North America's Two Leaders in Electric Vehicle Charging Enter Into the Region's First Ever Roaming Agreement
QUEBEC CITY and CAMPBELL, CA, Oct. 16, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - FLO and ChargePoint, today announced a landmark roaming partnership that provides electric vehicle (EV) drivers across North America a seamless charging experience. Much like roaming between cell phone networks, FLO and ChargePoint members can now effortlessly access public chargers on both networks while travelling in the US and Canada, without the need to register for multiple accounts or incur additional fees.
FLO, the EV charging leader in Canada, and ChargePoint, the leading EV charging network in the US, collectively have a significant presence across North America. The partnership not only simplifies EV driving for FLO and ChargePoint drivers, but demonstrates what is possible when industry leaders share a commitment to make it easier for drivers to charge wherever they go. This partnership is the first agreement of its kind in North America and creates a benchmark for future collaboration among players in the electric mobility sphere.
"As electric mobility continues to gain traction, it is essential that industry leaders work together to optimize the charging experience for the benefit of all EV drivers and stakeholders. FLO has always been at the forefront of innovation, and we take pride in leading the way to make EV charging more accessible and more convenient with this extended roaming service," said Louis Tremblay, President and CEO of FLO. "This collaboration furthers our engagement to offer the best experience in the EV charging ecosystem, and will ultimately convince more people to choose electric mobility. "
"For more than a decade ChargePoint has been committed to developing charging solutions that make it easy for EV drivers to charge, and this agreement builds on that and other solutions and services we've offered to help enable the mass adoption of EVs," said Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint. "We appreciate the opportunity to partner with FLO and invite other networks to participate in similar initiatives that support our philosophy of helping to get every driver behind the wheel of an EV. These experiences are good for EV drivers and simultaneously benefit station owners by increasing utilization of charging spots and opening up opportunities for businesses of all kinds to participate in the new fueling network."
Roaming between the networks is fully operational today through the FLO or ChargePoint mobile apps. To start a session, drivers can simply use their existing network account to locate a charging station, start a session via the app and charge. The participating networks have currently agreed to levy no additional fees for using a visited network's station and all transactions and taxes are handled on the backend according to the respective country's tax laws, so drivers who roam will have a familiar experience to that of their primary network. At launch, more than 33,000 publicly available charging spots will be available on both networks allowing for more seamless travel throughout North America. This roaming agreement is based on the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) protocol. OCPI is an open protocol that enables network operators to exchange key information needed to provide roaming services, such as charging station location, status and rate. OCPI also streamlines billing settlement, while ensuring the privacy of driver account information.
About FLO
FLO is Canada's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, with more than 10,000 public, private and residential charging stations deployed to date. FLO operates a comprehensive charging ecosystem that fulfills EV drivers' needs wherever they may be—at home, at work or on the go—by ensuring a consistently simple and seamless experience across North America. FLO offers smart home charging solutions for both single-family homes and multi-unit residential buildings, as well as access to thousands of public charging stations in Canada and in the United States. FLO also provides turnkey solutions to property managers, business owners, employers and municipal administrators who wish to support EV adoption by supplying charging services. FLO is a subsidiary company of AddEnergie, a North American leader in electric vehicle charging solutions. For more information, visit www.flo.com or contact media relations at [email protected].
About ChargePoint
ChargePoint is a leader in EV charging around the world operating in Canada, Mexico, the United States, and throughout Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. ChargePoint offers charging solutions in every category EV drivers charge, at home, work, around town and on a trip. With more than 54,000 independently owned charging spots and thousands of customers (businesses, cities, agencies and service providers) throughout North America and around the world, ChargePoint is one of the only companies in the category that designs, develops and manufactures hardware and software solutions across every use case. Leading EV hardware makers and other partners rely on the ChargePoint network to make charging station details available in mobile apps, online and in navigation systems for popular EVs. ChargePoint drivers have completed more than 43 million charging sessions, saving upwards of 44 million gallons of gasoline and driving more than one billion gas-free miles. For more information, visit www.chargepoint.com or contact the Global Press Office at [email protected].
SOURCE FLO
FLO, Valérie Gonzalo, Media Relations, [email protected], 514-626-6976; ChargePoint, Inc., [email protected]
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