also,additional purchaseordersof$2.3millionwereplacedlastJune2018.
Thecurrenttargetmarketsare1.5millionoperational MHEVsandapproximately160,000newMHEVsplacedin NorthAmericalast2017(IndustrialTruckAssociation, 2017,WashingtonDC,USA).
Also,on25thofJuly2018,Electrovayahassuccessfully deliveredbatteriestoWalmartCanada’sdistributioncenter. ThisisamajormilestoneforElectrovayaandtheMaterials HandlingIndustry,foritisoneofthelargestlithium-ion installationsinNorthAmerica.Currently,Electrovaya’s Lithium-ionbatteriesprovidepowertoallMHEVsatthis distributioncenter.
ForklifttrucksalesinNorthAmerica’smarketcontinued theirunprecedentedincrease.Theyear2017markedthe thirdconsecutiveyearofgrowthwithmorethan250,000 unitssold,representinga9.5%and12.2%increase comparedto2016and2015,respectively.
Inaddition,thousandstomillionsofelectricpowered trucksaresoldannuallyintheU.S.andworldwide.The continuousincreaseinthenumberofbattery-operated trucksfromthepreviousyears’showsthepotentialuseand leadofElectrovaya’slithium-ionbatteriesinthetrucking industry.
Tofurtherintroducethetechnologyandexcellenceofits productsandservicestotheworld,Electrovayajoinedthe ModexExpo2018,whichhappenedatAtlanta,GA.Inthis occasion,thecompanyshowcasedthelithiumionbatteries thatarewidelyusedinthematerialshandlingsector.
GiventhetremendoussuccessofElectrovayainthe previousyears,whatreallysetsitapartfromtheother batteryproviders?
batterieswithmaintenancecostofonly45USDforcable replacementsandremotemonitoring.
Ÿ Safetyisourpriority Electrovayabatteriesarebuiltusingthesafesttechnology, whichhasbeencontinuouslyimprovedovertime.Once installed,thisbatterycanberechargedsimilaracellular phone.Hence,itremovesthedangerinvolvedinremoving andhandlingofbatteries,whicharenecessaryinleadacid batterycharging.
Lastyear,noaccidentswererecordedontheusageon forklifttruckswithElectrovayabatteries.
Ÿ Capitalexpenditure
Lithiumbatteryisalwayscriticizedaboutitshighinitial cost,whereinElectrovayabatterysystemistwicethecost oftheleadacidbatteries.However,Electrovayabatteries lasttwicelongerthanleadacidbatteriesdueits9000life cycle.Thisistheresultofthecollectiveeffortsofthe company’sengineerswhofiledmorethan150patentsunder theLithiumcelltechnology.Therefore,after6years,the totalinvestmentsofbothtypesofbatteriesarethesame. Also,ifbothbatterieswillbeonalease,themonthlylease expenseswillalsobesimilarduetolongerleaseperiodon Electrovayabatteries.
Toelaborateonwhatmakesitoneoftheleadingbrandsfor poweringelectro-mobility,enumeratedbelowarethe benefitsfromutilizingElectrovaya’stechnology.
• Reducedcostsandincreasedproductivityofcharging
Basedonobservation,therewasanincreaseinthe productivityoftheforklifttruckdriversduetoopportunistic andfastcharging.Leadacidbatterycanfunctionfor8 hoursbutalsoneedstobechargedfor8hours.Meanwhile, Electrovayabatterycanbechargedopportunisticallyduring breaktimes,whichincreasesitsruntime.Theuseof advanceconnectorsystemremovedarchingoranyfire hazards.
Ÿ Reducedmaintenancecosts
Electrovayabatteriesdonotrequireadditionaldistilled water,switching,cleaningandmaintenance.These advantages,madethemaintenancecostsofElectrovaya batteries59%cheaperthanLeadacidbatteries.
Forinstance,WateringSystemMaintenanceandAcid ContainmentSpillKitcost135USDannuallyforeach truckwithleadacidbatteriescomparedtoElectrovaya
Electrovaya’svisionistobetheleaderincriticalandhighly intensiveapplications.Itsextensivelineofproductsand worldwidepartnershipshelpsittoleadtheindustry.Aside fromthesixFortune500companies,MNCshavealso purchasedfromElectrovayaandmanyarestillexploring thebenefitsofusingthistechnologyinkeepingtheir companiestransformandgrow.
AtestimonyfromthewarehousemanagerofaleadingecommercecompanystatedthatElectrovayawasvery efficientinswitchingthebatteries,particularlyininstalling theLithium-ionbatteries.Sincethen,thecompanyhas reportedreducedenergyandmaintenancecosts,whilethere wasanincreaseinthelaborproductivity.
ThisshowsthatElectrovayacontinuestobeoneofthe leadingcompaniesinthisindustry.Electrovayahasbeen continuouslyprovidingunwaveringhighquality technologiesandservicestothepeoplesince1996.
Raj Das Gupta has worked with Electrovaya previously as Director of Research and later as Vice President of Energy Storage. Raj is responsible for managing and increasing Electrovaya’s sales for both its stationary and automotive energy storage systems, as well as developing Electrovaya's strategy for technology licensing and business partnerships. Raj attended Imperial College, London; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and the University of Cambridge, where he received his Doctorate in Materials Science.
Thedemandofelectricvehicleshassignificantly increasedoverthelastdecade.Vehicleowners aroundtheglobeareswitchingfromgasstationsto anelectricaloutlettofueltheirvehicles.Whenthemarket forelectricvehicles(EVs)wasstillinitsinitialstages Amsterdambasedcompany, madeitsbreakthrough EVBox intheyear2010.Atechieatheart,EVBox’sco-founders identifiedtheimportanceofhavingaconnectedcharging infrastructureatanearlystage.Withthismindset,the companythroveandexpandedtoseveralcountriesin EuropeandNorthAmerica,whilebuildingdiverseelectric vehiclechargingsolutionsforhome,business,commercial andpubliccharging.
AnEliteElectricVehicleInstitution
EVBoxistheleadingglobalmanufacturerofelectric vehiclechargingstationsandchargingmanagement software.Withaninstalledbaseofover50,000charging pointsacrossmorethan980citiesworldwide,EVBox drivessustainablemobility,bybringingleadingelectric vehiclechargingsolutionstotheworld.
In2014,GildeEquityManagementBeneluxbecame EVBox’snewmajorshareholdertohelpEVBoxexpand internationally.EVBox’sstrongmarketpositioninthe Dutchindustry,promisingcustomerbaseandrangeof expertise,aswellastheexponentialgrowthofelectric vehiclesalesaroundtheworld,enticedGildetoinvest heavilyinitsexpansionplans.
In2017,EVBoxwasacquiredbyENGIEDigital,who identifiedEVBoxasadisruptive,leadingcleantech companymakingadifferenceinthefastgrowingindustry ofelectricmobility.Today,EVBoxmovesforwardasa
strongleadingbrandperfectingitsoriginalrecipeofa secondgenerationofhardwareandsoftwarethatareenergy efficient,futureproof,andeasytouse.
TheinsightfulleadershipofEVBox’sCEO,Kristof Vereenooghe,isthemotoringfactorbehinditsremarkable success.KristofisaseasonedentrepreneurwithSaaScloud softwareexpertisewithatrackrecordindriving internationalgrowth.Hisinnovative,entrepreneurialand versatilebehaviorhassuccessfullyresultedinbuilding manyteamsandcompanies.PriortojoiningEVBox, Kristofhasextensivelycontributedatvariousstartupsthat havenowbecomethekeyplayerswithintheirindustries, suchasBynder,LUMAMarketingTechnologies,Eclipse InternationalandXeikon.
EVBoxbelievesthatitschargingsolutionsmaximizethe returnoninvestmentwhileminimizingcosts.Fromthe installationandonlineintegrationofeverystation,tothe trackingandbillingofallchargingsessionsithelps everyoneinoperatingandmanagingtheirchargingstations witheaseandefficiency.
Poweredbydurablecomponentsandintelligentsoftware, EVBox’schargingstationsarecompatiblewithevery
electricvehicle,nowandinthefuture. Itsbroadrangeofsolutionsincludes homechargingstations,business chargingstations,publiccharging stations,chargingmanagement,charge cards,andaccessories.
DeterminedtoProvideFlexibleand ScalableSolutions
EVBoxcameupwithitslatest innovationswhichinvolveshome chargingstation‘Elvi’andcharging managementplatform‘Everon’.
Elviisthefirstchargingstationfrom thenewgenerationEVBoxdesigned foreveryelectriccarwithits upgradableandfuture-prooffeatures.It haschargingcapacitythatrangesfrom 3.7kWto22kW.Elviisdurable, smart,andsimpledesignthatcantrack andinvoicechargingsessions.Its compatibilitywitheveryelectriccar makesiteasytouse,install,and upgrade.Whereas,Everonisawidely customizableplatformthathelpsevery chargingpointoperatortoeasily manageandcontrolallcharging sessions,costs,andpower consumption.Fromleasedriversand
chargingstations,toparkingfacilities andcommercialfleets,Everonis foreverflexibleandscalable.
Inaddition,EVBoxtriestoshapethe futureofmobilitybyhostingitsown annualconferenceandnetworkevent rEVolution.rEVolutionistheannual networkingandidea-sharing conferenceforthee-mobilityindustry. Eachyear,thesector’sfinestgatherin Amsterdamforafulldayofinspiring presentationsandconversationsaimed atdeliberatingthewaystoaccelerate theadoptionofsustainablemobility.In 2018,theeventbroughttogether514 expertsfrom32countriestodebateon abovedeliberation.Itisestimatedthat theyear2019willseeupto1000emobilityexperts&professionals comingtogethertodiscussthefuture ofmobility.
AccordingtoEVBoxexpertise, knowledgeamongconsumers(drivers) andbusinessesthatareuncertainabout howtoprepareforelectricmobilityis asubstantialchallengeintheEV
industry.Forinstance,manyfleet managers,retailoutletsorhotelsare unsureaboutchangingtheirparking offeringstobesetforelectricvehicles.
Hence,EVBoxenvisionsbeinga knowledgepartnerandinspirationfor allthestakeholders,byvisitingmany differentregional&globaleventsand publiclysharinginsightsonthefuture oftheindustry. Inadditiontothis,the companyalsowritesqualitativearticles andwhitepaperstoeducatepeople abouttheindustryanditscurrent trends.
AVisionofEmission-FreeFuture EVBoxenvisionsafuturewhere everydaytransportiselectric, emission-free,andsustainedbyagreen charginginfrastructure.Climate changeisforcingthecompanytotake actioninfavoroftheoccurrenceofthe full-heartedadoptionofelectric vehiclesorrEVolutionasEVBoxlikes tocallit.Itsrolewillbetoprovidethe smartandscalablechargingsolutions aroundtheworldandadvising governments,cities,OEMsand companiesthroughthisrEVolution.
As a fast-growing scale-up within the beating heart of the clean tech industry, our job is to accelerate the transition towards a zero emissions future.
Kristof Vereenooghe CEO
Humanbeingshavealwayslookeduptonatureand madeeffortstolearnfromitsbasicprinciples. Sonarswereinspiredbydolphins,lightbulbsby fireflies,suctioncupsbyoctopusandrobotsitselfto replicatehumanbeings.Onesuchinstancethathasbeen enthusedbymicroorganismsisdistributedledger technology(DLT),widelyknownasblockchain.
“The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value.”
-Don&AlexTapscott.
Itrecordstransactionsbetweentwoclientswithoutany thirdpartyauthenticationwhichisanefficientprocesswhen itcomestostabledata.Blockchainprovidesdata managementwithoutthethreatofunauthorizedaccessor manipulations.Itisprovingtobeasolutionforfrequent problemsinvariousfields. Blockchaintechnologyhasthe capabilitytodisruptapproximatelyeveryindustryranging fromfinance,toeducationtopower.
Oneoftheareasintheenergyindustrywhereblockchain technologycandisruptthemarketissmartgrids.Lately, blockchainhasbeenwell-thought-outasoneofthe developingtechnologiesthatcanbeusedfordeveloping decentralizedgridtopologiesandrevisingthedistributed managementofenergybusinesses.Blockchaindatabaseis sharedbyallthenodesinthesystem.Anodeisanactive devicewhichcanbeconnectedtointernetandhasanIP address.Examplesofdevicesincludecomputers,tablets, phonesandevenprinters.Thejobofanodeistoupkeepthe networkbymaintainingacopyoftheblockchainand processtransactions.
Blockchaincanaidnumerousutilityindustryrequirements. Itcanactasafoundationstonewiththepossibilityof disruptingtheprevailingecosystem.Withthepromotionfor e-vehiclesandindividualsshiftingtoelectriccars,supply anddemandofenergyneedstokeeppace.Hereblockchain comesinthescenariowithitspeer-to-peerinterconnectivity andsharing.Thisbalancesthedemandfromseveral foundationsandmakesthegridsmarterbydirecting sharing.
Astherearesmallandcompactsmartgrids,consumerswith thehelpofblockchaincansimplytradeenergywithone anotherthussavingtimeandearningafewdollars.Inthe powerindustry,blockchaintechnologycanensurea5D Impact:decentralization,digitization,democratization, distributionandderegulation.
Smartmetersareusedtorecordelectricalusage.These metersenableustomonitorourelectricalconsumption morepreciselywhichwillhelpconsumersmakebetter energychoices.Throughblockchain,clientscandirectlyget theamountspentwhicheradicatesmiddlemanthussaving money.Thiscreatesamoreresilientnetworkforgadgetsto runon. Smartmeterscanalsoprovideaccuratedatatothe providerwithoutneedingadirectlinktothemeterof particularusers.
Withthehelpofblockchain,producersofsmartgridsdo nothavetoinvestahumongousamount.Heretheproducers getpaidinstantly,whichleadstolesscapitalexpenditure. Besidesthis,blockchaincanplayaseriousroleinadjusting powerflowsthroughtheamalgamationandoptimizationof localgridsmeasuredbythepublicorconsortiummodes.It canaidinthemaintenanceofpermanentrecordsby servicers,givingaflawlessviewofaparticularobjector partofinfrastructureatanygiventime.Thisinformation canberetrievedeasilyasthestructureisbuiltonashared platform,whileretainingtheauthenticityoftherecord.
WhilethepossiblebenefitsoftheSmartGridareusually discussedintermsofrenewableenergygoals,economics andnationalsecurity,ithasthepotentialtohelpsave moneybymanagingyourelectricityusageandchoosingthe besttimestopurchaseelectricity.Consumerscansaveeven morebygeneratingtheirpowerwiththehelpofblockchain. Lately,duetothespeedygrowthinthedeploymentof DEPsthesmartgridorganizationproblemscannolonger beproficientlyaddressedusingcentralizedapproaches, thus,thenecessityforvisionarydecentralized methodologiesandarchitecturesiswidelyrecognized.
Itisassessedthattheblockchaintechnologywilladd another$3.1trillionby2030.Lately,duetothespeedy growthinthedeploymentofDEPsthesmartgrid organizationproblemscannolongerbeproficiently addressedusingcentralizedapproaches,thus,thenecessity forvisionarydecentralizedmethodologiesandarchitectures iswidelyrecognized.
Lastly,blockchaintechnologymayeventuallyfast-trackthe evolutiontowhatthepowerindustrycallsa“distributed world.”Itisthesumofbothsmallandlargepowergenerationstructuresforcommunities,businessesand home.Toprosperincapitalizingthepotentialofdistributed generationandsupervisinglessforeseeableandmore capriciousrenewablepowersources,thetrade's infrastructuremustfirstbecomemoreagileandless centralized.
WiththeevolvingdisruptioninAutomotive Industry,ElectricVehicles(EV)marketis poweringuponatopgear.However,the charginginfrastructureisthebackboneoftheEVindustry. Oneoftheleadingcompaniesaddressingthegrowing demandforEVchargingsolutionsis . IESSynergy
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,the andPresident CEOJean-MichelCornille,shareshisexperienceson leadingIESSynergyanduncovershisinsightsontakingthe companytothenextlevel.
Giveabriefoverviewofthecompany,itsuniqueness anditsvision.
Jean-Michel:IES,whichstandsforIntelligentElectronic Systems,isaleadingcompanyrecognizedforadvanced electricvehiclebatterychargingsolutions.Foundedmore than26yearsago,IEShascreatedahighexpertisefor designingandmanufacturinghighfrequencybattery chargersattheedgeofthetechnology.Firstengagedonthe industrialvehiclemarket,wherethecompanyhas developedacompleterangeofon-boardchargers recognizedbytopleadingindustrialactorsintheworld,it hasalsoactivelyparticipatedtotheemergenceofthe electricpassengervehiclemarket.Participatingwithkey GermancarmanufacturersonthedevelopmentoftheCCS Comboprotocol,IEShasbeenoneofthepioneers developingleading-edgefastchargingsolutionsforelectric cars.CreatoroftheKEYWATTTMtechnology,IEShas expandeditspresencetomanyregionsintheworld,with morethan4,500chargersdeployedintheworld.
Whatarethecutting-edgeproducts/servicesofferedby IESSynergy?
Jean-Michel:Weoffer3keycutting-edgeproductsfor externalfastchargers:
Ÿ Mobilechargingsolutions:Easytomoveandeasyto connect,theTrolleyandtheCube,withtheir interchangeablecables,aresolidsolutionsforcar manufacturers,fortestingnewEVcarsindevelopment. Dependable,theyarealsousedtochargebatteriesatthe
endofEVmanufacturinglines.Builtfromyearsof experienceofIESmasteringEVprotocols,those productshavebeenusedbymanyprestigiouscar makersallovertheworld,tomakesuretheirnew modelswillprovideaperfectcompliancewith protocols.
Ÿ DCuniversalWallboxforallEVcars:Offeringunique compactdesignanddeliveringtrue22/24kWtoanyEV onthemarket,theIESmulti-standardwallboxprovides themostuniversalandeconomicsolutionforcharging atdestination.Withitscompactdesign,theKEYWATT wallboxcanbeinstalledinlessthantwohours,eitheron awalloronapedestal.Itsrated22kW(AC)or24kW (DC)outputpowerwillchargemostEVcarstypicallyin aboutonehour,independentlyoftheirprotocols (Combo,CHAdeMOand/orACType2),atafractionof thecostofmoreexpensive50kWsolutions.Basedona uniquedesignwithoutairfilter,itsmaintenanceneeds aregreatlyreduced.Itscustomizablefrontpanel&user menumakesitanidealsolutionforprovidingfast chargingpointsatshoppingcenters,restaurants,parking areasorforanyworkplacesorenterprisefleet.
Ÿ
ChargingStationforeBuses:Itisa50kWstation specificallydesignedforchargingeBusesindepot.With anoptimizedsurfacefootprintandauniquehermetic design,thenewIESstationforeBusisperfectforusein depotenvironment,whoseimplantationisfacilitated, maintenanceneedsgreatlyreducedandservice continuityoptimized.Threestationscanbealso coupled,asitsparallelingkitenablesthepossibilityto chargeupto150kW.
Describetheexperiences,achievementsorlessonslearntthat hasshapedthejourneyofthecompany.
Jean-Michel:Alwaysattheedgeofthetechnology,IEShas capitalizedonthemanystepstheautomotivemarkethastakenso far.CombininghighexpertiseinHFPowerelectronicsandatrue innovationspirit,IESwasatthecoreofthemomentsthatshaped theindustry.Beingattheearlierstepsoftheelectrificationtrend seen25yearsonindustrialvehicles,beingattheearlieststageof thedevelopmentoftheCCSprotocol,orchosenbyFIAfor chargingtheirracecars,allthoseexperiencesresultedinthebirthof theKEYWATTTM technology,usedandrecognizedbymany leadingactorsonthemarket..TrademarkofIES,KEYWATTTM hasbeenselectedasthecoresolutionofmanycharging infrastructureactorsinEurope,NorthAmerica,andmorerecently inChinathroughourjointventurecreatedwithWANMAin2015 thankstothesupportofourmainshareholder,EURAZEO.In January2018,withinacapitalincrease,TheNEXANSGroup joinedIESasanewshareholder,bringingadditionalmeansto accelerateitsdevelopment.
Whatarethechallengesfacedbyelectricvehiclesindustryand howisIESSynergyservingtotacklethem?
Jean-Michel:Theadoptionofelectricvehiclesbyourcitizensis tightlylinkedtotheavailabilityofawelldimensionedcharging infrastructurenetwork.Newformsoftransitwillalsoappear,such ascarsharingorzeroemissionpublicmasstransport,inorderto fightagainstpollutionissuesandcongestedcitycenteraccess.IES hasdevelopeduniquecompactandcost-economicsolutionsbased onitsKEYWATTtechnology,togreatlyfacilitatethedeployment offastcharginginfrastructureinourcities,eitherforindividualor masstransport.AtIES,webelievefastandeconomicchargerstobe spreadinpublicandcommercialenvironmentwillbethemost essentialsolution.
Anotherbarrierseenbytheusersislinkedtotheautonomyandthe costofthevehicles.Butrelentlessprogressinbatterytechnology pushthedensityupandthecostdown,makingvehiclesmore affordablewithalargerautonomy.Asoftoday,new generationofEVareannouncedwith500-600kmautonomy.
GraduatedfromEcolePolytechnique&EcoleNationaledes PontsetChaussées,Jean-MichelCornillejoinedIESin March2015.HespentmostofhiscareerinTelecomor ElectronicIndustry,inExecutiveManagementpositions withinlargeinternationalcompanies,suchasPresidentof ALCATELMobileSolutionsDivision,ExecutiveVicePresidentofAREVAT&DAutomationandSeniorVicePresidentofALSTOMGridPowerElectronics&Automation .Jean-Michelbringshishighlevelexecutivemanagement experienceinleadingIEStotakeitonanextlevel.
We have achieved wide recognition as a technology leader and a proven supplier of innovative charging solutions.
Justlikethevehiclesthemselves,theelectric vehicle(EV)marketwillonlygoasfarasbatteries takeit.
Thatmeansthatelectricvehicletechnologyandbattery technologyarenotjustlinked,theyareoneinthesame–fewadvancesinEVswillbepossiblewithoutadvances inbatteries.Addingrange,power,advancedcabin features,fasterchargingandenhancedsafetyallrequire betterbatteries.
That’swhythebreakthroughworkthatKULR TechnologyGroup,Inc.(OTCQB:KUTG)isdoingis sovitaltoEVsandthemarket.Inongoingtesting, KULR’snewlyengineeredcarbonfibercoolingsystems andmaterialsco-designedwithNASAforspaceflight areprovingtomakebatteriesnotjustmoreefficientbut safer.
KULR’scoretechnologyisaflexibleandexceptionally lightweightfabricmaterialthatlooksandfeelslike velvetbutismadefrompurecarbonfiber–themost efficientconductorofheatenergyonearth.Forengineers andsystemdesignersthefiber’sflexibility,lowcontact pressurerequirements,weight,andoptimumcooling efficiencyaregamechangersthatallowthemtomanage ormitigateheatinwaysthatsimplywerenotpossible justayearago.
ForEVs,betterheatmanagementsolutionsarecrucial becauseoldlegacyheatsolutionssuchasfans,water pumps,reservoirs,andmetalheatplatesareheavyand bulky.Whenyou’reburninggasperhapshaulingaround 150poundsofcoolingpumpsandfansdoesn’tmatter. ButforEVswherelessweighttranslatesintomore
powerandfartherrange,itreallymatters.Andit’snot justformotorsanddrivecomponents–KULR’sfiber solutionscanmanagetheheatoftheEVbatteries themselves.
That’sabigdealbecauseofthepowerdemandsthatcan consumeanEVbattery.Imagine,forexample,starting yourEV,in110-degreedesertheat,runningtheair conditioning,runningsatelliteGPSandnavigation systemsandthedrivetrain–allfromabatterythat,ifit getstoohot,willjustshutdown,orworse.Inconditions likethat,keepingthatbatterycoolisn’tjustimportant, it’sessential.
Asmoredemandingsystemssuchasself-drivingor collisionavoidancetechnologiesareaddedtocars,heat managementwillbecomeevenmorecritical.Notonly willthesenewsystemsdemandmorepowerfrom batteriesbuttheirsensitiveelectronicsandlasers,the lynchpinofself-drivingtechnologyLIDAR,willdegrade astheyoverheat.
“Innovationisn’talwaysaboutdoingtheimpossible,” saidDr.TimothyKnowles,CTOofKULRTechnology andaveteranofspacethermalmanagementtechnology. “Manytimes,themostsignificantinnovationsand advancescomefromsolvingthemostobviousandmost commonproblems.Formanytechnologies,and especiallyforEVs,heatandpowerefficiencyare constantandseriousproblemsandourtechnology providesthemostseriousanswer.”
Butitturnsoutusingcarbonfibertoefficientlycool batteriesandhigh-technologyEVcomponentscanhave evenmoreimportantbenefitswhendonecorrectly.In
testingwithNASAforcrewedspaceflight,KULR’s carbonfibercanbeconfiguredtostopdangerousbattery firesandexplosions.
Thesafetyassembly,knownastheKULRThermal RunawayShield(TRS),hasbeenproventocontainthe potentiallycatastrophicimpactsofthermalrunaway wherethefailureofasinglelithium-ionbatterycellcan triggeraneighboringoneandsooninachainreaction explosion.
It’snotnecessarytobeanEVscientisttoknowthat limitingorpreventingbatteryfiresisamajorconcernfor EVmakers–anddrivers.Eventually,firesafetysystems likeKULR’sTRSmaybestandardinallEVs–notjust carsbutboats,trains,constructionequipment,spaceand aerospacevehiclesanddrones.Really,anythingwitha batterythatmoves.
Ifanythingismoresensitivethancarsinbalancingthe needsofspaceandweightwithbatterypower,it’s
drones.Droneshavetobelighter,deploymorepower,go faster,andbeingairborne,haveevenlessriskforfailure.
That’swhy,totestandprovetheirspace-designedcarbon coolingfiber,KULRhaspartneredwithdronedesigners, engineersandracersatDR1–thefastest,most technologicallydemandingdroneracingcircuit.Starting thisyear,KULRwillbetheDR1TechnologyPartner. AndwhatKULRprovesintheairwillfinditswaytothe road.
“It’sakindofnaturalevolution,”CTO,Dr.Timothy Knowles,said.“Ourcarbonfiberwasdesignedforspace andhasbeenusedinmorethan100applicationsfor placeslikeMarsandtheinternationalspacestation. Now,we’remakingdroneslighter,fasterandsaferand we’realreadytestingourproductsformoreearth-bound vehiclessuchascarsandtrucks–workingourway downsotospeak.”
IfKULRcancracktheEVheatproblem--addingto batteryefficiencyallwhilemakingthosebatteriessafer, itwouldbedifficulttoover-statethepotential contributiontoEVs.Consumersareunlikelytoturnin thekeystotheirgas-poweredcarsandpickuponesfor EVsuntilthosealternativesgoasfar,asfast,asreliably aseasily.Doingthatwillrequirebatteriesthataresafer andmoreefficientandKULRmayjustholdthekeys tothat.
Dr.Timothy Knowles CTO
We use innovative space technology to transform the world of electronics, batteries and electric vehicles and make electronics cooler, lighter and safer.
Rivett Executive Vice President
Foundedin2007withabeliefinopen collaborationandco-creation,LocalMotors byLMIisagroundmobilitycompanythatis focusedonshapingthefutureforthebetter.Sinceits foundation,LocalMotorsbeganlowvolumevehicle manufacturingofopen-sourcedesignsusingmultiple microfactories.Currently,LocalMotorsbyLMIharnessesthe technologyofdirectdigitalmanufacturing(3D-Printing)tocreate innovative,scalablesolutions.
LocalMotorsutilizesthepoweroftheLaunchForthbyLMIco-creation communityofnearly200,000onlinemembersfromaroundtheworldaswellasutilizes DirectDigitalManufacturingand3D-Printingwithinmicro-factoriestocreateproducts rapidlyandefficientlywhilebeingabletoprovidecustomerstheabilitytocustomizeandintegrate newtechnologieswithease.
LMIndustriesGroup,Inc.,theparentcompanyofLocalMotors,isheadedbyCEO,JayRogers.Heis widelyrecognizedasavisionaryintheautomotive,manufacturingandtechnologyspace.JayRogersisa highlysought-afterspeaker,engagingandprovokingforwardthinkingaroundtheworldinavarietyof venues.Jaybelievesincandor,action,responsibilityandexcellencethroughouttheorganization.Rogers foundedLocalMotorsafterservingforsevenyearsintheUnitedStatesMarineCorps,wherehewasan InfantryCompanyCommander.HehasworkedasaconsultantforMcKinsey&Co.,asaninvestment analystatEwing&Partners,andatastartupmedicaldevicecompanyinthePeople’sRepublicofChina. HeservesastheChiefInvestmentOfficerandDirectoroftheRBRFoundation,aphilanthropic foundationfocusedoneducationandhealthcare.AgraduateofPrincetonUniversity’sWoodrowWilson SchoolofPublicandInternationalAffairs,RogersholdsaMastersinBusinessAdministrationfrom HarvardBusinessSchool(BakerScholar).
MatthewRivettistheExecutiveVicePresidentofLocalMotorsandaleadingforceinautomotive innovation.MatthewwasacriticalcontributortothedevelopmentandmanufacturingofOlli,thefirst
Matt
everself-drivingshuttle.In collaborationwithkeystakeholders toraisefundsandcreateinnovative manufacturingprocesses,Matthew, oversawtheopeningofLocalMotors firstinternationalfacility,and expandingthebusinesstoensure furtherdevelopmentofOlli.Before workingontheOlli,Matthew producedtheworld’sfirst3Dprinted vehiclecalledtheStrati.Throughhis effortsinProgramManagement, crowdsourcingandcollaborations withtheOakridgeNationalLaband CincinnatiMachinetools,theStrati becameareality.
Withitsexperienceintheindustry, LocalMotorshaslearnedthatin ordertobeattheforefrontofany industrytransformation,ittakesa dedicatedteamwhothinksoutside thebox,notjustinbusiness,butin everydaylife.Theorganizationhas learnedthatinordertosucceed, failuresarenotonlyunderstood,but anticipatedanddissectedtolearn fromourmistakesandcreatebetter products.
“Mass manufacturing is a relic of a past era. We’re in the middle of a mobility revolt where current modes of transportation are not sustainable and do not match up with rapidly changing consumer preferences. We can’t keep producing products the same way in which we’ve been accustomed. The world is moving too fast for traditional manufacturing to keep up. We are on a mission to transform mass manufacturing to micromanufacturing in order to match the new pace of technology and quickly changing consumer
needs.”- assertsCEO,Jay Rogers.
LocalMotorsbelieves,like withanynewtechnology, there’salwaysarateof adaptionofwhichtobe mindful.Therateofadaption cansignificantlyaffectthe supplychain,bothincostof components/parts,butalsoin availability.
LocalMotorsstrivesto constantlydevelopand integratenewtechnologies fromavarietyofcompaniesto ensureitalwayshasthebest, mosteffectiveandproductive components.Thisenablesthe companytomakechanges quickly,astheindustrychanges atarapidpace.The organizationalsobelievesthat ithastobeflexible,constantly planningforthefutureandthe uncertainties.LocalMotorsaimsto producesafe,quality,efficient productsforitscustomerswhile creatingasustainableenvironment notonlyfortoday,buttomorrowas well.
Recently,theworldhasseenan immensedemandforvehicleswith analternativeenergysource, particularlyelectricvehiclesin today’smarket.LocalMotors continuestoresearch,testand
developtheelectrificationofvehicles andsystems.Asafirmbelieverin open-sourcetechnology,the companybelievesinworking collectivelytobringthebestvehicles totheconsumersinthemost effectiveway.Asmorecompanies investandutilizeelectrification,the costofthesenewtechnologiesbegins toreduce,allowingalltoinvestin thenextgenerationoftechnology together.
At Local Motors by LMI, we believe that the best and brightest ideas can, and should, come from anyone and anywhere, not just from within the organization.
‘‘
Tillnowwehavewitnessedaboutwireless chargingforelectronicgadgetsanddevices
carsandbuseswirelessly.Imaginethat,wearedriving onhighwayandourcar’sbatterydrains.Now,insteadof findingafuelpump,electricpowersource,adapter, cable,etc.wejusthavetostoporparkourcaron wirelesschargingplatformforshorttime,availableat anyshoppingcomplexorfoodmalls,againnoneedto come-outofthecar,besidesanyone’sassistance.Thisis reallyanamazingideaandthisisgoingtotrue.
ElectromagneticInduction,whichdatestoinventorssuch asMichaelFaradayintheyear1831andJosephHenry intheyear1832.Faradaywasthefirsttopublishthe resultsofhisexperiments.NikolaTeslautilized electromagneticenergytotransmitthepowerbetween twocoilsintheearly1900s.
Faraday’s law of induction electromagnetismforecastinghowamagneticfieldwill interactwithanelectriccircuitandproducesan electromotiveforce(EMF)—aphenomenoncalled electromagneticinduction.Itisthefundamentalworking principleoftransformers,inductors,andmanytypesof electricalmotors,generators,solenoidsand wireless charging
‘electric areusedtoincreaseordecreasethe alternatingvoltagesinelectricpowerapplications Wireless Charger areusedtotransferenergybetweentwoobjectsusing Electricvehicle(EV)withwirelesschargingishaving secondarycoilfittedatbottomofvehicleandprimary coilissecurelyinstalledonground(i.e.charging
Thebasicwirelesschargingsystemneedstwocoils.The primarycoil,encasedinapadthatsitsonthefloorofa garageorparkingplatform,isconnectedtoapower source.Alternatingcurrentflowsfromanoutletintothe coil,setupanelectromagneticfieldthatenablesthe powertojumptoasecondarycoilinapadattachedto thebottomofthevehicle.Whenthevehicleparksinthe properpositionovertheprimarycoilpad,anindicator lightgoesonandchargingbegins.Thetwocoilsmustbe
facingwithinabout8inchesofeachotherforeffective charging.
Pre-eminenceoverCableCharging
WirelessCharginggivesaconvenient,safe,andreliable waytochargeandpowerelectricalvehiclesathome,in theworkplaceandinindustry.Wirelesspowermaintains safe,continuous,andreliabletransferofpowerforall typesofelectricvehicles.
Wirelesschargingeliminatestheuseofphysical connectorsandcables.Itprovidesanumberof
efficiency,costandsafetypre-eminenceoverthe traditionalchargingcable.Thismakepossibletoinstallit anywherelike;onthesideofhighways,parkinglots, malls,multiplexes,tollplazas,etc.
Expertspredictmorepowerfulwirelessstationswillbe liketoappearatofficebuildings,shoppingcentersand restaurants.Whenanyoneparksvehicleatofficeorat restaurantitwillgetchargedautomaticallyinthatspace oftime.
Duetothiseffortlessfrequentpoweravailabilityand safety,avehicledoesnotneedlargebatteriesunlikefor
conventionalcablecharging.Itmakesvehiclelightand compact,thattendstoincreaseoverallefficiencyof vehicle.
Plug-instationscanbeeasilydamagedincrowdedmetro cities.Anumberofmunicipalitieshavereported problemsthatthieveshavecutEVchargingcablesto stealthecopperfromthewires.High-poweredLevel3 stations,alsocalledDCfast-charge,havelargecables, whichmakethemevenmoreattractivetothieves.
“Imaginewirelesselectric-vehiclechargingbeingaseasy andwidespreadasWi-Fiistoday,”saidChrisBorroniBird,formerdirectorofadvancedtechnologyvehicle conceptsforGeneralMotorsandwhoisavicepresident ofstrategicdevelopmentatQualcommTechnologies.
Wirelesschargingtechnologyisalmostreadyforthebig stage.Itisonthevergeofinitialdeployment,starting fromtheMercedes-BenzS500eplug-inhybridsedan nextyear.Theyplantofitwirelesschargingonthe S500eplug-inhybridsedanin2017.
BMWisalsoworkingtogetherwith Mercedes-Benzonthetechnology,to developawirelesschargingsystemforitsi3 electricvehicleandi8plug-inhybrid.Aprototype testversion,madebyQualcommtechnologies,is alreadyinuseintheBMWi8safetycarintheFormulaE electric-vehicleraceseries.Qualcommhasexhibitedits Halosysteminvariousvehicles,includingtheDrayson B12/69electricracingcar.
Evatran’sPluglessaftermarketsystemisnow commerciallyavailablefortheLEAFandtheVolt,anda ModelS-compatibleversionislikelytocome.Several majorautomakershaveindicatedthatthey’reworkingon offeringwirelesschargingforfutureEVs.Teslaisalso onthewayofintroducingitsEV’swithwireless charging.
Itisalsoalreadybeingpilotedbysomecommunitybus systems.Busesneedtotakenumberofstoppageincity. Awirelesschargercanbeinstalledonastopping platform—tendstoreducesizeofbatteries—will improveefficiencyelectricbus.
Wirelesschargingtechnologyisreallyamazingas inventionofelectriccurrent.Itisinterestingtoseehowit willputbacktheconventionalfossilfuelpowered vehiclewithclean,green,safe,silentandefficient electricvehicleswithwirelesschargingforhealthy futureofplanetEarth.
Theelectricvehicleindustryhasmadeitpossiblefor theworldtohaveanalternativeoverthefuel poweredvehiclesandisevolvingceaselessly. Thesecarshavebecomeeasytomaintainandrecharge,can runonhigherspeedandaresafetodrive.Manycountries haveinitiatedthemanufacturingofElectricVehicles(Evs).
ChinaisleadingtheEVmarketaccountingfor50%of globalsales.Specifictotheindustry,itisvitalfor manufacturerstousetheenergyeffectivelyforthevehicles tobeefficient.Therearemanycompaniesintheindustry developinginnovativesolutionsreadyfortheelectric vehiclerevolution..OneofthemisOVOEnergy
FoundedbyStephenFitzpatrickin2009,OVOEnergyis theUK’slargestindependentenergysupplier.OVO Energy’ssuccessliesincombiningdigitaltechnologyand humaninsightstocompletelytransformconsumers understandingandrelationshipwithenergy.Itsaimisto makeenergygreener,simplerandeasierforcustomers.In 2016,OVOwasawardedthetitleofthe World’s Best Energy Brand
Movingbeyondenergyretail,throughnewproductsand services,OVOisnowaddressingsomeofthesociety’s biggestandmostcomplexchallengessuchasclimate change,increasingrenewableenergyavailability,urbanair pollution,integratingelectricvehiclesontothepowergrid andoptimizingbatterychemistrytoavoiddegradation.
WhenOVOwaslaunched,itbroughtgreatservice,clear information,andhonestyintoamarketdominatedbythe BigSixenergysuppliers.Thecompanyislookingatthe biggerpicturewithitsplans.Itbelievesthatadvancements intechnologyhavethepowertosolvesomeoftheworld’s biggestandmostpressingproblemsandaimstouseit achievethesame.OVOisblendingenergywithsmart technologytobringtheircustomersnewpropositions,great serviceandrenewableelectricity.
OVOEnergyhasover850,000retailcustomersoffering standardtariffswith33%renewableenergyandagreentariff offering100%renewableenergy.However,overthepastyear ithasmovedbeyondretailenergy.Theirworldleading intelligentplatformVChargecansecurelyconnecttoarange offlexibledevicetypeslikeelectricvehiclechargersand optimisesarangeofreal-timemarketsignalstodetermine whentotakeaction.TohelprealisethepotentialofVCharge, thecompanyhaslaunchedtheworld’sfirstVehicle-to-Grid electricvehiclecharger,slashingconsumersenergybillsand helpingbalancethegridattimesofpeakdemand.OVOhas alsolauncheditselectricvehicleSmartCharger.
ThereisalsoasmartapptocontrolV2Gchargerinmore waysthanone.Whichmeans,theusercansetcharging schedulewiththeoptiontooverridethemforunexpected journeys.Theuserwillalsobeabletosetminimumcharge levels,andseelivechargingupdatesi.e.whenthecaris dischargingorcharging–sotheuserwillalwaysbeready togo,plus,keepacloseeyeonthingsbyviewing historicalchargingdata.
Inthenewworldofdistributedgenerationandstorage, OVObelievesenergytechnologywillevolveatthesame paceasconsumerelectronics,completelytransformingthe world’ssecondlargestindustryandrenderingmost existingbusinessmodelsobsolete.
StephenFitzpatrickistheCEOandFounderofOVO Energy.OneofUK’smostsuccessfulentrepreneurs,inten yearsStephenhasbuiltabusinessthatnowservesover1m customerswithover£1bninrevenues.Sincelaunchingthe companyin2009,Stephenhasremainedatthehelm, buildingateamofover1000peopleandpickingup countlessawardsalongtheway,includingUK’s EntrepreneuroftheYearin2014.
PriortoOVO,StephenworkedforJPMorganandSociete Generale.StephenisaBusinessgraduatefromthe UniversityofEdinburgh.
Asmoreconsumerschooseelectricvehicles,thepotential forlargespikesinelectricitydemandincreases dramatically.Iftheworldwantsagreenfuture,companies needtofindsmartchargingsolutionscapableof integratinggrowingnumbersofelectricvehiclesontothe networkwithoutcompromisingenergysecurity.OVO believestheVehicle-to-Gridplatformisapartofthe solutiontoshiftallnon-urgentchargingtooffpeak periodsaswellasallowcarstoactasareservepower sourceforthehomeandgrid.
Itisprojectedthattherewillbe1millionelectric vehiclesintheUKby2020-22.Onemillion electricvehicleswouldrequirenearly2TWhof energyeachyear,equatingtomorethan£300m worthofelectricity.Theelectricvehicle revolutionwillhappensoonerthanitis expectedandOVO’sroleistomakesure productsandservicesareready.Inorderto haveasuccessfulintegrationofelectric vehiclesontothepowergrids,it’sessential thatenergycompanies,thenetworkoperators andautomakerscollaborate.Thismeans workingtogethertoavoidputting unnecessaryconstraintsonthegrid,toenable electricvehicledriverstochargetheirvehicles usingrenewableenergyandtohelpsavethem money.
Fitzpatrick CEO & Founder OVO Energy
Fewpeoplewoulddisagreethatourworldstandsataprecipice.Humankind’s drivetobuildbiggerandmoreostentatioussymbolsofwealthandpower, coupledwithunfetteredconsumerismhaspushedtheplanettotheveryedge. However,allisnotlost…yet.
Asawarenessofthediresituationgrows,moreindividualsandcompaniesare investingtheirtime,energyandinnovativeskillsintomakingadifference.One ofthosecompaniesisWallbox,whichmanufacturesstate-of-the-artcharging systemsforElectricVehicles(Evs).
Vehiclesthatconsumefossilfuelsareamongthelargestsinglecontributorsto thepollutionoftheatmosphere.Electricvehiclesemergedastheobvious solutiontothisproblemafewdecadesagoandgarneredafavorablereception fromthepublic.
However,thelackofareliablecharginginfrastructuretosupportEVsasa viabletransportationoptionhasforestalledwhatcouldbeoneofthemost massiveshiftsinconsumerbehaviorthatwehaveeverknown.
WallboxseekstoaddressthisshortcomingandpavethewayforEVsto becometheobvious-anddependable-choiceforeveryresponsibleindividual.
EnvisioningaBetterWorld
Headquartered in Barcelona, the company was established in 2015 by Enric Asunción,CEO.Enricisanengineerwithextensiveexperienceinsoftwareand productdevelopment.
TheideaforWallboxcametohimwhilehewasworkingatTesla.Thefocusofhis workthererevolvedaroundsimplifyingandstreamliningthechargingprocessfor EV owners; the experience did not only give him piercing insight into their motivations for choosing green vehicles but also the barriers that dissuaded others.
Enricrealizedthatmassivepotentialexistedfortheindustrytoexpandifcurrent andprospectiveownershadaccesstoasuperiorchargingsolution.Wallboxisthe culmination of many years of in-depth research and an inspired desire to use consumer-centricinnovationtocreateagreener,cleanerworld.
Thecompanycomprisestalenteddesigners,engineersand programmerswhohaveworkedatsomeoftheworld’s foremosttechnologycompanies,includingTeslaandApple. Theircollectivegoalistotransformthewayweconsume energy.
Central to the Wallbox suite of charging solutions is its proprietary technology that allows EV and hybrid vehicle ownerstochargetheirvehiclesuptoeighttimesquickerthan a conventional socket. They currently offer three different models, each rated to 22 kW, that conform to domestic and commercialinstallationstandards.
ThePulsaristheircompactsmartsolution,measuringjust 16cmby16cm.TheCommandermodelgivesusersthe convenienceoftouchscreeninteraction.TheirCopper modelincorporatesfacialrecognitiontechnologyfor seamless,hands-freecontrolanduse.
Wallboxunderstandsthatthemodernconsumerwants instantaccesstoinformationandstatisticstobetterplan theirvaluabletime.Everychargerthecompanyproduces deliversthisthroughinternetconnectivityviaWiFi, EthernetorBluetooth.
TheWallboxappanddesktopplatformarenotjuststatic products;theygiveusersthepowertomonitor,manage, andadjusttheirchargingactivityfromanywhereinthe world.Convenienceaside,thisfeaturerewardsgreen consumerswithsavingsofbothtimeandmoney.
Wallboxalsounderstandsverywellthatuserswantmore thanjustfunctionality–theywantaestheticallypleasing productsthatbecomepartoftheirstylishhomeoroffice décor.ThePulsar,CommanderandCopperhavebeen designedtofitthismoldandnotjustblendintothe surroundings,butbecomethecenterpiece.
“Wetrytomakeiteasyforeverybody,”saysEnric,“With anintuitiveandvisually-attractiveproductthatgivesusers fullcontroloftheirenergyconsumption,wearecreatinga processthatwillbecomepartoftheirdailyroutines,just likerechargingyourmobileoranyothertechnological device.”
ThedevelopmentofWallbox’schargersfocusedheavilyon theenduser.However,anythingthatbenefitstheconsumer alsodrivestheindustryandthatisafactthatWallbox proveseveryday.
TheprogressandexpansionoftheEVindustryhasbeen impededsignificantlybyaninadequatecharging infrastructure.EventhemostcommittedEuropean countrieslackachargingnetworkthatgivespotentialEV
ownerstheconfidencetheyneedtoinvestinagreen vehicle.
Insteadofwaitingforgovernmentstocatchup,Wallboxis takingtheinitiativetorevolutionizehowtheexisting infrastructureisused.AWallboxunitisasimpleand economicallyfeasibleinstallationthatpromotesenergy conservationandrelievesthestressonelectricitygrids.
Theycanbesetupatanyhome,commercialpremisesor publicspacelikecarparks.Theresultingvisibilityof convenientEVchargingoptionsisitselfagreat advertisementfortheindustry.
Bycreatingafinancialandaconvenienceincentivefor consumers,Wallbox’seffortsarealsogoodforautomobile manufacturerswhoproduceelectricandhybridvehicles.
Withinjustthreeyearsofitsfounding,Wallboxalready countssomeofEurope’slargestutilitycompaniesandcar manufacturersamongitsclients.Thecompanycontrolsa largeportionoftheglobalmarketandissettoexpandeven furtherasitentersChina.
The‘sustainability’themeissettobecometheprimary driverofvehiclesalesinthenearfutureandWallboxis alreadywellonapaththatothercompanieswillonlybegin todiscoverinthecomingyears.
Touchingontheinevitableincreaseincompetitionthatthis willmanifestitselfasothersenterthevertical,Enric expressesconfidencethatWallboxhasthecapacityandthe philosophytoovercometheapproachingchallenges.
“Wewanttobethebesttoleadthechange,notthebiggest.”
Humankindhasdevastatedtheplanet’sequilibriumandthe futurehangsinthebalance.WillWallboxhelptoturnthe tide?Wecertainlybelieveso.
We have created intelligent charging solutions with the latest technology and an exclusive design. Our goal is for you to optimize the charging time for your vehicle and to be able to manage all the information on the your mobile or online platform.Dhruvil Sanghvi CEO & Co-founder
Sanghvi, CEO and Co-founder of LogiNext, youngest tech business head in Forbes India 30 under 30 (2017), started his journey post Carnegie Mellon University and effectively led LogiNext, the fastest growing logistics and eld workforce optimization SaaS enterprise, to the glory.
Doesanyonerememberatimebeforethe Internet?Mostofushaveseenit,butit’shard torecreateitinourmind.Itonlyexistsin longtaleswhichwetelltheyoung,talesofyesteryears wherelifewasn'toccupiedbytechnology.Butwelove technology.AndthenextevolutionoftheInternet wouldmakethecurrenttimebecomeanother yesteryeartale.WhatisthisnextInternetevolution? It’stheInternetofThings.
WeknowthatInternetiswhereweaccessrelevantand non-relevantinformation;connectwithfriends,peers, companies,andcustomers;andutilizetoconductour dailybusinessandactivities.So,whatistheInternetof ThingsorIoT?IoTiswhenthedeviceswhichweuse toconnectandinteractwithInternettalktoeachother. ‘Talk’isexchangedataamongthedeviceswithaview tofacilitatingbettersolutionsandfasterprocesses.
Dhruvil
Now,yoursmartphonecanconnectto yourtelevisionandlaptopevenwhen theyaren’tinthesameroom.Youcan syncallyoursystemssothatany changedoneatoneplacewouldreflect everywhereelse.
“Whereto?”Self-drivingcars aroundthecorner!
ThetrueessenceofIoTcomesout whenitiscoupledwithmachine learning.Fastforwardintoaworldof automationwhereself-drivencars aren’tfiction.Thesysteminyourcar operatestheengine,thesensorsaround thevehicle,thebreaking,and everythingelse.Itconnectstothe cloud,observingthetrafficandweather patternsalongtherouteyouareabout totake.Itautoadjuststothepassing vehicles,allthewhileensuringthe safetyofitspassengers.’
Therehavebeensomeissueswiththis asacoupleofcrashesbeingreported. Thistechcan’tbeforcedlivedueto marketpressuresasthecostof mistakesistoohigh.Onceautonomous carsdohittheroads,theywouldhave tobeperfect.Butthisisn’tmorethana coupleofyearsaway.Fornow,let’s lookatsomethingthatisalready runningandshowinggreatresults.
‘Howdowegetthere?”Perfectroute optimizationishere!
Weareusedtohavingthebest productsandfastestservices.Tomake thishappen,peopleandgoodsmustbe constantonthemovesomewhereor theother.Beitfromthemanufacturers towarehousesordistributors, distributorstoretailers,ordirectlyto thecustomer'sdoor,therearealotof assetsconstantlymoving.’
Howisthislogisticsmovement managed,tracked,anddirected?
Technology,likethatofLogiNext, tracksvehiclesthroughGPSrightfrom thetimetheyareloadedtothepoint theyfinishtheirreplenishmentduties. Deliverypersonnelandfieldagents suchastechnicians,supervisors,sales folks,etc.aretrackedusingtheir smartphones.Theagentsuseourappto streamlinetheirdailyactivitiesand syncliveinformationgatheredongroundwiththeircompany’scentral system.
Thistechisnotjusttheneedofthe hour;it’swhatkeepingtheeverexpandingneedforcost-friendly logisticsmanagementincheck. Spiralinglogisticscostsarisingfrom increasedvolumemovementwitha growingdriverstorage.Eventhetrend ofsameday/nextdaydeliveriesmeans thatsomevehiclesareleft underutilized.
Sensorsandtrackers,backedbyabase machinelearningbasedsystem,can nowhelpmanagersoptimizethe capacitiesoftheirvehicles,assignthe rightloadtotherightdriver/delivery associate,andeventuallysetthebest routedevoidoftrafficandother bottleneckstoensureon-time deliveries.
Deliveryrouteplanningand optimization,hence,isnotjustcutting downcosts,butalsoincentivizing marketevolution.Companieslike AmazonandWalmartcanensurebetter customerservicewithtimelydeliveries andend-to-endordertracking.This helpscreatevalueforthecustomer,the company,andtheeconomy.
“What'sinthebox?”Automated warehousingstreamlinesit!
Withthedevelopmentofmachine learningbackedlogisticsoptimization, companiesareinvestinginlarge
distributioncentersorwarehouses. Somehigh-valuecompanieshave alreadypartautomatedtheoperations inthesecenters.Asmentionedearlier, thesheerincreaseinthevolumeof goodsmovednowadaysmeansthatthe leadtimeevenatwarehousesmustbe shortenedtotheminimum.
Iftheordermustreachacustomerina day,itcan’treallyspendabouthalfof thatatthecenteritself.Theentire sortingandallocationsystemis automated.Somecompanieshaveeven robotizedsomemundanefunctions withinthewarehouses.
Wearewellawareofthelatestin virtualassistantssuchasAlexa,Siri, GoogleHome,etc.It'sahandywayto automateactivitiesaroundyourself. YoucanjustaskAlexatobookacab whileplayingyourfavoritesongs. Googlerecentlydemonstratedproper AIcapablebotswhichcouldevenhave impromptuconversationsandbook appointments.Theobviousextension ofthiscamewithvoice-controlled logisticsmanagement.Usingthesame easeofhouseholddirections,managers canautomatetheplanningofdelivery routes,dispatchshipments,tracking vehicles,etc.usingjusttheirvoice. Theycantalktothesystemanddoall ofthesethings.
Theideaissimple.IoTisgoingdeeper anddeeperintoourlives,notjusthow wehandleourphones,butalsohowwe handleourbusinesses.Aboveall,we mustrememberthatit’sonlyatool.It's howweuseitthatwoulddefineour future.
