EV Brief 8/28/21 EV Brief 8/28/21

Electrify America App finally comes to Android Auto and Apple Carplay

The phone mirroring support brings control over charging sessions and navigate-to-charger functionality to in-car infotainment systems.

A rendering of Electrify America’s in-car app.

Android and Apple-based in-car integration for an EV charging app would seem a no brainer these days, especially since the vast majority of EVs out there, excluding Tesla support this phone-mirroring technology.

Electrify America has finally announced an in-car app, which allows users to:

Locate a Charger: Navigate to charging stations while on the move. The app also shows how many charging stations are nearby, how many of each type of chargers are at the station and which chargers are currently available/online.

Remote Start and Stop: Drivers can initiate or end a charge session through the vehicle infotainment screen.
View Plan Details: Drivers can access details of charging plans, including pricing and any free charging which may be included with the purchase of a vehicle.

The navigation functionality is particularly important, as many in-car navigation systems are still unable to offer the most up-to-date charger locations, or offer navigation to a destination via the fastest DC rapid chargers exclusively.

The ability to control the charging session and view plans and pricing through the car’s infotainment system is a nice feature to have, as this allows drivers to use their smartphone for other functions, and may allow customers to stay in their cars during inclement weather.

An electrify America solar powered canopy in Baker, California. Image: Electrify America

Brenna Corrigan, manager of brand & digital marketing at Electrify America stated “Electrify America is constantly striving to meet customers where they are and make the transition to EV driving as seamless as possible. With this expanded functionality, we are integrating essential charging station navigation information right into customers’ vehicles, helping them feel confident on the road.”

Electrify America currently has 2,700 individual chargers across 650 charging sites in the United States, and plans for an additional 1,800 ultra-rapid charging sites of between 150 kW and 350 kW by the end of 2025.

While the coverage of the network is admirable, Electrify America is still plagued by charging issues. These charging and communication faults are well documented online, with a number of prominent car reviewers showing that the network faces problems. There are also issues on the OEM side, with brand new EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E rejecting charger handshakes with Electrify America hardware. The reliability of a fast-charging network is key to increasing EV uptake and consumer confidence in EVs, so we hope that Electrify America can get on top of this problem.

Source: Electrify America

EV Brief 6/11/21 EV Brief 6/11/21

Former Canoo CEO to join Apple as Cupertino company works on Project Titan EV

The Verge is now reporting that Ulrich Kranz, co-founder and CEO of EV startup Canoo — and also formerly a BMW executive during the i3 and i8 development periods — will work on Apple’s electric vehicle program under former Tesla executive Doug Field.

Apple has had a large team working on its electric vehicle platform since 2014, which is codenamed “Project Titan”. After an initial focus on autonomous technology and systems, the company has reportedly pivoted back to vehicle development and has held talks with battery giants BYD and CATL. According to sources for Reuters, Apple is keen to develop a US battery factory with whoever signs on to the project.

The Verge is now reporting that Ulrich Kranz, co-founder and CEO of EV startup Canoo — and also formerly a BMW executive during the i3 and i8 development periods — will work on the Cupertino company’s electric vehicle program under former Tesla executive Doug Field.

Kranz even help talks with Apple during the development of Canoo’s EV platform, however talks between the two companies broke down as Apple was more interested in the acquisition of the startup rather than investing in the business.

The Verge has noted that Kranz was one of a number of top executives who have departed Canoo over the last twelve months, with the company’s first CEO Stefan Krause, and CFO and chief counsel also leaving the business.

Canoo went public on the NASDAQ in December 2020 via a SPAC deal, and is thought to have received close to $600 million USD from the deal. The company’s stock price launched at $22.82, and is currently trading at $9.76 at the time of writing.

Canoo is looking to fill a niche in the increasingly crowded EV market, by developing and building commercial electric vehicles for small businesses. Its Multipurpose Delivery Vehicle (MPDV) and Canoo Pickup are scheduled for launch to US-based customers by 2023.

Not much is known about Apple’s Project Titan, however it’s believed that the company’s focus on autonomous driving alongside a vehicle platform could lead the tech company to compete with Tesla, in the race to get a fleet of autonomous taxis onto the streets.