Charged EVs | Orange EV creates Optigrid to deliver battery-integrated charging for electric fleets

Orange EV is a rare success story in the commercial EV field. The company has been producing electric terminal trucks (aka drayage trucks or yard goats) since 2015, and has quietly gone about its business ever since. Well over 1,000 of its EVs are now in service at ports and logistics facilities.

Now Orange has created a new company called OptiGrid to deliver battery-integrated fast charging solutions for fleets.

Charging infrastructure remains a massive bottleneck for fleet electrification—it costs a lot and takes a long time, constrained by utility timelines that are often quoted in years. OptiGrid aims to eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming grid upgrades with a “drop-in platform” that pairs DC fast charging with onboard battery storage.

OptiGrid builds on technology developed by FreeWire Technologies, an early pioneer in battery-buffered fast charging. FreeWire developed a platform that combined battery storage, AC-DC conversion, power management and DC fast charging in one self-contained unit. Alas, as so many startups have, FreeWire struggled to contain costs, and in May it announced plans to wind down its operations. Investors recently acquired FreeWire’s assets, and partnered with the founders of Orange EV to create OptiGrid. OptiGrid is preparing for a commercial launch later this year, and Orange EV will be its first strategic partner and launch customer.

“We’ve seen firsthand how infrastructure delays can slow down fleet electrification efforts,” said Kurt Neutgens, founder and President at Orange EV. “OptiGrid gives us a turnkey, fleet-ready system with low cost of ownership and the flexibility of optional leasing to reduce capital barriers.”

“Fleet electrification has outpaced infrastructure, creating a gap that legacy utilities and traditional charging solutions can’t fill fast enough,” said Tyler Phillipi, the newly appointed CEO of OptiGrid. “OptiGrid delivers a leap forward: rapid installs, high uptime, and true grid independence made here in the US.”

Each OptiGrid charger includes a 180 kWh battery that can charge from the grid or from on-site renewable assets. It supports both CCS and NACS, and can be deployed in days or weeks, according to the company. Flexible financing structures can convert CapEx to OpEx. OptiGrid’s Asset Management Platform (AMP) provides charger station management and monitoring, and is OCPP-compatible.

The new chargers are currently undergoing field validation through Orange EV’s fleet network. “Our collaboration with Orange EV gives us the ideal proving ground to harden the new product before scaling broadly,” said Phillipi.

Source: OptiGrid