Vontier's Driivz and Francis Energy Expand Partnership Following Second Round of Awarded NEVI Funding
RALEIGH, N.C. and TULSA, Okla., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Driivz, an EVolve™e-mobility portfolio company of Vontier (NYSE:VNT) and leading global software supplier to EV charging operators and service providers, today announced a milestone update with its partner Francis Energy, the fourth-largest owner and operator of fast-charging stations and largest recipient of Federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funds in the U.S. Through a partnership announced earlier this year, Driivz and Francis Energy have successfully brought 1,100 charging ports online at over 200 locations to support over 20,000 drivers nationwide.
Since its launch in 2019, Francis has brought its charging network to 12 states with plans to expand into 30 more utilizing the Driivz software platform. The Driivz EV charging management platform supports Francis Energy through critical management solutions such as real-time operator dashboards, remote and automatic issue resolution, and EV charging billing. Additionally, Francis Energy utilizes Driivz's white-label mobile app to help drivers quickly locate a charger, start a charge, track usage history, and receive company promotions. Francis Energy secured a supply of Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act-compliant EV chargers for these projects in partnership with SK Signet. These NEVI-compliant EV chargers from SK Signet's manufacturing facilities in the Dallas metro area will be immediately available for upcoming projects around the country.
"With this next round of awarded NEVI funds, we look forward to working with the Driivz team to build on the momentum we've generated thus far. As our driver count increases year over year, reliability is a top priority, and with the Driivz platform, we can continue to scale," said Seth Christ, Chief Strategy Officer at Francis Energy. "Together, our partnership will continue to ensure EV charging is available in all communities, not siloed to major cities."
Francis Energy's and Driivz's collaboration focuses on four areas: accessibility, equity, affordability, and reliability. This mirrors NEVI standards, which call for proper operation and maintenance, network stability, compliance with industry standards and protocols, data-sharing, public availability of chargers, and options for varied payment methods – all provided at Francis's chargers and through Driivz's software. Francis and Driivz are committed to the NEVI / CFI Program requirements of a minimum 97% uptime. Francis and its partners continually enhance user experience with features like Plug and Charge using the Driivz ISO-15118 solution.
Together, Francis Energy and Driivz are working to meet NEVI standards around charging station location equity and access. Francis Energy, with over 70 percent of its charging ports located in rural areas, focuses on the locations in which chargers are placed, from major transport corridors to underserved urban and rural communities, to align the Justice40 Initiative, which pledges that 40 percent of the benefits of federal sustainable transportation investments must accrue to disadvantaged communities. By partnering directly with municipalities, counties, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Clean Cities coalitions, Tribes, Councils of Government, and state agencies, Francis Energy has helped to identify charging gaps and to aid under-resourced communities that may not otherwise see private investment necessary to reap the benefits NEVI, CFI and other programs provide. This includes strategic placement of charging stations at select local businesses, including convenience stores and gas stations, within under-resourced communities.
"We are proud to partner with Francis Energy as it builds out the U.S.'s EV charging infrastructure equitably and reliably," said Andrew Bennett, CEO of Driivz. "Francis Energy's work has not only helped to accelerate the deployment of NEVI-funds into underserved communities, Francis will create a blueprint for EV stakeholders to successfully partner with private and public partners to scale EV infrastructure while delivering a seamless EV charging experience for drivers. We look forward to onboarding the new Francis Energy stations funded by the NEVI Program and continuing the work to successfully support the energy transition and electrification efforts globally."
Francis Energy has built a track record of completing installations on time and on budget. Francis Energy is on a mission to provide services in urban, rural, tribal and underserved communities, leaving no community behind by making EV charging more accessible and equitable for everyone. Francis' solutions enable site host partners to customize the equipment selection for each site to suit the site's and the surrounding community's needs. Its chargers range from 6-400kW and will serve tens of thousands more direct customers in the future due to recent successes in the NEVI and CFI programs.
About Driivz:
Driivz, a Vontier (NYSE:VNT) company and part of its EVolve™ e-mobility portfolio, is a leading global software supplier to EV charging operators and service providers, accelerating the plug-in EV industry's dynamic and continuous transformation. The company's intelligent, cloud-based platform spans EV charging operations, energy management, advanced billing capabilities and driver self-service tools.
Driivz's team of EV experts serves customers in more than 30 countries, including global industry players such as EVgo, Shell, Circle K, Volvo Group, Centrica, Recharge, St1, ElaadNL, ESB, Mer, Francis Energy, Ennet Corporation and eMobility Power. The Driivz platform currently manages a hundred thousand public chargers (hundreds of thousands in roaming) and hundreds of millions of events for millions of EV drivers in North America, Europe and APAC. For more information, please visit https://driivz.com/
About Francis Energy:
Francis Energy is an award-winning leader in the development of EV charging infrastructure, with one of the largest networks in the country. In 2019, Francis Energy built across Oklahoma the first contiguous, statewide network of direct-current fast-chargers in the nation. Francis now serves over 20,000 customers across our network, which consists of 200 locations in 12 states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas, with fast-charging station projects at various stages of development in over 30 additional states. To date, Francis Energy has received over $80 million in NEVI awards for over 100 locations.
About Vontier:
Vontier (NYSE:VNT) is a global industrial technology company uniting productivity, automation and multi-energy technologies to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving, more connected mobility ecosystem. Leveraging leading market positions, decades of domain expertise and unparalleled portfolio breadth, Vontier enables the way the world moves – delivering smart, safe and sustainable solutions to our customers and the planet. Vontier has a culture of continuous improvement and innovation built upon the foundation of the Vontier Business System and embraced by colleagues worldwide. Additional information about Vontier is available on the Company's website at https://www.vontier.com/
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