Dozens of electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasts, engineers and others gathered in Fremont Sept. 22 to celebrate the arrival of Autel Energy’s newest entry into the growing EV charging industry.
This new North American Experience Center is a place for customers, manufacturers and operators of EV technology to meet, share ideas and test the latest EV hardware. A ribbon-cutting celebration was held at the company’s location in a business park near the Tesla factory and Interstate 880.
Dario Pagani, Autel’s vice president, marketing and communication, said choosing Fremont was easy. “Of all the locations in the Bay Area we feel that Fremont has developed itself into being the center of gravity when it comes to electrification niches, whether it’s autonomous or anything about energy storage. It’s also a great center of gravity when it comes to talent.” Pagani added that the city’s easy access to airports and the port of Oakland make it an ideal location for business.
“When you think about our presence in Fremont,” said Pagani, “it’s to provide more support to our local partners in learning hands-on how to deploy, service and operate our stations. We have an active collaboration with energy companies, trucking companies, installers and we find that we have a high density of those here in Fremont.”
Autel Energy serves a global market and has research and development facilities in Greensboro, North Carolina and Anaheim, California. The Fremont venture is its first in Northern California. Pagani noted that California was a pioneer in the EV industry with the first public EV chargers placed on a light post in downtown San Jose in 2007.
LUCID DREAM Newark-based Lucid Motors displayed its Gravity model EV at the event.
Rob Klindt
Hands-on testing
The facility showcases Autel Energy’s portfolio of AC and DC chargers and provides space for live charging demonstrations, interoperability testing, technical training and partner collaboration, as well as a service hub with ready-to-ship parts in stock.
At the opening celebration, commercial vehicles from Isuzu, Harbinger and Blue Bird were on display to illustrate the wide variety of vehicles compatible with modern electric charging. Additionally, Pagani said several school districts are exploring EV technology to power their buses. Among them are districts in San Jose, Santa Clara and Stockton.
Elsewhere on the floor, Thomas Stubblefield, an Autel service engineer, showed visitors how an Autel EV charger connects to a large delivery vehicle. He explained that a primary goal is to promote what they call “open charge point protocol” between chargers and connectors from different companies. That means a common standard allowing users to easily connect whatever EV they have to most chargers.
Welcome to Fremont
Located in the Innovation area of South Fremont, Autel’s 18,000 square-foot experience center joins about 900 manufacturing and tech companies that already call Fremont home.
“Autel is a natural fit for Fremont,” Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan wrote in an email. “We’re California’s No. 1 manufacturing city and the ‘hardware side of the bay’ where people turn ideas into products you can see and use, and EV charging technology fits right into that.”
Michelle Luo, CEO of Autel Energy North America, agreed. “It’s a place where our customers and partners can see, learn and interact with our technology. We can host all the different trucks and cars before they go to market.”
Also on hand at the event was Assemblymember Alex Lee who presented Autel officials with a certificate of recognition for the new facility.
Cash rebates and tax incentives
Among speakers at the event were Nancy Skinner, California energy commissioner, and Wendy Wilson from Catalyst Mobility, a nonprofit agency that promotes clean transportation.
During the last several years Skinner has championed tax incentives and rebates California offers through its MyFirstEV rebate program to consumers who buy new and used EVs. Under the program, Skinner said first-time EV buyers can receive a direct price reduction of $3,500 for a new EV and about $1,750 for a used EV from a dealer. Additionally, PG&E offers a $1,000 rebate for customers who buy a used EV.
Skinner offered advice for those who are not yet EV drivers: “You should take advantage of California’s MyFirstEV program; it was brilliantly conceived with state funds, matched by our automakers.”
Wilson added that as federal EV tax credits dry up, California’s efforts at providing EV buying incentives are more important than ever.
Competing on the global market
Mike Murphy, a spokesman for EVs for All America, a nonprofit organization working on expanding EV access and understanding across the United States shared with the crowd with his take on Autel and the California EV market.
“Autel is a global company, but they are committed to the U.S.,” Murphy said. “The key to catching the U.S. up in EVs is California. People sometimes read bad news in the media about EVs in the U.S., but California, if it were a country, would be the sixth largest electrical vehicle market in the world, right behind France.”
Autel Energy Center
46440 Fremont Blvd., Fremont
autelenergy.us