MENU
SEARCH‘ChargeScape’ to connect EVs, power companies and automakers to manage electricity use for all three.
Ford says company would 'eliminate the need for individual integrations between each automotive brand and each electric utility.'
IMAGE: Pexels/Antoni Shkraba
Ford, BMW and Honda have formed a company designed to connect electric vehicles, automakers and the power grid in the U.S. and Canada to benefit all.
Called ChargeScape, the enterprise awaits regulatory approvals, but the brands say they expect it to be operational early next year.
It would manage energy use for EVs that the brands say would be optimized, convenient and cost-effective.
EV owners would get cost savings for charging their vehicles at “grid-friendly times” while eventually having the option to apply to add stored energy to the grid from their batteries during peak demand periods.
The company’s platform would “eliminate the need for individual integrations between each automotive brand and each electric utility,” instead connecting utilities to “a wide pool of EVs,” Ford said in a press release announcing the company.
The participating automakers say the partnership would help manage power usage by EVs to enable “grid resiliency.” Some industry watchers have expressed concern that the drive toward eventual replacement of gas-powered vehicles with EVs would strain the existing grid and that the transition should happen more gradually to give communities and utilities more time to prepare.
In announcing ChargeScape, the brands said it would ultimately play an even loftier environmental goal of “helping to decarbonize the grid.” Ford’s press release says the partnership would “reduce EV customers’ personal carbon footprints by utilizing electricity that comes from more readily available renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar.”
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
Recent survey data shows that the overall demand for auto loans is down, but the demand for subprime loans is up as consumers face economic uncertainty and affordability pressures.
Read More →
The Mitsubishi location moves from one Texas automotive group to another, continuing this year’s spate of brisk buy-sell activity.
Read More →
As part of its 2030 business plan, Mitsubishi's North America arm will soon open its first 'gallery' store in Tennessee, where customers can learn about the brand, vehicles and technology.
Read More →
Just weeks before President Trump is set to meet with the Chinese president, two U.S. senators proposed a bill with the aim of protecting Americans’ data.
Read More →
A study of Q1 used-vehicle sales shows many consumers are looking to minimize fuel costs but aren’t willing to go all electric and no longer have a tax break incentive to do so.
Read More →
A recent study suggests expectant parents are feeling the burden of bad credit more than other demographics when it comes to buying a new car.
Read More →
Dealers should aim to build a positive work environment, helping employees execute an efficient experience, from their online research to the final delivery of the vehicle.
Read More →
A cloudy April forecast was expected due to last April’s sales surge in anticipation of U.S. trade tariff-inflated prices. Meanwhile, automakers pumped up incentives to address today’s consumer wallet woes.
Read More →
EREVs, also known as ‘series hybrids,’ may catch on in the U.S., where they currently have barely a toehold, as automakers tilt away from some purely electric models and consumers crave more range.
Read More →
A recent price spike due to several larger market forces, though it hasn’t dulled demand, is pushing more consumers to efficient models to squeeze in buys.
Read More →