MoU signing witnessed by the First Minister of Scotland during New York's Scotland Week
BROOKLYN, NY – April 7th 2014 – Smarter Grid Solutions, a leading smart grid technology company, and HEVO Power, the New York-based specialist in wireless charging systems for electric vehicles, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on smart grid technology.
The agreement will see the companies collaborating on technology integration and exploring the use of Smarter Grid Solutions’ Intellectual Property as a data management and control platform for EV charging infrastructure and interfacing to the power grid. The MoU also includes the development and delivery of joint propositions to customers, as well as cooperation on international sales and marketing.
The signing of the agreement was witnessed by the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister of Scotland, as part of the event marking the official opening of Smarter Grid Solutions’ first North American office, located at New York’s Urban Future Lab in Brooklyn.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr Bob Currie, Smarter Grid Solutions’ Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, said, “HEVO Power was one of the first companies we met when we arrived in New York and it quickly became clear we had an opportunity to do something ground-breaking together. Our technology allows grid companies to monitor and integrate many forms of distributed energy resources – including electric vehicles – to meet resilience goals and grid modernization objectives. Today’s agreement with HEVO Power will accelerate our activities in this sector and play a significant role in bringing smart wireless charging of EVs to the grid.”
Jeremy McCool, HEVO Power’s Founder and CEO, commented, “Smarter Grid Solutions’ technology optimizes the delivery of wireless charging to electric vehicles by enhancing the ecosystem between the electrical grid and vehicle. Today, there is a lack of electrical grid management between the electric vehicle and the utilities. By collaborating with Smarter Grid Solutions, our wireless charging technology will be part of an active grid management system that ensures there is a clear approach for utilities to manage the ever growing electric vehicle ecosystem.”
Headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, Smarter Grid Solutions has considerable international experience delivering smart grid projects in the transport sector. The company is working with London’s electricity distributor, UK Power Networks, on asmart EV charging trial using Smarter Grid Solutions’ Active Network Management technology. In the US, the company is currently working with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) exploring the implementation of smart charging of EVs in NYC.
Founded and headquartered in New York City, HEVO has developed a truly innovative solution to wirelessly charge electric vehicles. By creating a proprietary combination of hardware and software components, the Company is providing the first end-to-end charging ecosystem for EV owners and fleet managers to understand energy usage, charging and battery statistics and user habits. Its customers include multiple Fortune 500 companies, large municipalities, and EV OEMs who have demanded a smarter charging method to meet the needs of the rapidly growing EV market.
The First Minister, Mr Salmond, was in New York to take part in the annual Scotland Week. The official office opening was part of Scottish Development International’s trade and investment program.