Charging Up! Dec 2022: Foresight Gleaned from Decades of Experience in Distributed Energy
Charging Up!
December 2022 Newsletter
Foresight Gleaned from Decades of Experience in Distributed Energy
Our parent company, Pioneer Power Solutions, had been working with utilities on power distribution installations for decades. After the Infrastructure Bill, providing $7.5B for EV infrastructure, passed, they foresaw a delay in utilities keeping pace with the demand. In its current trajectory, EV charging has been aligned with grid infrastructure, which clusters around cities and dense populations. Any grid-tied installation where service is inadequate -- in rural, low income and remote communities for example -- can often take over two years. So we developed e-Boost, an off-grid, mobile EV charging solution fueled by propane. Initially we looked at a hydrogen based solution but it was not easily transportable, available nor affordable. Propane providers on the other hand, had deep roots in small towns and rural areas. It had storage flexibility and didn't require pipelines or high-voltage power line installations. Moreover, it is considered a “green fuel” under the 1990 Clean Air Act. Propane is not reactive with the air, and therefore doesn't harm the soil, drinking water or marine ecosystems. And with the release of renewable propane + rDME, no conversions would be needed, bringing us closer to net-zero.
Stimulus Expected to Worsen Shortage of Charging Stations
The most significant development of the Second Industrial Revolution (from the mid-1800's to the early 1900's), was the automobile, and its evolutionary spinoffs -- the assembly line and mass production, fueling stations, and a national highway system -- evolved in a linear fashion over the course of nearly a century. That pace of evolution gave public policy decision makers more time to study specific issues and develop the regulatory framework. In contrast, today's innovations are happening exponentially. Its growth follows the trajectory of developments in the computer industry and artificial intelligence. The breakneck speed has no historical precedence. And EV infrastructure and adequate grid power is occurring almost as an afterthought. Did you know that in the early 20th century there were more EVs than gas-powered cars? Subscribe and find out what happened...
Wrapped up our first year on a 1,000-mile, 7-stop tour!
Last month, our Sales Director, Scott Bradley, led the “charge” on a record-setting seven-stop 1,000-mile charging tour in one week, along the East Coast showcasing our "Black Beauty" Mobile EV Charging solution -- a testament to a busy year!
