2023: A year of momentum and achievement in clean transport and energy
Our CEO and Co-Founder, Nick Woolley, reflects on a year of progress for ev.energy, our community, and the industry at large.
As we approach the end of 2023, it's an opportune time to reflect on the incredible journey we've undertaken at ev.energy alongside our dynamic community of commercial partners and drivers.
This year, the EV industry has continued its unstoppable momentum. Despite the media’s recent flirtation with negative EV industry headlines, the industry has grown ~70% in North America and ~60% in Europe, and there are now over 12.5 million plug-in vehicles in these key regions.
At ev.energy, we’ve seen record growth with our partners, spurred on by the rapid development and quality enhancements we’ve made across our products and services, plus groundbreaking research and innovation setting the scene for years to come.
Join us as we delve further into the highlights that define our collective success.
Flexibility in numbers
Our community has grown to 150,000 drivers, with ev.energy supporting over 4 million charging sessions, and delivering 87 million kWh of energy to vehicles. Equally impressive, we've saved 445 metric tons of carbon, ran 3,300 EV Flex events shifting vehicle load to support the grid, and facilitated our first-ever V2H and V2G charging sessions.
Together for a global clean energy future
Collaboration is central to realizing the benefits of an all-electric, net-zero transport and energy system. In 2023, we welcomed 15 new partners, including managed charging programs with Con Edison, National Grid New York, Hawaiian Electric, a solar partnership with Maxeon Solar Technologies, a fleet pilot with Motability - Europe’s largest fleet operator, and others to be announced.
Meanwhile, we also expanded our vehicle integrations, with the first-ever Cadillac and Lexus vehicles joining the platform, showcasing our commitment to helping every driver benefit financially from energy flexibility regardless of the vehicle they drive. We're also delighted to announce that ev.energy is an approved third party for the Tesla Fleet API and testing is well underway.
We’ve expanded in existing markets, including in the UK - where EV demand response is quickly becoming business-as-usual. We’re thrilled to continue working with innovative partners like UK Power Networks, SP Energy Networks, and National Grid Electricity Distribution to build on the UK’s leading position in electricity flexibility. We’re proud to say that ev.energy has powered 35% of all flexibility events in Britain.
In the US, we’ve doubled down in New York, California, and Massachusetts - which are set to lead the way once again in the adoption of new technology. This year saw us launch America’s largest-ever smart EV charging program, SmartCharge New York, with Con Edison and Orange & Rockland. We’ve also enjoyed new wins in Hawaii, New Mexico, and Texas.
Building on our success in Britain and the US, we've expanded our footprint into new markets across Europe. Our presence is growing in Northern Ireland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands, marking a significant step towards a global clean energy future.
New funding for the next chapter of growth
This year, we raised $33 million in our Series B funding round, bringing our total funding to $46 million. We thank National Grid Partners, InMotion Ventures, WEX, Aviva Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, Future Energy Ventures, and ArcTern Ventures for backing us.
This infusion of capital has empowered us to scale our operations, refine and improve our offering, and further solidify our position as leaders in the clean energy sector - all while operating as a carbon-negative business.
In 2023, we welcomed key additions to our team, including:
- SVP Commercial - Tanuj Deora
- VP of Partnerships - Julie Taylor
- VP of Product - John Mead
- Head of Automotive - Bret Scott
- Director of Grid Services (North America) - Kate Merson
- Policy and Regulations Director (US) - Jared Ballew
- Policy and Regulations Director (UK/EU) - Jeremy Yapp
In fact, we’ve doubled our team. ev.energy now stands at 105 people, with 51 new hires and 23 well-deserved promotions. Hiring continues - with many open roles at ev.energy.
Earlier this year, we also brought our entire remote team together for two unforgettable “Team Weeks” in the UK. These company-wide gatherings not only strengthened our bonds but also provided the space for innovation and collaboration - and celebrating our 5th birthday together in Manchester was a particular highlight for me.
Through 2023 we have said hello to many brilliant new faces, but also goodbye to some truly amazing people, many of whom have made massive contributions to our mission. We also said a fond farewell to our CTO and Co-Founder, Chris Darby who played a significant role in shaping the business we are today. People leaving our journey is always bittersweet; we are sad to see them go, but excited to think about what they will achieve next and privileged to have worked deeply with them to build what we have today.
Taking our products, programs, and partners further
To lean into the industry’s rapid growth, we’ve been investing in and refining our products and services.
This has included exciting new features for our community, including Multi-Vehicle Support, Powercast - the power cut notification service with UK Power Networks, and the new ev.energy SOLAR subscription.
Our hardware partners have also benefited from improvements to our back-end platform, Pando, and cutting-edge products like support for EV charging setups in Multi-Unit Dwellings and our Charger Testing Platform.
For utilities, we’ve made it faster than ever to roll out a custom-branded managed charging programs and also supported our partners to steadily move towards more active management of EV charging - right up to bi-directional charging.
Meanwhile, the launch of our first program microsites and web portal solution with SmartCharge New York has allowed us to drive user growth. Now, drivers can learn more, enroll, and manage their charging from any device. Program tiers, referrals, and other features have also helped maximize the effectiveness and scalability of our partner programs.
Putting V2X into action
Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) smart charging technologies, which enable us to send energy from vehicles to homes or the grid, will allow us to further our mission for consumers, businesses, and the planet.
Our industry-leading V2X report, outlining 8 steps to unlock V2X energy flexibility, as well as our participation in Innovate UK's V2X-focused research mission to California and attendance at the first Annual V2X Business, Policy and Technology Forum in Los Angeles, underscores our commitment to staying at the forefront of industry developments and support our partners and drivers in the long-term.
In addition to this, we also contributed to SEPA’s Customer-centric Pathways to V2X Adoption report and we’re working with SmartEn and DNV to launch a European-focused V2X report in December. Stay tuned for more innovation news to come in early 2024.
Recognition where it counts
Our partnership with Motability - which enables disabled people to easily lease a new electric vehicle - earned us the "Best Collaborative Partnership: Transport and Energy Sectors" award at the Transport + Energy Awards. The Motability Smart EV Charging pilot, designed to make the transition to an electrified transport future more inclusive, is a testament to our commitment to equitable sustainability.
We're also honored to have won the "CleanTech 100: Transport & Logistics" award from Cleantech Group in January. This recognition underscores our commitment to pioneering a clean energy future driven by electric vehicles.
We are in the process of being recertified for B Corp status, a testament to our unwavering commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Anticipate a new score soon, reflecting our advancements in this area.
Above all - it’s the feedback from our app users that counts the most. It has been humbling to hear from drivers about how our services are resonating, delivering real change, and saving them hundreds of dollars, pounds, or euros per year. We couldn’t have made these significant achievements without our Drivers of Change community and we’re delighted to have earned an “Excellent” score on Trustpilot UK.
Closing thoughts
As we reflect on the milestones of 2023, we extend our deepest gratitude to our drivers, partners, team members, and the entire ev.energy community. Your contributions, support, and enthusiasm have been the driving force behind our collective success.
Looking forward to 2024, we remain committed to delivering delightful experiences for our drivers and enabling EV load to be harmoniously integrated into the energy system. If we get this right, we’ll deliver savings for drivers and every electricity consumer, and enable more EVs and low-carbon electricity to roll out across our energy system, helping to play our part in both the decarbonization of transport and energy.
There’s lots of work to do, but with our brilliant people, and a focus on fostering an environment of partnership, I’m excited to continue to help drive forward an industry where drivers, utilities, manufacturers, and our environment can flourish together.
Here's to a year of new achievements, rapid growth, and limitless possibilities!
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