New Geotab Division Helps Utilities Support EV Adoption

Electric vehicle charging stations. (Geotab Energy)

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Fleet management solutions provider Geotab unveiled a service Jan. 7 focused on helping utilities support electric vehicle adoption.

Geotab Energy will help utilities understand, plan and manage the integration of EV charging with the electric grid. It also will provide incentive-based awards for vehicle owners who adopt habits that are beneficial to the grid.

“We’re really excited to announce the launch of Geotab Energy,” Eric Mallia, vice president of Geotab Energy, said during a webinar. “So what is Geotab Energy? Essentially, it is focused on sustainable products that help bring benefits to electrification transportation.”

Today, Geotab has announced the launch of Geotab Energy! This new business unit helps to bridge sustainable transportation with sustainable energy to provide customers with greater key infrastructure support. Find out more: https://t.co/wUNzlHSCzS pic.twitter.com/lSLfoLlYPd — Geotab (@GEOTAB) January 7, 2021

Geotab is first focusing on helping utilities support EV owners. But the company expects that as fleets become more electrified, the solution also will benefit them and the utility provider they use. The service is first launching in North America, but there are plans for expansion.

“Essentially, what we are looking to do with Geotab Energy and what we have been working on for about six years now with several different electric utilities is have utilities pay electric vehicle owners for the benefits of decarbonizing the grid and making it more cost-efficient and making it more reliable to operate,” Mallia said. “And there are tremendous opportunities for that.”

Mallia

Geotab data has shown most EV owners are charging at the peak time for the electrical grid, that being in the early evening. Geotab Energy wants to help by providing utilities with data that includes when and where EVs are charging so they can better optimize their system and encourage owners to adopt habits such as not charging during peak hours when the grid is most strained.

“We do all of this through our connected car platform,” Mallia said. “We are able to understand when and where folks are charging and provide them, through our user interface, rewards that we call SmartCharge Rewards points that they can redeem for cash.”

A look at the Geotab charging map showing where electric vehicles are fueling. (Geotab)

Geotab Energy provides utilities and electric vehicle owners with electricity demand management solutions. It processes data directly from a vehicle’s internal systems to provide data so that users can better understand the impact of charging loads across a service territory.

The associated web platform also provides utilities with data such as optimal charging times to support new programs and possible infrastructure changes. EV owners may benefit by gaining access to information about their vehicles such as driving efficiency and battery health.

Geotab Energy also is designed to complement Geotab EV. This separate division specializes in providing telematics for plug-in hybrid and EVs. It currently aggregates and manages electric load data.

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