Smartcar is partnering with the U.S.-based EV managed charging platform FlexCharging to help electric car owners reduce carbon emissions and save money. FlexCharging provides electric utilities and car owners with the tools to shift EV charging to off-peak hours while respecting drivers’ needs. The company uses Smartcar’s APIs to let utility providers monitor charging data while automatically charging vehicles at optimal times.
FlexCharging creates managed charging programs
FlexCharging partners with utilities across the United States to create EV managed charging and clean charge rewards programs. The company helps utilities identify charging vehicles and combines charging insights with by-the-minute carbon emission forecasts to charge EVs during the cheapest and most environmentally friendly times.
“A lot of people see buying an EV as a commitment to save carbon emissions,” said FlexCharging COO Laura McCarty. “If they let us manage their charging based on precise carbon emission forecasting, they are going to make an even larger impact.”
FlexCharging also helps drivers understand how much they spend charging their car. They can even compare their energy cost to the estimated gas cost for the equivalent number of miles.
Smartcar provides a single integration for 41 EVs
Before using Smartcar, FlexCharging built one-off integrations with some electric vehicle brands. The company soon realized it could increase its coverage to 41 EV models across 15 brands using Smartcar.
“Integrating with the Smartcar platform saved us months, if not years of engineering work,” said FlexCharging CEO Brian Grunkemeyer. “Being able to use one API to increase our breadth of supported EVs is a huge benefit for us.”
When participating in a FlexCharging-powered managed charging program, EV owners can link their car with just four clicks from their FlexCharging account. FlexCharging then uses Smartcar’s APIs to monitor the vehicle’s state of charge (SoC), check the charging status, and start and stop charging at the best times to save money, carbon emissions, or both.
After each charging session, FlexCharging calculates how much carbon emissions the EV owner has helped reduce. In the case of clean charge rewards programs, the driver also receives monetary rewards for letting their car charge at times specified by their utility provider.
In addition to reducing carbon emissions and saving drivers money, electric utilities also use FlexCharging to solve equity issues around EV ownership. For example, utilities can offer incentives to low-income drivers, such as free EV charging on weekends.
“We’re very much looking forward to this partnership,” said Smartcar CEO Sahas Katta. “FlexCharging’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and make EV ownership more affordable are second to none. I’m delighted that Smartcar’s technology can help accelerate these efforts.”
Electric utility providers in the United States can now contact FlexCharging to receive access to the Smartcar-powered solution. EV drivers can download the FlexCharging app on the App Store or the Google Play Store.
