Aiming for nearly perpetual functionality: Joachim Lohse of Ampcontrol sets sights on 99% reliability for electric vehicle chargers.
New York-based company Ampcontrol is making waves in the electric vehicle (EV) industry by specializing in building software and services to optimize the charging infrastructure of fleets, primarily consisting of trucks, buses, and commercial vehicles. Founded in 2019, Ampcontrol aims to provide a comprehensive suite for operators, including telematics, asset management, maintenance, and inspection services.
Ampcontrol's founder and CEO, Joachim Lohse, has a background in energy consulting. In 2019, he noticed a lack of focus on EVs by energy providers and saw an opportunity to fill the gap. His experience as an energy consultant highlighted the challenges posed by unexpected demands on the electric grid, such as those introduced by heat pumps. This experience led Ampcontrol toward developing an EV charging platform that emphasizes energy optimization and cost efficiency for fleets, alongside enabling capabilities like vehicle-to-grid integration.
Ampcontrol serves customers in North and South America, Europe, and South Africa. Companies often work closely with utility providers to plan charging infrastructure installation and manage grid constraints. However, utility companies can act as blockers in the electrification process due to their own safety and reliability processes. Ampcontrol aims for a 99% uptime for the charging hardware and strives to overcome grid constraints.
Battery technology and solar alternatives can help overcome grid constraints imposed by utility companies. The U.S. has learned from Europe that incentives are necessary to kickstart electrification, as Europe faces a political impasse due to drying government incentives for electrification, especially as fleet penetration moves from 5% to 10-50%. Europe, currently ahead in electrification, may need to adapt to the American approach to continue progress, as the transition to higher fleet penetration levels requires significant time and resources.
One of Ampcontrol's first customers is Revel, a ridesharing service in New York with around 400 EVs. Ampcontrol's services have helped Revel significantly cut the cost of charging their EV fleet. Ampcontrol's commercial model involves a long-term partnership approach, offering fair pricing and consistent communication to help fleets scale.
President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act provides a significant boost to electrification in the U.S. Ampcontrol aspires to work with global companies operating across multiple markets, offering its all-in commercial model that doesn't charge per extra feature or per new update, and also includes important support functionality. Europe could benefit from the American mentality of running with an idea, regardless of immediate profitability or incentives, to maintain long-term competitiveness and future-proof operations.
In summary, Ampcontrol is a game-changer in the EV charging infrastructure industry. By focusing on energy optimization and offering a comprehensive suite of services, Ampcontrol is helping companies navigate the challenges posed by utility providers and grid constraints, ultimately leading to more efficient and cost-effective EV charging solutions.
- Ampcontrol, with its focus on energy optimization and comprehensive suite of services like telematics, asset management, maintenance, and inspection, is aiming to revolutionize the electric vehicle charging industry, particularly in commercial vehicles.
- By leveraging technology and strategic partnerships, Ampcontrol is working towards overcoming grid constraints imposed by utility companies, notably through battery technology and solar alternatives, thereby facilitating efficient charging solutions for fleets.
- The Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S. presents an opportunity for Ampcontrol to collaborate with global companies, offering an all-in commercial model that eliminates extra fees for features and updates, ultimately benefiting the evolving electric vehicle market worldwide.
