Southern California Edison aims to help site hosts install 38,000 EV chargers

Southern California Edison has opened its Charge Ready program to businesses, government agencies and other nonresidential customers. The initiative has a budget of $436 million and a goal of adding some 38,000 new EV chargers throughout SCE’s service area over the next five years.

Under the Charge Ready program, SCE installs and maintains the supporting EV charging infrastructure, while site hosts typically own, operate and maintain qualified charging stations.

“As SCE is preparing its electric grid to serve the increase in transportation electrification, more charging equipment is needed to give EV drivers and fleet operators the peace of mind that they will be able to charge whenever they want,” said Carter Prescott, SCE Director of eMobility and Building Electrification. “Today, we are asking our customers to join with us to ensure that an effective framework is in place for a clean air future for our communities.”

The large-scale program is modeled after a much smaller pilot that ended in May, in which SCE partnered with businesses, local governments and other organizations to add more than 2,700 charge ports at nearly 150 sites.

The first site to participate in the pilot was the city of Lynwood, where six chargers were installed to charge the city’s fleet of EVs, and eight more were installed in the civic center public parking lot.

SCE also helped the city of Long Beach install 102 ports at five sites, including the city’s fleet services yard and several public attractions. “The best part of participating in Charge Ready is being able to provide a benefit to both our public and our fleet,” said April Walker, the city’s Project Management Officer. She added that Long Beach would not have been able to deploy the large number of chargers without Charge Ready’s assistance.

Charge Ready helped to install 200 ports at Fairplex, the site that hosts the Los Angeles County Fair and 400 other events throughout the year. “Being an early adopter, we are now actually able to help others who are contemplating expanding their infrastructure through Charge Ready, and we appreciate that partnership with SCE,” said Fairplex interim CEO Walter Marquez.

SCE will continue to focus on providing charging infrastructure at workplaces, public parking lots, schools, hospitals and destination centers, as well as condominium and apartment complexes.

In the interest of making EV charging available to all Californians, Charge Ready sets a target to locate 50% of the chargers in state-designated disadvantaged communities, and those that suffer most from the negative effects of air pollution.

In addition to Charge Ready for passenger EVs, SCE has launched a program for trucks, buses and off-road industrial equipment called Charge Ready Transport, which aims to add charging to support at least 8,490 medium- and heavy-duty EVs over a five-year period. The $356-million program is also modeled after the Charge Ready pilot.

Source: Edison International

As we hear so much talk about replacing batteries based on the EV battery degradation, I thought the study was very informative and worthwhile reading

New EV Battery Degradation Study

The world has seen a huge surge in demand in recent years for electric vehicles (EVs), as they become ever more popular with motorists due to their green and cost-saving credentials.


Despite the growth of electric cars, a question continues to plague would-be electric drivers: How long will it take for my EV battery to degrade and need replacing?

They are right to be concerned. In the next couple of years EV owners could see major battery degradation on their vehicles, potentially resulting in a sizable bill for a replacement.

UK-based Select Car Leasing analyzed 64 electric cars released between 2012 and 2019 to determine if strides are being made by car manufacturers to improve the battery degradation rates of their vehicles. Select also investigated which current 2019 model has the most durable battery, whether you should go new or used for your electric, and tips on how you can make your EV battery last longer.

The Nissan Leaf: The Electric Car Guinea Pig

The Nissan Leaf first arrived in the UK in 2011. Not only was the Leaf the first all-electric car to go on sale in the country, it’s also one of the most family friendly, competing with the likes of the Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus and Renault Megane. Some would say this made the car a guinea pig, both testing the appetite of the UK car market for electric vehicles, and also putting electric car technology firmly in the spotlight in front of judgmental motorists.

Of course, like any technology when it’s in its infancy, things don’t always go according to plan. Some of the lithium-ion batteries in the first commercially available EVs suffered greatly from battery degradation and the Nissan Leaf was no different. As the data below shows, the 2013–2015 models of the Leaf are currently down to around 80% of their full battery capacity.

The 2015 model lost 6% of its battery capacity in the first year alone, while the 2014 model is down a shocking 23% in year 5. This is all the more worrying considering the Leaf only comes with an eight-year, or 100,000-mile warranty. After that time, it will be left to owners to fork out the cash for a new one. Indicative of the advancement of new electric models, those figures look much more favorable for the 2017 model, which is down a conservative 5% in year 3 and the 2019 model which saw just a 1% reduction in performance over the first year.

Modern Improvements In Battery Capacity Retention

To find out if the trend of huge improvements in battery capacity retention rates, evident in the Nissan Leaf, is the same across the board, Select Car Leasing analyzed the year 1 capacity percentages of some of the world’s favorite EV cars. Comparing the findings below to the 6% loss of capacity within the first year for the Nissan Leaf 2016 model, we can see that even the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which lost the most battery capacity on our list, was less than 4% down in the first year. That’s around 2% less that the Nissan Leaf over the same period.

Naturally, Tesla’s range features prominently in our top 10 with the Model 3, X and S losing a meagre 1% capacity over the first year. However, it’s bad news for Volkswagen as their flagship e-Golf and Golf GTE models slump to the bottom 10. This is surprising considering the car brand’s reputation for high quality and efficiency, but could be reversed in the coming years as VW prepares the ‘iD’ electric range for worldwide release.

Overall, since the early days of electric cars, there has been a marked improvement in the ability of EV batteries to resist degradation. If you’re looking for a new car in 2020, we’ve analyzed the latest models and their proven battery degradation rates to help you decide which one to go for.

The Best New Cars in 2020 For Battery Capacity Retention

f you’re on the lookout for a new electric car, Select Car Leasing has picked out 13 of the latest models released on the market and their total battery capacity percentage to help you make the right choice. Amazingly, the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt still retains its full battery capacity after year 1, a rarity even in 2020. Other cars to consider with battery degradation in mind are the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3.

On the other hand, the current Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV battery capacity degrades by 4.1% within the first year on the road, making it more likely to be susceptible to losing further capacity in the years to come. Strangely, with all of Toyota’s experience as a manufacturer of electric cars and hybrids, their new Prius Prime comes in at a modest 11th place on our list. Considering Toyota was an early mover in this space, you would consider this a poor performance.

What is the best deal? New or Used?

Although new electric cars on the market continue to show increasing battery capacity retention rates, what about cars that are four or five years old? Should you still purchase one if you’re interested in trying electric cars for the first time, or working within a budget?

There really is no easy answer, but the truth is that driving new when it comes to electric is a huge advantage due to the rapid advancement of technology, range and battery capacity. The rate of change in the electric industry and the widening gap between the newer models and those released just three or four years ago, means the second hand electric market isn’t flourishing in the same way it is for traditional petrol and diesels. On top of this, most manufacturers offer eight-year, or 100,000 mile warranty periods. This means that if the capacity of the battery was to degrade during that period to an unusable state, the car manufacturer would replace it free of charge. The problem arises when that period has ran out and the cost of the replacement is passed on to the owner, leaving some second hand buyers in a sticky situation taking the hit of an expensive battery replacement.

While buying second hand represents good value for money if you’re looking to try out an electric car without forking out a large outright sum, there is plenty of other finance options you can pursue if you want to drive an electric car, without needing to empty the piggy bank. These include methods such as leasing and PCP which require monthly fees for a fixed period, while still allowing you to drive a car at the forefront of electric technology.

Below, Select Car Leasing worked out the cost of each car to buy in 2020 compared to the capacity of the battery it currently holds. Our figures show the cost of each vehicle per percentage of its battery’s capacity.

Although the evidence shows that car batteries continue to increase in quality, it’s still important that you practice some safety tips to keep your battery performing at its peak efficiency for as long as possible, especially if you buy a used car.

How Do I Keep My EV Battery Healthy?

f you buy a second-hand electric car, fear not. Just because the car isn’t fresh out of the showroom doesn’t mean you will run into battery degradation problems any time soon. According to the Union Of Concerned Scientists (UCS), there are three main things you can do to maximize the life of your EV battery:

  • Limit DC fast charging, particularly in cold weather.
  • Don’t drain the battery down to zero
  • Try to store the vehicle at an average charge level between 25% and 75%.
  • While we can’t control the weather, avoid parking the car for long periods in extreme heat.

“Daily or even heavy use (i.e. cycling) doesn’t necessarily translate to accelerated degradation, so drive on! And don’t worry – most batteries will probably outlast the life of the vehicle.” according to the UCS.

However, if you want to do your part for the environment and drive an EV, but would rather not worry about EV battery degradation, leasing an electric car and getting a new one every three or four years may be a great option.

Liberty Access Technologies Installs Chargers and Keypads at First 7-Eleven

Liberty Access Technologies has been awarded it’s the first contract with 7-Eleven to install chargers using our Access-Only Keypad that uses our patented Synchronous Code Generation technology.

Santa Barbara, CA – July 20, 2020 – Liberty Access Technology (LAT) is installing another of its access control innovations at a 7-Eleven site in Kamas, Utah. This is the first installation at a 7-Eleven location, which has over 60,000 stores worldwide.

The LAT’s Access-Only Keypad provides a way for owners and managers to limit access to electric vehicle charges by certain individuals and for limited durations of time. LAT’s patented Synchronous Code Generation technology enables secure charging without expensive networks, The Access-Only Keypad works like an electronic padlock that “opens” a specific charger for a specific period of time.

“We are excited about our installation at an organization as massive as 7-Eleven. We hope the convenience and operational efficiencies that this location experiences will pave the way to install chargers throughout the 7-Eleven network” said Chris Outwater, CEO of LAT.

The Access-Only Keypad attached to one or two EV chargers allows owners to sell or give away one-time-use numeric codes generated in our smartphone application or website. Each code is used only once, only with a specific charger, and only for a specific period of time.

Many EV drivers appreciate the ability to get access to EV charging without having to join a network or carry membership cards. And equipment owners appreciate not having to pay large fees for monthly services or each transaction.

If you’re not concerned with measuring electricity usage, one-time-use access codes (“charge authorization codes”) are an easy and effective way to limit access to only certain EV drivers, and only for certain periods of time.

About Liberty Access Technologies

Liberty specializes in access control systems for electric vehicle charging in the parking industry, fleet EV and multi-tenant dwellings. LAT’s patented Synchronous Code Generation technology enables secure charging without expensive networks, and the Hydra Multi EVSE Control system enables cost effective large scale EV charging solutions for workplace and multi-tenant. Our mission is to use our patented technology to enable our customers to control access, costs and carbon emissions via our “grid-aware” technology.

How long will it take for my EV battery to degrade and need replacing?

In 2019, 37,850 electric cars were registered on UK roads compared to just 15,510 in 2018. That’s an increase of 144% year on year. 

Despite the growth of electric cars, a question continues to plague would-be electric drivers: How long will it take for my EV battery to degrade and need replacing? In their latest research, Select Car Leasing have identified the best and worst models for battery degradation.

Some of the lithium-ion batteries in the first commercially available EVs suffered greatly from battery degradation and the Nissan Leaf was no different. As the data below shows, the 2013–2015 models of the Leaf are currently down to around 80% of their full battery capacity.

The 2015 model lost 6% of its battery capacity in the first year alone, while the 2014 model is a shocking 23% down in year 5. This is all the more worrying considering that the Leaf only comes with an eight-year, or 100,000-mile warranty. These figures look much more favourable for the 2017 model, which is down 5% in year 3 and the 2019 model which saw just a 1% reduction in performance over the first year.

To find out if the trend of huge improvements in battery capacity retention rates evident in the Nissan Leaf, is the same across the board, Select Car Leasing analysed the year 1 capacity percentages of some of the world’s favourite EV cars. 

Comparing the findings below to the 6% loss of capacity within the first year for the Nissan Leaf 2016 model, you can see that even the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which lost the most battery capacity on our list, was less than 4% down in the first year. That’s around 2% less that the Nissan Leaf over the same period.

Naturally, Tesla’s range features prominently in our top 10 with the Model 3, X and S losing a meagre 1% capacity over the first year. However, it’s bad news for Volkswagen as their flagship e-Golf and Golf GTE models slump to the bottom 10. This is surprising considering the car brand’s reputation for high quality and efficiency, but could be reversed in the coming years as VW prepare the ‘iD’ electric range for worldwide release.

Again, you can find Select Car Leasing’s full research here: https://www.selectcarleasing.co.uk/news/article/electric-car-battery-losing-charge/

Liberty Access Technologies Makes EV Charging More Convenient and Secure

Liberty Access Technologies will use HID Global secure access technologies to enable the use of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS).

Santa Barbara, CA – May 4, 2020 — Today Liberty Access Technologies (Liberty) announces an effort to add electric vehicle charging stations to the list of critical assets that are secured by HID Global’s trusted identity technologies. The news comes as an increasing number of enterprise
commercial and residential properties add EV chargers to provide employees and tenants with convenient charging stations that accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, a critical component in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.


“As electric vehicles continue their rapid growth in popularity, organizations that are building out the EV charging infrastructure will be confronted with the need to support secure and convenient access to EV chargers,” said Gary Oberman, Vice President Americas Sales of
Extended Access Technologies with HID Global.
“Working together with Liberty, our industry-leading trusted identity technologies will provide secure and convenient access to the enterprise EV charging infrastructure using the same HID credential used to enter the building.”


Liberty has significant experience providing their customers with a wide range of access control solutions, including HID access cards, personal identification numbers (PINs), and smartphone apps. In fact, Liberty was the first company to activate a charging session using an HID card over 4 years ago. HID Global is a world leader in credentials used for secure access to
buildings, parking garages, and other enterprise functions where additional security is desired or required.


“Ease-of-use and accessibility are important components of the EV charging experience and these factors are often overlooked,” according to Chris Outwater, CEO of Liberty. “Now drivers can use their same HID credential to open the parking lot gate, start their charging session and enter their building. This makes the workplace EV charging process seamless, secure, and intuitive.”

About Liberty Access Technologies
Liberty specializes in access control systems for electric vehicle charging in the parking industry, fleet EV, and multi-tenant dwellings. LAT’s patented Synchronous Code Generation technology enables secure charging without expensive networks, and the Hydra Multi EVSE Control system enables cost-effective large scale EV charging solutions for workplace and multi-tenant. Our mission is to use our patented technology to enable our customers to control access, costs, and carbon emissions via our “grid-aware” technology.

Liberty Access Technologies has shipped Hydra Control Units to Ronald Reagan National Airport

Electric vehicle owners will have access to 50 more Level 2 EV chargers at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Santa Barbara, CA – December 7, 2019

Liberty Acess Technologies, the maker of the cutting edge HYDRA electric vehicle control system, recently sold its EV charging system to Ronald Reagan National Airport.

The airport will be deploying 5 HYDRA Control Units to meter and provide continuous metering and management of 50 Clipper Creek EV chargers in the long term parking structure at the Washington DC airport.

“This sale and delivery of our HYDRA product along with the highly regarded ClipperCreek EV chargers is a testament to a product with a reputation for reliability in all sorts of environments and with constant use,” said Chris Outwater, the CEO of Liberty Access.

Chris further adds that the HYDRA system will only be doing metering in the initial phase to collect and supply data to the airport management. This will allow them to further analyze and study the charging patterns of airport parkers and help create a smooth charging experience.

Will Barrett of ClipperCreek adds, “Clipper Creek is excited to be part of the new EV charging system at Ronald Reagan airport. Clipper strives to offer the most reliable chargers in the industry and we are pleased that the airport authority has chosen our chargers.”

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is, along with Washington Dulles International Airport, part of a two-airport system that provides domestic and international air service for the Washington DC and surrounding regions.

The installation of these EV charging systems comes as part of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s green initiative which looks to reduce the environmental impact of automobile emissions.

Liberty Access Technologies Selected to Provide HYDRA Systems for Arizona Public Service (APS) Employee Charging

Liberty’s HYDRA EV charging system and ClipperCreek have proven that they can take the heat.

Santa Barbara, CA – November 20, 2019/ Liberty Access Technologies (Liberty) is proud to announce that it has been selected to supply its HYDRA EV charging system featuring ClipperCreek HCS-40 charging stations for all Arizona Public Service (APS) employee charging. This decision is based on the equipment’s durability and ability to withstand harsh conditions in addition to its ease of use and advanced functionality.

APS, Arizona’s largest electric utility, had previously installed HYDRA systems at their Palo Verde Nuclear Station and their service center in Prescott. APS was initially concerned with the thermal safety and durability of EV charging systems, many of which fail when exposed to the extreme desert heat during summer months.

However, after prolonged successful operation of the HYDRA systems at the Palo Verde and Prescott sites, APS has chosen Liberty and charger manufacturer ClipperCreek as their preferred providers for employee charging and will be adding HYDRA systems across all of APS’s sites.

“We are always striving to bring additional value and solutions to our customers,” said Will Barrett, the Director of Sales at ClipperCreek. “Our materials and in-house manufacturing ensure that our EV chargers can provide excellent performance even in the summer climate. Liberty’s HYDRA has proven to be a durable smart charging product in these sites”.

Employee charging systems will be installed or expanded in metropolitan Phoenix and surrounding areas, with the first new HYDRA system installation scheduled for the Deer Valley Center. In the coming months, Liberty will be supplying up to 7 HYDRA EV charging systems, along with access control and billing services for the rapidly growing number of APS employees who are choosing to go electric and drive EVs.

Chris Outwater, CEO of Liberty said, “The adoption of EVs is rapidly accelerating across the United States and we are very excited to work with APS to increase their EV charging sites for employees.”

Arizona Public Service Company is the largest electric utility in Arizona and the principal subsidiary of publicly traded S&P 500 member Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, which had been formerly named AZP Group.

For more information, please visit http://www.libertyaccesstechnologies.com.

Liberty Access Technologies Announces More School Bus Charging Projects

Santa Barbara, CA – November 15, 2019: Liberty Access Technologies (LAT) reported they have shipped 5 HYDRA-RX AC Fast Charger Controllers to 4 school districts who are preparing to receive new electric school buses. Rescue Union School District received two HYDRA-RX systems with a total of 14 charging stations, Exeter Unified received one HYDRA-RX system with 10 chargers while Eureka Union and Calaveras Unified School Districts each received one HYDRA-RX system for 3 charging stations.

“These deliveries mark the real start of the campaign to provide our children with a clean and safe school transportation system.” Said Chris Outwater, President of LAT who added “The transition to electric school buses requires a coordinated effort on the part of utilities, charger makers, the bus OEMs, their dealers and school district transportation management. We’re proud to be in the vanguard of this rapidly growing national movement.”

The HYDRA-RX is a local controller specifically designed to control high output alternating current (AC) charging stations that provide over twice the charging power of standard AC chargers. The extra power is needed to charge the much larger battery packs of electric school buses, both overnight and also during the day when the buses are idle while school is in session.

“AC Fast Charging (ACFC) is ideal for the medium duty electric buses and trucks that travel less than 120 miles per day and are parked overnight in a central yard or depot” Mr. Outwater continued. “Using high output basic chargers provides quick recharging times at a fraction of the cost of DC Fast Chargers (DCFC).”

Mr. Outwater says another 5 school districts have committed to order the HYDRA-RX and is in discussions with at least twice that many, the result of significant funding for electric school buses coming from several state agencies such as the California Energy Commission (CEC) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) as well as several local air quality management districts including the South Coast AQMD and Bay Area AQMD. Approximately $70m from the state’s share of the Volkswagen Mitigation Fund has also been dedicated.

Liberty Access Technologies and WattTime Partner to Bring Green Charging to EV Fleets

Smart charging technology will allow schools and workplaces to charge electric buses, vans and more with clean energy

Santa Barbara, CA and Oakland, CA, October 16, 2019 — Today electric fleet charging technology company Liberty Access Technologies (Liberty) and environmental tech nonprofit WattTime announced a new clean charging partnership to support schools and workplaces in their transition to all-electric fleets. WattTime’s Automated Emissions Reduction (AER) software will integrate with Liberty’s charging technology to allow buses, vans, and more to automatically charge with clean power.

Liberty offers electric vehicle charging systems for the new generation of electric school buses and delivery vans. Their current clients hail from the utility space, government, the private sector, and include names such as San Diego Gas and Electric, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Los Angeles County. Expanding to support school districts’ electrification of transportation is the next step in the company’s growth. Liberty’s core offering is the HYDRA-RX AC Fast Charger Controller, which produces quick charging times at a fraction of the cost of DC Fast Chargers, enabling schools to convert more quickly to electric buses.

“As firm believers in a clean mobility future, we feel it’s imperative to support schools and workplaces as they make the switch to all-electric fleets,” said Chris Outwater, CEO of Liberty. “By incorporating WattTime’s AER software with our cost-saving charging technology, we can ensure they benefit from both financial savings and carbon savings. We’re excited to help these groups reach their sustainability goals without sacrificing the quality of service.”

WattTime’s recently-released EV charging report—How Emissions-Optimized EV Charging Enables Cleaner Electric Vehicleshighlights just how powerful their AER-enabled smart charging can be. In the report, WattTime finds emissions-optimized EV charging can further reduce associated EV-charging emissions by nearly 20 percent annually and up to 90 percent on individual days. This is above and beyond standard emissions savings that come from choosing an electric vehicle over a gas-powered alternative.

“School buses and corporate fleets represent a perfect opportunity for AER to drive emissions reductions; these vehicles are only used a fraction of the day and can otherwise remain plugged in to optimize charge times for the cleanest electricity,” said Gavin McCormick, founder and executive director of WattTime. “The added bonus is that—instead of exposing schoolchildren or employees to tailpipe emissions—we’re helping make electric vehicles the norm.”

Electric mobility is just one of many sectors that technology provider WattTime is involved with. Their solutions make it easy for anyone to choose clean energy and achieve emissions reductions without compromising cost and user experience. WattTime’s AER software enables smart devices of all kinds—from EV chargers to smart thermostats to water heaters—to automatically opt to use clean energy. AER monitors power generation and marginal emissions rates in real-time, then uses that data to optimize energy use based on the environmental impact of consuming electricity at a given moment.

Liberty’s announcement to team up with WattTime comes soon after another partnership launched with electric company PG&E. The two will work together to support the electrification and clean energy goals of a school district in Northern California by collaborating on eco-friendly charging options for electric buses. Their pilot will be a test case for PG&E’s new FleetReady program.

About Liberty Access Technologies

LAT specializes in access control systems for electric vehicle charging in the parking industry, fleet EV and multi-tenant dwellings. LAT’s patented Synchronous Code Generation technology enables secure charging without expensive networks, and the Hydra Multi EVSE Control system enables cost-effective large scale EV charging solutions for workplace and multi-tenant. Our mission is to use our patented technology to enable our customers to control access, costs and carbon emissions via our “grid-aware” technology.

Find out more at www.libertyaccesstechnologies.com or www.linkedin.com/company/liberty-access-technologies

About WattTime

WattTime is a nonprofit with a software tech startup DNA, dedicated to giving everyone everywhere the power to choose clean energy. Our Automated Emissions Reduction (AER) technology can shift the timing of flexible electricity use to sync with times of cleaner energy and avoid times of dirtier energy. We sell solutions that make it easy for anyone to achieve emissions reductions without compromising cost and user experience. WattTime is a subsidiary of Rocky Mountain Institute.

For more information, please visit WattTime.org.

Media Contact
Chris Outwater
CEO – Liberty Access Technologies
chris@libertyplugins.com or 866-791-9802

AC FAST CHARGING

The right fit for medium-duty EVs By Paul Beck

What’s the largest mass transit system in the United States? Is it the public transit network? Nope. Commercial airlines? Guess again. Passenger rail? Not even close. Here’s a hint: the vehicles are colored yellow. Give up? It’s school buses, and in terms of sheer numbers, this fleet is 2.5 times larger than all other forms of mass transit combined. And therein lies a big, dirty problem.

According to a 2018 study by the US Public Interest Research Group, 95% of the nation’s roughly 500,000 school buses are diesel-fueled. Numerous studies have documented the negative impact breathing diesel exhaust has on respiratory diseases like asthma. In fact, the AC FAST CHARGING has classified diesel exhaust as a likely carcinogen. These negative effects are especially pronounced in children.

But change is on the way. The entire medium-duty vehicle market, which also includes delivery vans and other commercial vehicles, is on the edge of an electric precipice. Thee cost savings and environmental benefits of electrifying these vehicles can no longer be ignored.

“The medium-duty plug-in vehicle industry is definitely in the midst of a strong surge,” Will Barrett, Director of Sales for EV charger manufacturer ClipperCreek, told Charged.

This surge may pair well with an EV technology that many in the US seem to have forgotten about: high-power AC charging.

AC charging that operates at the upper limits of the J1772 connector specs can provide up to 19.2 kW of power. While that’s significantly less than most DC chargers, it’s perfect for school buses and other medium-duty EVs.

While ultra-fast DC charging is grabbing all the headlines in new highway corridor projects, high-power AC charging may be the perfect fit for school buses, delivery trucks, and other medium-duty fleet vehicles.

The wheels on the bus

“Public charging is now almost wholly defined as installing DC fast chargers along heavily traveled corridors,” said Forest Williams, a strategic marketing consultant for charging solution provider Liberty PlugIns. “DCFC is the silver bullet for range anxiety.”

However, while EV drivers and public charging networks are rapidly embracing ultra-fast DC fast charging, Williams is telling medium-duty EV fleet operators that there may be a better solution. He calls it AC fast charging, or AC charging that operates at the upper limits of the J1772 connector specs. With an output current up to 80 A, Level 2 AC fast chargers can provide 19.2 kW of power. While that’s significantly less than most DC chargers, Williams argues that it’s perfect for school buses and other medium-duty EVs

“Level 2 chargers with 80 A of output can recharge a big Type D bus with a 150 kWh battery in around 9 hours, perfect for overnight charging,” Williams explained.

The salient fact about school buses, delivery vans and many other medium-duty fleet vehicles is that they’re predictable. A school bus drives relatively short distances (typically less than 75 miles) at moderate speeds, makes frequent stops to pick up or drop off passengers, then returns to a centralized depot. Delivery vans operate in a similar fashion.

“This is an ideal profile for the application of electric drive technology and what we’re calling AC Fast Charging, or ACFC, is absolutely adequate and many times less expensive than installing a DC fast charger,” Williams said.

Pretty much all the EVSPs never developed Level 2 chargers with more than 40 amps output because they fi gured the public really wants DC fast chargers.

A push for EV fleets

In 2017, the state of California allocated 75 million dollars to the California Energy Commission’s School Bus Replacement Program. This money, offered to public schools throughout the state, aims to replace old diesel-powered school buses with electric alternatives. Thanks to this program, the funding for 243 electric buses was awarded to schools throughout California.

Residents of Colorado are also pushing to electrify the more than 4,000 school buses powered by diesel in their state. In 2018, the Colorado government set aside $18 million to replace approximately 450 state vehicles, including school buses, with electric or alternative fuel vehicles. Fittingly, the money came from Colorado’s share of the Volkswagen settlement for cheating on diesel emissions tests.

Package delivery companies are also turning to electrification. In 2018, Ingka Group, the parent company of furniture giant IKEA, announced plans to use EVs for all its last-mile deliveries as early as 2025. Earlier this year, the company revealed that it has already met this goal in its Shanghai operations. One of the most popular delivery companies in the world, however, has been far less proactive. In 2018, Amazon announced it had purchased 20,000 Mercedes-Benz vans for its new private delivery fleet. None of the vans were electric. However, Williams predicts that soon, Amazon and other delivery companies may not have this option.

“Regardless of the name on the van, all of these vans are running around doing last-mile delivery, re-stocking all of the local bodegas, the local neighborhood clothes stores and restaurants,” said Williams. “Pretty soon, cities are going to mandate that those switch to electric.”

ACFC hardware

Although AC fast charging seems to be the perfect fit for medium-duty EVs, it’s a niche that’s been ignored by most EV charging hardware providers and network operators.

“Pretty much all the EVSPs never developed Level 2 chargers with more than 40 amps output, because they figured the public really wants DC fast chargers,” Williams explained. “If you’re talking about 15-30 minutes of charging at a rest stop or travel plaza on the way to grandma’s house, they’re right. Who wants to sit in a gas station for several hours?”

“But if you’re a medium-duty delivery van,” he continued, “you’ve got all night to charge up. Quick charge times are of little benefit, especially when you consider the enormous costs to install and supply even one DC fast charger.”

Two EVSE companies in the US that have not ignored this niche are ClipperCreek and WattZilla.

In fact, high-power AC charging has been the core focus of Massachusetts-based WattZilla, which o ers products that can charge up to four EVs at 80 A simultaneously.

“We sell to a lot to electric school bus users,” WattZilla’s Frank Gangi told Charged. “Also, we’ve had a lot of recent activity with mining companies that buy electric underground mining vehicles. That whole industry is switching over to J1772, and we sell a ton of 80-amp chargers to those folks.”

California-based ClipperCreek also o ers a few AC fast charger options.  e company’s CS-100 is an 80 A charger with a J1772 connector that can output up to 19.2 kW (in commercial applications, ClipperCreek’s Will Barrett explains, these chargers typically operate at a lower voltage, and deliver about 17 kW).

“We definitely agree that the higher-power Level 2 AC charging solutions can be a really good fit for a lot of medium-duty applications,” said Barrett.

ClipperCreek also offers the HCS-80, a 64-amp AC charger. It has a smaller footprint and lower cost than the CS-100 models, though it delivers less power. Notwithstanding, Barrett says it’s still a practical and popular option for many medium-duty EVs.

It’s a massively lower cost solution compared to DCFC and we’re being contacted daily by school districts in California.

Both ClipperCreek and Wattzilla also have three-phase AC charging products that can increase the power output to levels that approach the lower end of DC fast charging options. However, three-phase AC requires a different, larger connector than the popular J1772 connection.

“There are a couple of medium-duty vehicles out there that utilize that three-phase AC charging,” said Barrett. “We can get up into a power range that’s similar to lower-power DC fast charging (28 to 33 kW), but at a much more compelling price point from a hardware standpoint.”

Forest Williams points out two other ACFC options: BTCPower manufactures a 70-amp AC charger with a 16.8 kW output, and Sun Country Highway offers a 70/80-amp selectable AC charger called the SCH100. However, with these four companies, the list of J1772 AC fast charger providers in North America is nearly complete. Williams suggests that, in the coming years, that list may grow: “I suspect that over time, schools and delivery van people would like to have more options.”

Don’t miss the bus

Williams is betting that the early adopters of electric school buses, delivery vans, and other medium-duty EVs will understand the advantages of AC fast charging. In his work with Liberty PlugIns, he’s noticed that demand for AC fast charging is on the rise.

“It’s a massively lower-cost solution compared to DCFC and we’re being contacted daily by school districts in California who just received grants for two, three, four or five buses. Next year it will be the independent last-mile delivery fleets competing for Amazon’s delivery contracts in the wake of FedEx’s recent decision to end its relationship with Amazon.”