With the recent passage of Infrastructure legislation, support for climate change technology has taken another big step forward. That is the case of a recently awarded ARPA-E grant.
Volta Inc., an industry-leading electric vehicle (EV) charging company, collaborated with Imagen Energy, a developer of compact high-power EV chargers, to gain a recent grant funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
The partners are tasked with developing and commercializing the next generation of domestically manufactured DC Fast Charging (DCFC) technology that aligns with the federal government’s clean energy and climate priorities. The companies working together will optimize charging site selection, vehicle-grid interaction, and driver interface.
The expected outcome of the work associated with the grants is a pathway to full deployment of the EV charging technology. The grant is part of what is known as the SCALEUP program. The selected companies worked on a prior grant that the current one will build on. They also had to show that they are capable of attracting private sector investments.
To achieve widespread U.S. consumer adoption of electric vehicles, a national infrastructure is needed that supports their use. While public attention was given to auto manufacturer TESLA, there are numerous companies, organizations and agencies critical for the advancement of the emerging electric vehicle industry.
Ezana Mekonnen, Chief Technology Officer at Imagen, describes the magnitude of the undertaking and importance of these two companies partnering.
“Imagen relies on commercialization partners like Volta to accelerate the deployment of our high power density, silicon carbide-based power conversion platforms,” said Mekonnen. “The combination of Volta’s advanced PredictEV planning tool and the company’s existing charging network creates the ideal environment for quickly developing reliable, affordable, and efficient charging solutions that will support the rapid transition to electric mobility.”
The EV chargers emerging from this partnership are expected to be more flexible, more powerful, and more affordable. To achieve this, they are addressing three key areas:
Scalable Chargers: Production of compact charging cabinets that enable affordable, easier-to-install, and highly reliable high-power fast chargers capable of charging multiple EVs simultaneously with quick deployment to the market,
BIL-compliance: Deployment of technology that will fulfill network connectivity requirements, including Plug and Charge capabilities and communication through the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) and Open Charge Point Interface protocol (OCPI), and
Visibility & Access: Identifying of optimal sites for effective piloting and initial deployment based on local EV ownership, mobility trends, demographics, and income levels.
With ARPA-E grants in place, the recipients are now entering another key phase that will bring about the rapid transition of consumers to electric vehicles that Vince Cubbage, Interim Chief Executive Officer at Volta explains.
“While this is a modest initial government grant that does not replace the need for the capital we are currently raising, it is proof of Volta’s ability to align our business with the federal government’s priorities,” said Cubbage. “Volta’s collaboration with Imagen on this winning ARPA-E application demonstrates our commitment to supporting solutions that are compliant with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, ensuring implementation can be done in a capital-efficient manner.”
