By all considerations, eMotorWerks is helping to revolutionise the electric vehicle (EV) industry through their cutting-edge solutions to both current, and imminent, challenges. Earlier this year, the firm’s CEO, Val Miftakhov, was named among CEO Monthly’s ‘Ones to Watch’ programme, which aims to highlight the extraordinary work of leaders around the world. We spoke with Val to find out more about his incredibly important work in defining the future of the ever-growing EV sector.
It would almost be a gross understatement to say that the global EV market is on the rise. Sustained investment by some of the world’s largest automobile providers, alongside increased government support has yielded renewed public interest, with the future looking ever-brighter for those that adopt the technology. Throughout it all, eMotorWerks, an Enel X company, stands as a stalwart, seeking answers to prevalent problems in the industry, whilst also acting to accelerate its growth.
eMotorWerks is revolutionising the EV charging market with its JuiceNet-enabled smart charging solutions. Unlike other charging station providers, eMotorWerks’ JuiceNet platform allows customers to control and manage their EVs’ charging schedules, electricity costs and renewable energy mixes. By offering EV drivers, utilities, automakers and businesses a complete line of smart grid charging solutions, the company is enabling the EV industry as a whole to scale sustainably. Driving the EV Market to Sustainable Growth
Sustainability really lies at the crux of the EV industry, and largely defines the problems that users, manufacturers and providers are encountering as the market grows ever larger. eMotorWerks, as Val discusses, is working to solve problems before they are encountered at scale. “One of the biggest challenges coming in the next 5 years is the ability for electrical grids to charge EVs when drivers need to while using the cleanest and/or the least cost available energy. at the same time, our platform allows utilities to aggregate that load to maintain grid reliability and avoid using expensive peaker plants to meet demand.”
“By 2022, EVs will cost the same as their ICE counterparts and will have comparable range, at which point adoption hits the inflection point to exponential growth.” Despite the industry’s predisposition towards staying ahead of greater developments, enduring momentum hinges on an ability to predict user needs before they arise. Val continues: “Drivers need smart charging and incentives to participate in grid management programs. Utilities need to be able to manage EV charging load. EVSE and EV OEMs need to provide drivers control and rewards across many geographies. We are addressing all three needs.”
This proactivity and chameleonic ability to adapt to emerging needs has differentiated eMotorWerks from its peers and competitors – no small feat in an industry that has been put under a lens in recent years.
“Our charging stations utilise IoT functionality to bring the cleanest possible power to charge electric vehicles. We also set charging times for when the price is lowest and give utilities the ability to control charging load to protect grid reliability and prevent brownouts.”
This latter point is an essential consideration as EV adoption increases, leading to greater and greater demands on the grid. “EV charging is typically two to three times the peak load of an entire house at steady-state electrical usage. To the grid, one EV charging pulls as much power as the average house in a 24-hour period. As EV adoption grows, the demand EVs will place on the grid is substantial – and the average EVSE isn’t smart enough to aggregate load and manage EV demand over time. Unlike non-networked or ‘dumb’ chargers, our flagship JuiceBox chargers provide unparalleled performance and savings.”
As we come to the close of the interview, Val summarises the indispensable nature of eMotorWerks’ solutions as the sector matures. “Smart charging can ensure that EVs are used to cost-effectively integrate clean energy. As demand for intermittent renewable electricity grows significantly to power the proliferation of EVs, valuing and procuring EV flexibility services in the form of smart EV charging is very important to decarbonizing the electricity and transportation sectors economically. Utilizing smart EV charging as a flexible and efficient distributed energy resource to meet the ambitious renewable energy targets that have been established by many political entities around the world will be essential.”
Valery Miftakhov is leading a global market transformation for electric vehicles and infrastructure. As the founder and CEO of eMotorWerks, which was acquired by Enel in 2017, Miftakhov has pioneered smart charging to support 100% renewable and transportation goals. Under his leadership, the company has deployed the largest electric vehicle smart charging network with a 30-megawatt virtual battery in California and accrued global partnerships with utilities and automakers.
Contact: Lauren Burke, Senior Director of Marketing and Development
Company: eMotorWerks, Inc
Address: San Carlos, 94070, California, United States
