Apollo Sunguard Systems of Sarasota, Florida has won a contract to supply 183 EV charging stations at federal government buildings across the country. Apollo, which outbid five competitors for the job, will serve as distributor for the ChargePoint dual Level 2 charging stations.

“We got the greatest Christmas present going,” says Apollo President Kevin Connelly. “They let us know this is a highly visible project.”

The contract, which is valued at around $900,000, is surely welcome. However, Connelly’s long-term goal is to get a foot in the door for his main business – manufacturing cloth shade structures. He sees a natural affinity between his shade panels, which are used at local playgrounds, parks and a baseball stadium, and parked EVs.

“We had tried to promote shaded parking in Florida for years, with little success,” although studies in Brazil and Mexico have shown that customers stay longer and spend more when they can park in the shade. Savvy EV owners can easily see the value of a shaded parking/charging spot in Florida’s broiling sun. “When you shade a charging station and a vehicle, it charges 15 minutes faster and uses 2 kilowatts less power,” says Connelly.

Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Image: Apollo Sunguard