Electric Era announced to launched new charging network in the United States based on battery-backed fast chargers that provide faster installs, high reliability, and grid-smart technology.
Electric Era opens Charging Station Network.
- And the network makes DC fast chargers branded Electric Era visible to EV drivers–wherever they are placed, whether under retailer brands such as Costco or Plaid Pantry. They are now easily found by drivers through PlugShare, Google Maps and shortly on Hubject and WEX fleet platforms.
- It already has installations in 11 states in the U.S., and more will be added in Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Maine.
- These are battery-supported Level-3 DC fast chargers that provide the highest possible power output, even where the grid is constrained.
Why it Matters:
- EV users will have more convenient and usable interfaces and the ability to locate chargers on platforms.
- Retailers that have such chargers in place gain a sense of visibility and can tap into EV-driving consumers and increase brand loyalty.
- Battery-powered chargers also allow fast installations, including a hub constructed at a Costco store in only 54 days, as compared to the traditional 12-36 months.
Details supported by other sources:
- Some of the features noted in the EV Report include 96 percent positive PlugShare ratings, 90 percent session reliability, 98 percent per-port uptime, 200 kW charging power and support of both CCS and NACS cables. The user can pay through tap-and-pay without a required application.
- Most of these chargers have been designed by SpaceX, Starlink, Blue Origin, and Amazon Project Kuiper veterans, making them reliable (98.5 or higher uptime) and easy to over-the-air monitor and repair.
- GeekWire covers Electric Era raising approximately $8.9 million in debt financing to keep deploying its battery-assisted DC fast chargers in various states, and reports cost and deployment efficiencies: 68 to 8 months is a typical installation time (some as short as two months), and a reliability rate (98% uptime) allows operating costs to be reduced up to 70 percent.
Summary
Electric Era has also launched its branded charging network and its fast chargers can now be readily found among mapping applications – even where they are deployed under other retailer brands. This action, combined with fast deployment, high reliability, and innovative battery-supported systems, helps to improve the convenience of users as well as the value of retailers. The company is in the process of implementing the network in various states and more is to be implemented.
Pricing & Business Models
Although Electric Era has a focus on transparent pricing (i.e. drivers always know how much they pay until they start a charge) the corporation does not make the per-kWh and per-minute prices publicly available on the site.
Electric Era provides two operating models to station hosts and retailers:
- Direct Purchase: The owner of hardware is the company. Everything else is done by Electric Era. Average store revenue per year of 200K-500K, 20-35 IRR, less than three years payback.
- Funding: There is no initial expense to the retailer. Revenue can be used to offset monthly payments, which can allow positive cash flow to be achieved at the beginning.
The models can be applicable to large stores and any other store where ROI is growing by increasing and reducing total initial hindrances.
Availability & Regional Deployments.
Current Installations
Electric Era has already placed EV chargers in 11 states in the U.S. and is expanding to Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Maine in the near future.
One of the best deployments is the Costco store in Northport, Florida:
- Six 200-kW stalls erected in record time, 54 days.
- Each charger will have both CCS and NACS connectors and can refuel most vehicles up to 80 percent in 20 to 60 minutes.
Another, slightly larger example: a battery-backed system was installed in fewer than eight months to create an eight-stall, 200 kW charging station in the city of Arlington, Washington, that did not need expensive grid upgrades.
Energy Systems/Battery Backed Technology.
Electric Era focuses on battery-backed charging systems which are patented. Here is how they operate, and why it is important:
- Both grid and a battery stored on-site power chargers, which implies:
o Less peak grid demand (reduces consumption by as much as 70 percent).
o Small, cheaper transformers (e.g. 300 kVA) can be used, which can save delay and cost in infrastructure.
o Earlier installation schedules–battery-backed systems can be installed within as little as 4 months, versus 2 to 3 years in more traditional installs.
- Economic and functional advantages:
o Reduce utility demand, cutting operating costs relative to long-term usage in some cases by up to 95 percent over 10 years.
o It has to be resilient to grid outages and be able to keep providing service even when the grid is down.
o Smooth balancing: Under normal demand the grid supplies the charging; on peaks, the battery supplies the discharge; on decline, the grid supplies the battery.
- Underlying technology:
o With proprietary full-stack software (firmware to cloud), such as Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR), round-the-clock monitoring, via a Network Operations Center, and an analytics dashboard called Command Console.
Conclusion
Electric Era is transforming the Electric Vehicle charging industry through its battery-backed DC fast charging technology that reduces grid deployment durations, operating expenses, and grid resilience.
With its own national charging network, increasing the visibility of chargers on mapping apps, and simple operations available with no app, the company is addressing two of the largest issues facing the industry: dependability and usability.
Electric Era is maturing as a major participant in the shift to scalable, reliable, and affordable EV infrastructure with quick installations, such as the Costco Florida hub and expansion into new states.
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