Families, businesses, communities, and governments have committed to the adoption of electric vehicles, both light-duty passenger vehicles and larger medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Much like hydrogen though, the growth the EV segment has been challenged by affordable and widely accessible charging infrastructure. Electric heavy-duty vehicles in particular have hardly cracked the market as the larger batteries on these vehicles require high speed level 3 charging. Fleet operators may want to adopt larger fleets of HD EVs, but the challenges associated with charging, in particular utility costs, have largely prevented them from doing so.
Level 3 DC fast chargers, with outputs from 100 kW to up to 1 MW, have challenged consumers and utilities alike given the sky-high associated demand charges, and the strain the resulting peak demand has on utility distribution systems. Today’s electric grids we’re not designed for such large loads at commercial facilities, and even a few level 3 chargers operating in parallel can overwhelm the electric service being provided.
Using a combination of on-site generation including renewables and combined-heat-and-power technologies, and energy storage, Beyond6 is rolling solutions to enable level 3 charging to be deployed at scale. Smart energy and charging management ensure adequate power is available, and prioritizes the use of low-emissions production from on-site solar arrays and energy storage. Use of natural gas micro-turbines further reduces grid sourced electricity, and has the added benefit of satisfying a facility’s thermal load when combined heat and power capabilities are leveraged.