EVCS, an Arcadia-based electric vehicle fast-charging network operator, and Hubject, an international eRoaming network based in Germany, are poised to enter into a partnership.
EV charging roaming, or eRoaming, enables drivers to charge their vehicles at almost any charging station with one customer account managed by their preferred electro-mobility service provider, in this case Hubject. EVCS plans to work with Hubject as a roaming partner, relying on Hubject’s intercharge platform to offer roaming services. The companies signed an official memorandum of agreement earlier this month.
“We are honored that EVCS will be joining the Hubject intercharge network to improve the charging experience as the EV industry gets set to rapidly scale in North America,” said Trishan Peruma, chief executive of Hubject North America. “The partnership between Hubject and EVCS represents a significant commitment to all EV drivers regardless of the Mobility provider they choose to use.”
EV drivers will be able to use web-based or mobile apps of their choice to locate, charge and pay on the EVCS network., while Hubject will enable EVCS to offer roaming services such as integrated location discovery and in-app payments.
The EV charging company makes its revenue from pay-as-you-go customers, who pay a charging rate of $0.49 per kilowatt. Additional revenue is made from its subscription programs, which are organized into three tiers. The standard anytime tier is geared towards standard mileage EV drivers commuting fewer than 1,150 miles per month. It costs $49.99 per month and includes 200 kilowatts of charging with 24/7 access. Upon surpassing this limit, subscribers flip to pay-as-you-go for the remainder of the month at a discounted rate.
The unlimited anytime pro program costs about $200 per month and is designed for high-mileage EV drivers. It includes 24/7 access to all EVCS charging locations. The final tier is the unlimited off-peak pro plan. It costs about $100 per month and is similar to the pro program; however, users can access chargers during the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. only.
“(The two unlimited plans), we have intentionally designed them this way to be able to capture a very important part of the market, which is the gig workers and the rideshare drivers,” said Karim Farhat, vice president of partnerships at EVCS. “Those drivers are estimated to drive significantly more, so that is why we came up with that idea, because we really wanted to empower rideshare riders to have an effective offering that they can use.”
EVCS operates chargers across California, Oregon and Washington. On the heels of its $68.8 million series A raise last year, the company is looking to expand into new cities and increase its number of chargers in existing communities.
“As more drivers adopt EVs, the industry needs better solutions to enable easier, faster and more equitable access to public EV charging,” Gustavo Occhiuzzo, chief executive of EVCS, said in a statement. “Drivers want a hassle-free charging experience, without the need for too many requirements to access a charger. Roaming through Hubject’s Intercharge platform allows EVCS to meet the EV drivers’ needs more effectively by granting (electro-mobility service providers) full access to one of the largest CPOs on the West Coast.”
