BMW, Ford and Honda agree to create ChargeScape

BMW Group, Ford Motor Company and American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today announced that they have entered into an agreement to create ChargeScape, LLC, a new 50:50 joint venture that will create a single, profitable platform connecting electric utilities. , car manufacturers and interested electric vehicle customers.

Benefiting both electric vehicle customers and the utility industry in the US and Canada, ChargeScape will bring entirely new value to the electric grid, while enabling electric vehicle customers to realize economic benefits at through a series of managed charging and energy sharing services that have never before been possible with traditional gasoline vehicles. The closing of the transaction and subsequent incorporation of ChargeScape are pending regulatory approvals, and the company is expected to be operational early next year.

ChargeScape’s unique platform, built on years of OVGIP cross-industry collaboration, will eliminate the need for individual integrations between each auto brand and each electric company. The ChargeScape platform will allow electric companies to access battery power from a large fleet of electric vehicles. Participating electric vehicle customers will be able to realize economic benefits by charging at “grid-friendly” times through flexible and managed schedules.

Over time, electric vehicle customers will also have the opportunity to make an even greater impact by sharing the energy stored in their EV batteries with the grid at times of peak demand through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications.

ChargeScape will enable intelligent use of plug-in electric vehicle batteries, securely providing energy data to utilities and system operators, such as aggregate demand response, load alignment and battery utilization. electric vehicles with off-peak, low-cost and high-level renewable energy availability.

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Thanks to the efficient integration with participating automobile manufacturers and the forecast of a high number of electric vehicle customers, these energy services are expected to provide an operational and profitable benefit for electric companies.

Transformation opportunity for electric vehicle customers and electric companies

The development of this project comes at a time when electric vehicle sales and infrastructure growth are increasing rapidly, offering new opportunities to address power grid challenges. More electric vehicles on the road means more demand for electricity from power companies to charge them. ChargeScape’s goal is to offer energy management services that contribute to grid resilience, while anticipating the future of V2G capabilities, which will benefit both electric vehicle customers and utilities.

Additionally, ChargeScape will contribute to decarbonizing the grid. The company’s efforts will reduce EV customers’ personal carbon footprint by using electricity from more readily available renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar. While seamless integration between EV customers and utilities will be key to energy management success, participating EV customers will always remain in control of their charging and energy decisions.

“The reliability and sustainability of the power grid is the foundation of a future powered by electric vehicles,” said Thomas Ruemenapp, Vice President of Engineering, BMW of North America, LLC. “ChargeScape aims to accelerate the expansion of smart charging and vehicle-to-everything solutions across the country, while increasing customer benefits, supporting grid stability and helping to maximize the use of renewable energy. “We are proud to be a founding member of ChargeScape and look forward to the opportunities this collaboration will create.”

“Electric vehicles are unlocking entirely new benefits for customers that can save them money while supporting grid resilience and increasing the use of clean, renewable energy,” said Bill Crider, global head of charging and energy services at Ford. Motor Company. “ChargeScape will help accelerate the true potential of the EV revolution by providing significant benefits to both utilities and EV customers through intelligent vehicle-to-grid services.”

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“As Honda seeks to achieve our global goal of carbon neutrality, we have this platform to create new value for our customers by connecting EVs to power companies, strengthening grid resources and reducing CO2 emissions,” he said. Jay Joseph, Vice President of Sustainability and Business Development at American Honda Motor Co, Inc. “With automakers accelerating toward the electrified future, we must find solutions like ChargeScape that allow all stakeholders to work together for the good of our customers.” , society and our industry, allowing greater use of renewable energies for and from mobility.”

Advantages of working together

ChargeScape, together with the work done to date through OVGIP, will bring managed charging benefits to more EV customers and can eliminate marketing and outreach costs for utilities trying to reach their individual customer bases. BMW Group, Ford Motor Company and American Honda have direct, multi-channel communication with their EV customers, solving a central problem for utilities that typically don’t know about or have an easy, cost-effective way to identify customers. of EVs in its service territory.

Additionally, leveraging automakers’ telematics, ChargeScape aims to offer managed charging scheduling through vehicle connectivity without the need for Wi-Fi charging stations. This will help the many EV customers who do not use “smart” chargers at home, as they would otherwise not be able to access grid services.

The three founding members invite other automakers to join and take full advantage of the opportunities offered by ChargeScape’s network services once the company is fully operational.