Episode 102 | Changing Charging | Beam Global
The electrification of our vehicle fleet holds many exciting opportunities, but it also faces a number of challenges.
In Episode 80 we explored the difficulty of adding EV charging to neighborhoods and light commercial buildings. Our recent guest in Episode 94 discussed the challenge of providing charging for millions of people who don't have the luxury of a garage.
San Diego-based Beam Global believes it can solve many of these challenges with their EV ARC charging station. It is a self-contained charger with a battery for storage and a solar panel overhead.
Desmond Wheatley, Beam's Chairman, President, and CEO, claims the EV ARC has the "lowest total cost of ownership" for vehicle charging. He says the most expensive part of the charging station is the construction, electrical work, and permitting involved. Though their charging solution can be connected to the grid, the EV ARC can operate independent of the grid.
I was curious how much energy a solar-powered charging station could provide on its own. Desmond says each unit can provide 250 driving miles of power. Since most cars commute about 25 miles per day, "We can charge multiple vehicles, and offer them their full Daily Range Replenishment," he says.
The notion that EV owners should charge throughout the day rather than wait for the battery to drain completely is just one of the habits to be broken by going electric. Desmond says the NYPD, one of their clients, had to learn this.
In New York, he says, standard permitting for a typical charging station can take up to 24 months. He says the EV ARC can be deployed in four minutes.
Our conversation moved into broader trends about EV charging. For instance, who would buy a charging station? Beam says more than half of their customers are government fleet operators like NYPD. Corporate customers are also providing these solutions for their employees.
When it comes to monetizing a charging station, I was surprised there was not much emphasis on charging users for the electricity. "Selling electricity doesn't sound like a very interesting business model to me," says Desmond. "Let's find more interesting ways of monetizing the fueling infrastructure in the future."
Part of Beam's strategy for recurring revenue includes a "media-funded network business" model, similar to the popular Citi Bike program, whereby a sponsor pays for naming rights to the charging stations. The company also offers to share data for a fee to customers.
I was curious about the way forward for EV owners, particularly the ones beyond the early adopters who do not have the luxury of a garage with a home charging station. Desmond believes this will lead to less charging where we would most expect it—homes and gas stations.
"I think charging at a gas station's about the worst idea I've ever heard," he says, comparing it to like going somewhere specific to charge a cell phone.
"They will not be able to charge at home, but they will be able to charge everywhere that they were already going," he says. "We'll make the time that their car is parked much more useful for them."
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