Electrada and FLO, announced today the launch of a new collaboration that will lead to the development of a comprehensive and innovative charging ecosystem for electric vehicles (EVs) in the Midwest.
As part of this collaboration, both Level 2 and DC Fast charging stations are planned to be deployed in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky over the next several years, targeting locations that will address EV drivers’ most common needs for robust and reliable charging infrastructure.
Electrada, a Cincinnati electric mobility startup specializing in EV charging infrastructure, will leverage its site analytics expertise to collaborate with multiple stakeholders, such as property owners and developers, fleet managers, cities, counties and public agencies, utilities, employers and community organizations to identify the best sites to deploy new charging stations. As the lead investor in this new charging infrastructure, Electrada has selected FLO, an established North American charging network and a major provider of smart charging software and equipment, as its strategic collaborator. FLO’s philosophy, which is centered around reliability and robustness of the infrastructure, is a perfect fit for Electrada’s objective to build highly reliable charging infrastructure in the region that will meet the rising needs of EV drivers and provide a long-term return on investment for the region.
Electrada’s public-private partnership model provides for close collaboration with local communities to evaluate potential charging sites, right-size the charging capacity based on projected demand, and provide service where uptime and reliability will be assured. Electrada will own, operate and maintain the EV charging equipment, which will be installed where EV drivers need them most: fleet locations, multi-unit residential communities, office and commercial areas, key public locations and transit routes used by EVs.
“One of the great advantages of working with FLO is that they have an equipment offering that is adapted to all the specific needs of our market segments, from connected residential models to high-speed DC charging stations” said Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada. “Our model builds into an incredible appetite among businesses, government leaders, building owners and drivers for a more robust charging ecosystem that supports EVs. The collaboration announced today means that we now have the team, the technology and the financial resources to bring it to life over the next 5 years for the rapidly-expanding EV use cases in our region.”
“Even in the midst of a pandemic, our collaboration with Electrada was developed at great speed, despite most of our meetings being carried out remotely. The fact is: we share the same passion for the environment and the same long-term outlook. We are thrilled to expand our FLO network in the Midwest and to help make it easier to own and drive an EV in the region. We hope our work with Electrada will not only help expand charging infrastructure, but that it will also help convince drivers to choose EVs knowing they can have full confidence in their charging infrastructure and that they can travel confidently using their FLO app,” said Louis Tremblay, President and CEO of FLO.
Station deployment is already under way
In parallel to the announcement of this partnership, Electrada proceeded today with the official unveiling of the very first charging station deployed as a result of this collaboration at Findlay Market, an iconic Cincinnati venue. Connected to the FLO network, the station is already fully operational for local EV drivers connecting through the FLO mobile app.
“In addition to the station installed at Findlay Market, we already plan to complete the installation of another 75 public and private charging stations before the end of 2020. With all of their manufacturing in North America, our partners at FLO are proving to be particularly agile in the current environment. They are doing great work to support our ambitious efforts to expand the charging infrastructure in the region. We know that the availability of charging stations is a major factor in convincing people to adopt electric mobility, across multiple market segments. Through its partnership with FLO, we feel Electrada is well-positioned to help accelerate the green transition to EVs” concluded Kevin Kushman.
