EV Connect, Flash and Qmerit — companies in the electric vehicle (EV) charging, parking technology, and EV implementation and maintenance fields, respectively — introduced a partnership to unite an integrated charging management platform by EV Connect, the scale of Flash’s North American digital infrastructure, and the installation, integration, and maintenance services offered by Qmerit. The partners say this will address the issues of management, reliability, discoverability and usability that have slowed the nation’s transition to EVs.
Each partner will contribute their technology and services. Flash’s cloud-based parking technology ecosystem with over 10,000 parking assets and a digital demand network exceeding 100 million drivers via native partner integrations; EV Connect’s software platform and services for electric vehicle charging networks; and Qmerit’s expertise in electrification infrastructure, installation and maintenance services.
EV drivers using Flash’s network through one of its many native integrations will now be able to access chargers on the EV Connect network and vice versa. The companies say this will allows users to find, reserve, access and pay for charging when they park, all via a single platform and payment. The integration is expected to tie together the various aspects of parking- and charging management by giving asset owners and operators one platform supported by Qmerit’s installation and service options.
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the rapid and accelerating adoption of EVs in the United States presents a significant problem: expansion of the nationwide EV charging network must outpace demand or become a limiting factor for electrification as a whole. NREL adds much of the focus on closing this gap is concerned with public, government-funded charging infrastructure, which must exceed a forecasted 1.2 million chargers by 2030 to support demand. The same report calls for 28 million private chargers, including the commercial sector, which must bear the vast majority of the EV charging burden. To reach those goals, the existing charger network will have to increase twenty-fold.
“The transition to EV in this decade requires all hands on deck, especially as the next generation of EV adopters make the switch, and we can’t rely on public charging infrastructure alone,” Dan Sharplin, CEO at Flash said. “Facilities with private parking, from retail and hospitality to events and community venues, are a key part of the solution, and must be prepared to meet EV driver expectations.”
The partnership between EV Connect, Flash and Qmerit is designed to serve as an important part of that solution while enhancing the return on investment for the commercial sector.
“Our state-of-the-art EV charging technology is a key component to driving this partnership forward, representing a significant leap with unmatched reliability, performance and uptime through our Network Operations Center and round-the-clock customer support,” Daniel Bryant, VP of customer operations for EV Connect, said.
Beyond the task of connecting the driver with accessible parking and charging stations, fulfilled by Flash, EV Connect said it will help ensure station reliability and access with comprehensive management and customer service, while Qmerit said it will provide private operators with the installation and maintenance support they need.
“We’re excited to bring our top-tier implementation and maintenance services to this partnership, laying the foundation for a robust and efficient charging network. With a 26% increase in publicly available EV chargers and a 59% surge in EV sales in the first three quarters of 2023, as reported by J.D. Power, our partnership aims to expand reservable infrastructure, catering to the rising demand for combined parking and charging solutions,” said Tracy Price, founder and CEO of Qmerit.
Over the next 12 months, a series of new agreements with major operators in the hospitality, events and mixed-use sectors will be announced, together with details about where and when the unified system of parking and charging will be made available to the public. As a result, the partners expect thousands of new ports will be installed this year.
