Enel launches EV charging network business

Share

Enel, a large multinational energy company based in Italy, announced Enel X Way, a global “e-mobility” company focused on deploying electric vehicle charging networks and services. Enel also operates Enel Green Power North America, which has roughly 100 facilities across solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal technologies, combining for about 11 GW. 

Enel currently has active EV charging station operations in 17 countries and manages over 320,000 public and private charging ports directly and through roaming agreements. Enel X Way is headquartered in San Carlos, California, in the Bay Area. 

The company will support the rapidly expanding demand for electric vehicle charging infrastructure with its portfolio of technologies, including the JuiceBox, winner of the “Best EV Charger Overall for 2022” from CNET and Car and Driver. 

The JuiceBox EV charger.
Image: Enel X Way

Image: Enel X Way

The JuiceBox is a WiFi-enabled, Alexa and Google-integrated charger with 40 A / 9.6 kW output. Its design is built on the universal J1772 charging standard and is classified as a Level 2 charger. The JuiceBox weights 15 lbs, and comes with a 25-foot charging cable and storage rack. The device comes with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty. Enel said the equivalent of 1.3 million gas-powered passenger vehicle miles have been abated since JuiceBox’s launch in 2014.

“The future is electric, and decarbonizing our energy and transportation systems will require smart infrastructure solutions to be the bedrock of this transition,” said Elisabetta Ripa, CEO of Enel X Way. 

Bloomberg NEF said EV sales in North America were up 88% in the fourth quarter of 2021, reaching nearly 7% of all new car sales that quarter. Enel said EV drivers plug their vehicles into Enel chargers once every 2.6 seconds in North America. 

Under the new business line, the company said it will expand its portfolio of products and services to include more commercial charging stations, leveraging hundreds of millions of available incentive dollars across the United States and Canada as part of state, local, and utility programs to build out its business. 

“Across North America, major automakers are doubling down on their electric vehicle plans, large corporations are electrifying their fleets, and new policies and incentives are accelerating more EV adoption,” said Chris Baker, head of Enel X Way North America. 

The company said it intends to build out an ‘interoperable system’ by participating in roaming agreements and joint ventures to ensure that customers have access to charging throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

Enel X also developed the Electric Pan-American Charging Corridor of EV chargers, which allowed actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman to cover over 13,000 miles, 16 border crossings and 13 countries, from northern Mexico to the southern tip of Argentina. The journey was documented in an 11-part series called “Long Way Up,” featured on Apple TV+.

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.

Popular content

EV expansion depends on bidirectional charging capability, says report
10 October 2024 Nuvve cites electric school bus fleets as a promising means to improve vehicle-to-grid adoption.