EVgo adding 14 battery storage systems to spur EV fast charger deployment

Dive Brief:

EVgo said April 11 it has completed or has in construction 14 battery storage systems at 11 fast charging stations. The company calls it the largest deployment of battery storage systems at public fast charging stations in the nation.
The storage systems will help overcome some of challenges inhibiting fast charging deployment, including providing relief to demand charge rate structures, the company said in a statement.
EVgo said battery storage will also help charging stations by offering load balancing and mitigating distribution grid upgrade costs, particularly "as station sizes and power rating increase."

Dive Insight:

A lack of charging infrastructure is one of the main concerns for drivers considering buying an electric vehicle. EV adoption in the U.S. remains slow. In 2017, only 1.15% of the more than 17.3 million cars sold in the country were EVs or plug-in hybrids.

To power the more than 3 million EVs expected by 2025, charging infrastructure deployment would have to grow by 20% annually, according to a January report by the International Council on Clean Transportation.

EVgo believes battery storage can help accelerate the construction of charging infrastructure and boost EV adoption.

The company, which operates more than 1,100 fast chargers in 34 states, said its battery deployments will offer a range of commercial test conditions, including the use of second life batteries, pairing battery storage systems at a single fast charging station and the integration of onsite solar with battery storage.

"As electric vehicles advance to accept higher power charging rates, energy storage will play a growing role in balancing the load of larger and higher power stations," Julie Blunden, Executive Vice President of EVgo and Board Member of the Energy Storage Association, said in a statement.

For its battery storage initiative, EVgo has partnered with Engie Storage for storage systems, Princeton Power for inverters and Samsung and BMW for batteries.

EV charging companies ChargePoint and Blink did not reply to Utility Dive's request for comment.

Earlier this year, Electrify America, VW's EV charging subsidiary, announced plans to install Tesla Powerpack battery systems at more than 100 of its charging stations nationwide over the course of the year.

Similar to EVgo, Electrify America said its battery systems will be deployed to mitigate higher power demand charges and manage operating costs by avoiding or reducing demand and energy charges during peak charging periods.