Electrify America, is an electric vehicle DC fast charging station network in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group of America. It was established in the 2nd half of 2016. It was a strategic step by Volkswagen when the company was involved in the emission scandal.
Electrify America is valued to be $2.45 billion. In 2022, Siemens was the first external investor with a minority shareholder stake in the company.
The company is planning high in the electric vehicle segment by unveiling its first megawatt-level Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
The battery energy storage system is installed with a solar canopy at a remote location in California. The BESS got a capacity of 1.5 MW/ 3 MWh with a solar canopy of 66 KW of potential capacity. It is expanded with four new individual chargers to boost the power levels up to 350 kW.
The BESS acts as a buffer between the charging stations and the grid with or without local renewable generation (solar panels). The steps help in avoiding expensive demanding charges and also support additional grid capacity in locations where it is impossible to be installed.
“The application of the megawatt-level energy storage is the latest example of how we are continuously innovating to tackle infrastructure challenges and meet charging needs today,” said Jigar Shah, Head of Energy Services at Electrify America.
“As we expand the use of such solutions to more of our charging stations and also to our medium-duty and heavy-duty electric fleet customers, we are positioned to enable continued transportation electrification even in the face of utility capacity constraints.”
“To put this into perspective, the energy storage system at Baker, when fully charged, could provide enough energy for an average household for over three months,” Shah added.
Thanks for stopping by our Baker, CA station! The charging by this group of EV drivers resulted in 1 MegaWatt of charging, all of which was supplied through our Battery Energy Storage and Solar Canopy! ⚡️☀️😎 https://t.co/RuEWjdO0aN
— Electrify America (@ElectrifyAm) October 4, 2022
Source:- Electrify America