FreeWire Technologies, a technology company based in San Leandro, California, has partnered with global technology powerhouse Siemens to commercialize the Mobi Charger, a portable charging station powered by second-life EV batteries.
Mobi Charger is designed to be easily rolled around a parking lot to wherever it is needed, enabling businesses to offer mobile EV charging with no installation costs or permitting hassles. A single Mobi can charge five cars per day, using lower-cost, off-peak energy stored in repurposed EV batteries,
Mobi Charger uses Siemens’ eCar Operation Center, a cloud-based interface for managing large-scale EV charging. The system is currently in use by several large utilities, enabling them to use EV charging as a resource to support grid stability.
FreeWire and Siemens will be operating a three-month pilot of the Mobi Charger system at LinkedIn’s Mountain View campus.
“It’s inspiring that a visionary, global giant like Siemens is working with a bold startup like FreeWire,” said FreeWire CEO and cofounder Arcady Sosinov. “Together we are innovating energy-storage solutions at the grid edge.”
“Siemens has worked with electric vehicle systems across the world and have seen first-hand that the electric car fleet can become a valuable extension of the grid,” said Chris King, Chief Regulatory Officer of Siemens Smart Grid. “Through this partnership, Siemens will be able to extend our advanced electric vehicle charging technology not only to residential users but now to commercial users through this innovative mobile and cost-effective technology.”
Source: Siemens