5 min read ・
February 16, 2023
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February 16, Washington, D.C.
On Wednesday February 15th, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the final minimum standards for federal funding of EV infrastructure through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. The vision behind NEVI is to deliver a national network of convenient, reliable, American-made EV chargers. This is a significant step forward for the eMobility industry in the United States and lays the groundwork for cooperation between public and private entities to achieve the Administration’s goal of building 500,000 EV chargers by 2030.
The ruling addresses the steep challenge that the industry currently faces, especially focusing on how to rapidly scale public EV charging, deliver a positive driver experience, and deploy interoperable solutions. Hubject applauds the effort made to identify and solve these essential pillars of public EV charging. Since our founding in 2012, Hubject has pushed for accelerated adoption of electric vehicles by pursuing our steadfast mission of global interoperability and standardization for eMobility. Wednesday’s announcement takes an important step in not only championing these same values, but also providing a framework for progress. We therefore applaud the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision to drive EV adoption in the United States while ensuring that EV drivers remain the focal point when deploying public funds.
We would like to emphasize the importance of three specific requirement areas for our partners:
Roaming: Roaming enables EV drivers to have significantly greater freedom of choice when charging in public. It allows for drivers to use web-based or mobile apps of their choice to discover, locate, charge, and pay on any charging network. Charger network-to-network communication, as outlined by NEVI, is a critical step for greater accessibility and interoperability. On a market level, it also lowers the barrier to entry for new eMobility players. Hubject has played a central part in the development of roaming in Europe over the past ten years, specifically through the creation of the Intercharge eRoaming Network, and has substantial learnings on the advantages that come with cooperation and interoperability. We encourage program managers to work with charging networks to leverage roaming platforms that promote greater driver choice.
ISO 15118: Plug&Charge using ISO 15118 enables drivers to simply plug their vehicle into a charging station and start the charging process without the need for any additional authentication via RFID card or app. The requirement for charging networks to adopt Plug&Charge using ISO 15118, as outlined by NEVI, provides the foundation for a futureproof, seamless, and secure customer charging experience. As car manufacturers continue to prioritize Plug&Charge-enabled electric vehicles, Hubject plays an active role in facilitating Plug&Charge adoption and implementation among all players in the EV charging value chain. Furthermore, we advocate that the communication protocols outlined in ISO 15118 provide the future blueprint for further innovations, like V2X, that will play a key role in the energy management progress needed for wide-spread EV adoption.
Performance and Data: The current EV charging experience in the United States is widely acknowledged as being inconsistent, leaving both EV drivers and eMobility ecosystem partners to trial and error with public charging infrastructure. Hubject supports the NEVI final rule alignment that emphasizes the need for a standardized approach to data collection and improvement of charger reliability (e.g., uptime, locations, pricing, etc.). We see the potential of our recently launched EVSE Quality Score to provide the necessary first step in assessing the completeness and correctness of charging point data. We have observed directly from our ecosystem that when an emphasis is placed on transparency and reliability, progress can be made. We look forward to working with our industry partners in the effort to uphold and improve the integrity of our charging infrastructure.
About Hubject
Hubject simplifies the charging of electric vehicles. Through its eRoaming platform intercharge the eMobility specialist connects Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and eMobility Service Providers (EMPs) to provide standardised access to charging infrastructure regardless of any network. Hubject has established the world’s largest cross-provider charging network for electric vehicles by connecting CPO networks encompassing over 500,000 connected charging points and more than 1,250 B2B partners across 52 countries and four continents. In addition, Hubject is a trusted consulting partner in the eMobility market, advising automotive manufacturers, charging providers, and other EV-related businesses looking to launch eMobility services or implement Plug&Charge using ISO15118-2 and ISO15118-20. In essence, Hubject promotes eMobility and its advancement worldwide. Founded in 2012, Hubject is a joint venture of the BMW Group, Bosch, EnBW, Enel X, E.ON, Mercedes-Benz, Siemens and the Volkswagen Group. Hubject’s headquarters are in Berlin, with subsidiaries in Los Angeles and Shanghai.
Press Contact:
Megan Pini
Head of Marketing
Hubject GmbH
+49 30 587 088 91 13
[email protected]
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