As cities begin to establish net zero goals, the focus now shifts onto electrification. Many automakers will offer only electric models by 2025 and states such as California and New York are planning to phase out newly manufactured, gas-powered vehicles by as early as 2035.
Despite this all-electric future, EV charging is not easy for drivers who park on the street. Charging infrastructure accessibility is one of the key factors that prevent buyers from making the switch to EV as many fear that their car will run our of charge before they reach a charge point.
itselectric has set on a mission is to bring curbside EV charging to cities across the U.S. and advance the adoption of electric vehicles.
Increased access to affordable public charging not only encourages the adoption of EVs, but leads to cleaner air and healthier communities.
MOVE spoke to Tiya Gordon, COO and co-founder at itselectric! In this interview Tiya touches on how EV charging infrastructure is affecting the transition to electric vehicles and how itselectric’s solution aims to tackle these issues.
Q: For those who may not know, tell us about itselectric and what you do.
itselectric is accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles by providing communities with scalable and simple charging solutions that seamlessly integrate into the existing design of urban streets. Millions of drivers park their cars on the street and cannot transition to electric vehicles without convenient and affordable curbside charging infrastructure. itselectric charging posts provide an easy and inexpensive solution for neighborhoods to rapidly scale EV charging infrastructure where residents are already parked.
Q: One of the issues facing cities is its lack of infrastructure for EVs. How does itselectric’s solution help tackle this problem?
There are over 40 million drivers in cities, and simply not enough EV charging options. Most apartment dwellers don’t have access to garages, and purchasing a parking space costs hundreds of dollars. We decided to meet drivers where they already are – curbside. Our scalable and simple charging solutions seamlessly integrate into the existing design of urban streets, and can be installed in two days at 5% of the average cost.
When installing the charger, it’s linked up to the closest property, and by utilizing a submeter, we pay the utility company directly – ensuring the property owner’s bill never bubbles from the charger’s energy draw. Charging accessibility is a huge issue, especially in urban areas. With our revenue sharing, the property owner receives monthly passive income. In NYC for example, we already have 300 property owners signed up.
Q: Once infrastructure becomes more accessible to drivers, do you think more people will be willing to make the transition to EVs? Or are there bigger overarching factors?
Think of it like a chicken and the egg scenario – except that it’s all egg! The more charging options we provide, the more drivers will be comfortable making their next vehicle electric. With this in mind plus the increasing affordability of EVs for the average consumer, we anticipate EV adoption will only continue to accelerate exponentially over the next decade. However, this is only if the infrastructure is there, which is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which set a goal of 500,000 public chargers installed by 2030.
Q: itselectric has just raised $2.2M in its Pre-Seed Funding Round. What impact will this have for the company? How will this help implement its vision?
This funding allows us to stand up pilots in cities across the country alongside some major partners across the U.S. We know we’ve built a solution that will allow for equitable access to charging, and we’re excited to see it in action.
Q: What’s in store for itselectric in the next 12-18 months?
We will be announcing some exciting pilots and partnerships over the next few months that will propel us to be the name associated with curbside charging here in the U.S.
