BMW, Ford and Honda have begun operations of the new joint venture that they announced last year and have appointed the first CEO and CTO.
ChargeScape is a software platform that integrates electric vehicles into the power grid, shoring up grid stability while saving drivers money on their charging.
The announcement underscores that automakers remain committed to EVs – including plug-in hybrids – and are focused on reducing the total cost of ownership for their customers.
As more Americans switch to EVs, cheaper fueling costs have become top-of-mind for drivers, particularly while charging at home where 80% of EV charging occurs according to U.S. Department of Energy estimates.
At the same time, the nation’s power grids have come under increasing strain due to electricity demand from data centers and the intermittent nature of renewables.
To meet these needs, ChargeScape’s technology wirelessly connects to electric vehicles and, working with participating utilities, manages the flow of electrons in line with real-time grid conditions, temporarily reducing demand when the grid is constrained through smart charging (V1G) and even sending energy back into the power grid when needed (V2G).
EV drivers have the potential to be rewarded financially for their flexibility and always have their vehicle charged by the time they specify.
ChargeScape builds off of the early success of these automakers’ work on smart charging through the Open Vehicle-Grid Integration Platform (OVGIP), which counts multi-state utilities such as Duke Energy, Xcel Energy and Eversource Energy as clients.
Following the official launch of the joint venture, BMW, Ford and Honda announced the appointment of ChargeScape’s first CEO, Joseph Vellone.
Bringing 15 years of experience in the energy and climate sectors, Vellone was most recently part of the founding team at software start-up ev.energy, where he launched and grew the company’s North America business to include over a dozen utilities and 150,000 EVs.
“Joseph’s leadership and track record operating cleantech start-ups is precisely what we need to make ChargeScape a success,” said current ChargeScape Board Chairman Shaun Bugbee of BMW.
