It can be easy to think that deploying EV charging is as simple as putting stations in the ground, but focusing on hardware is asking the wrong question. When we talk to customers running the most advanced EV charging programs out there, supporting thousands of drivers every day, a key theme we hear over and over is that success in EV charging requires having the right hardware and the right software to manage it. That’s because it’s the software that gives you the power to build a best-in-class EV charging program and scale as your needs change and your driver base grows. No matter who is charging or what they drive, our software lets you meet their needs.

Whether you’re initially looking to serve employees, customers, residents or fleet vehicles, you’ll likely find that the audience you serve grows over time. Choosing a software-driven EV charging solution will give you the flexibility and power you need to address these changing requirements and manage stations, vehicles and drivers to make EV charging work for your business in a way that's easy to track and scale.

As Halloween approaches, we're all familiar with the age-old question: trick or treat? But when it comes to electric cars, the answer is clear – they are definitely a treat!

These eco-friendly vehicles are becoming increasingly popular among drivers looking to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on gas. And with advancements in technology, the convenience of electric car charging has made them even more appealing. So let's take a closer look at why electric cars are the ultimate treat this Halloween season.

Unmasking the Myths: Debunking Common Misconceptions About Electric Cars.

Electric cars have been shrouded in mystery and myth for far too long. It's time to unmask these misconceptions and reveal the truth about these innovative vehicles.

Nothing gets ChargePoint as excited as talking about the EV revolution and they are obsessed with ensuring people have the freedom to roam wherever they choose. The ChargePoint app puts the EV universe in the palm of your hand – literally. As a company founded by and for EV drivers, they designed their app to make the EV driver experience as simple, affordable and convenient as possible. Being connected to the largest EV charging network in the world doesn’t hurt either.

Learn more about some app features that put the EV driver front and center:

1. Check pin colors and shapes for station status and type

Did you know that our app uses color coding and shapes to show info about stations? Green means a station is available to use, blue means a station is currently in use and gray means a station doesn’t have an available status (probably because it's not part of the ChargePoint network).

Electricity versus hydrogen: 4 reasons electrification is the right choice for fleets

Owing to its higher energy density and lower weight, hydrogen has been touted as a potential alternative to electricity for powering zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks for long-haul fleets. However, transitioning to hydrogen as a potential fuel source for these types of vehicles faces challenges that may outweigh any potential benefits.

Here are some of the reasons electricity is a clear winner for fleets.

1. Availability

Electricity is everywhere. With the rise of charging infrastructure in cities, along highways and at depots, motor pools and even drivers’ homes, access to charging is becoming increasingly more convenient for fleets of all types and sizes.

Hydrogen infrastructure is not yet in place. There are currently few hydrogen refueling stations in operation (nearly all are in California), and the cost of building and managing them is high. It would take a significant investment to build out a nationwide hydrogen refueling network, and it isn’t clear there is enough demand to justify the investment.

More and more hotel and resort guests drive electric vehicles (EVs), and many guests rent EVs to get around while they’re in town. Soon EV fast chargers will be standard at many hotels and resorts, but today adding a charger or two to your property can set you apart from the competition, attracting EV drivers and guests who want to drive EVs during their stay. Here are some benefits to installing a charger at your hotel or resort.

Offer EV Charging to Guests

About 12 percent of cars in Europe and about 5 percent of cars in the United States are electric and more people are buying EVs than ever. EVs will become more common and eventually ubiquitous as many governments around the world enact bans on the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars.

By providing a DC fast charger, hotels and resorts can offer a valuable service to guests who drive electric cars, helping them recharge their EVs quickly and get back on the road. Many hotels also provide EV charging as a concierge service, parking the guest’s car and charging it up for their next adventure.

Owing to its higher energy density and lower weight, hydrogen has been touted as a potential alternative to electricity for powering zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks for long-haul fleets. However, transitioning to hydrogen as a potential fuel source for these types of vehicles faces challenges that may outweigh any potential benefits.

Here are some of the reasons electricity is a clear winner for fleets.

1. Availability

Electricity is everywhere. With the rise of charging infrastructure in cities, along highways and at depots, motor pools and even drivers’ homes, access to charging is becoming increasingly more convenient for fleets of all types and sizes.

Hydrogen infrastructure is not yet in place. There are currently few hydrogen refueling stations in operation (nearly all are in California), and the cost of building and managing them is high. It would take a significant investment to build out a nationwide hydrogen refueling network, and it isn’t clear there is enough demand to justify the investment.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a law that provides nearly $370 billion in climate change investments to help reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030. It provides significant tax breaks for businesses that purchase new medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs) and new chargers.

These include:

• A Clean Commercial Vehicle Credit for 30% of the difference between the cost of the clean vehicle and its gas-powered counterpart – up to $40,000 per medium/heavy duty commercial EV

• An Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit for 30% of total costs of purchase and installation of charging equipment—up to $100,000 per charger

• A renewal of the existing $7,500 Clean Vehicle Credit for passenger and light-duty vehicles

• A Previously-Owned Clean Vehicles Credit of $4,000 or 30% of the vehicle sale price (whichever is lower) for used EVs

The IRA tax credits will start after December 31, 2022, and end after December 31, 2032. Businesses can use the credits after receiving other grants or rebates like NEVI funding. These credits, along with many other grants and programs, make electrifying your fleet in the US more affordable than ever.

By Tritium

In June 2023, Ford and GM announced they’d be switching from the Combined Charging System (CCS) to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors for their future EVs. Less than a month later Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, Rivian, and Volvo also announced they’d support the NACS standard for their US vehicles in the coming years. The switch to NACS from CCS seems to have complicated the electric vehicle (EV) charging landscape, but it’s a great opportunity for charger manufacturers and charge point operators (CPOs). With NACS, CPOs will be able to charge more than 1.3 million Tesla EVs on the road in the US.

What is NACS?

NACS is Tesla’s previously proprietary direct current (DC) fast charging connector standard—formerly known simply as the “Tesla charging connector.” It has been used with Tesla cars since 2012 and the connector design became available to other manufacturers in 2022. It was designed for Tesla’s 400-volt battery architecture and is much smaller than other DC fast charging connectors. The NACS connector is used with Tesla superchargers, which currently charge at a rate of up to 250kW.

What is the Tesla Magic Dock?

The Magic Dock is Tesla’s charger-side NACS to CCS1 adapter. About 10 percent of Tesla chargers in the US are equipped with Magic Dock, which lets users select a CCS1 adapter when charging. EV drivers need to use the Tesla app on their phones to charge their EVs with Tesla chargers, even when using the Magic Dock CCS1 adapter. Here’s a video of the Magic Dock in action.

Aloha Charge, a National Car Charging company based in Honolulu, announced today that it will be providing all the DC fast charging hardware and software for the first round of the State of Hawai’i’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program funding.

In September 2022, the Federal Highway Administration approved Hawai’i’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan, granting the state access to $2.6 million of NEVI funding in FY2022. As part of their NEVI deployment plan, HDOT is utilizing its existing contract with Sustainability Partners, a public benefit company mandated to form reliable and enduring partnerships with public institutions for the advancement of their critical infrastructure.

“Hawai’i is recognized nationwide and around the world for its commitment to sustainability and has long been at the forefront of the e-mobility transition,” said Tritium CEO Jane Hunter. “We’re not surprised to see the state act so quickly to ensure their community benefits from the emissions reductions that a rapid technology transition to electric vehicles secures. The NEVI funding is designed to ensure this transition occurs quickly and equitably, and Tritium is pleased to partner with the state and its representatives to bolster Hawai’i’s EV charging infrastructure.”

HDOT is using the initial round of NEVI funding to procure eight Tritium NEVI systems, totaling 32 PKM150 (150kW) chargers and 16 power units. The chargers were procured for HDOT by Sustainability Partners from the National Car Charging subsidiary Aloha Charge and will be equipped with software developed by EV Connect, an EV charging management solutions provider. These fast chargers are expected to be the first funded and installed under the NEVI program.

By Margaret-Ann Leavitt, Chief Marketing Officer at National Car Charging & Aloha Charge

As we usher in the July 4th holiday, I can’t help but wonder why electric mobility is so often viewed as a political issue when there are so many patriotic reasons to support the transition to electric transportation.

In looking through my Facebook feed this weekend, it was hard to miss the numerous posts encouraging us all to remember the lives lost in the name of the freedom we all enjoy today. Those reminders took me back to my recent visit to the American Cemetery on the shores of Normandy where many served their final mission to protect our rights. Without question, we should honor those sacrifices this July 4th, on all of our patriotic holidays, and frankly, everyday.

But does this have to do with driving electric cars?

In my mind, anything that does better by our citizens is patriotic - whether it’s adding real tangible economic benefits or making us less dependent and less susceptible to other nations' power whims – especially if it keeps our soldiers out of harm’s way.