ChargeScape, a joint venture between BMW, Ford and Honda, has begun operations and appointed its first CEO and CTO. It is a software platform that integrates electric vehicles (EVs) into the power grid, shoring up grid stability while saving drivers money on their charging.
Following the launch of the joint venture, the brands announced the appointment of Joseph Vellone as CEO and Kalidindi Raju as the CTO. With 15 years of experience, Vellone worked as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and was a member of the founding team at ev.energy. Raju also has over 15 years of experience leading high-performing technology organizations, having previously held senior leadership positions at Amazon, Oati and other technology companies.
As more American drivers switch to EVs, cheaper charging costs have become a priority, particularly while charging at home. At the same time, the nation’s power grids have come under increasing strain due to electricity demand from data centers and the intermittent nature of renewables.
ChargeScape aims to be a solution to this. It wirelessly connects to EVs, working with participating utilities to manage the flow of electrons in line with real-time grid conditions. This temporarily reduces demand when the grid is constrained through smart charging (V1G) and even sends energy back into the grid when needed (V2G).
“The US has set ambitious targets for renewable energy deployment and EV adoption, and ChargeScape is here to bridge that gap between supply and demand of electricity,” said Vellone.
“Although the vehicle-grid integration market is expected to be highly competitive, our partnerships with the world’s largest auto makers give us a significant edge. With direct access to the vehicles, we enable utilities to optimize EV charging securely and reliably,” said Raju.