Best Gaming Pro included JuiceBox 40 in the top best car chargers of this year. They describe its characteristics, such as WiFi connectivity, Juicenet App availability, remote management and monitor charging, and many others. Read more here.
• New partnership underscores need for low-cost residential EV chargers to support mainstream EV adoption SAN CARLOS, Calif., June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Enel X Way announced the company has been selected by Florida Power & Light (FPL) to support the FPL EVolution Home program. Through the program, FPL utility customers can receive an Enel X Way JuiceBox Level 2 smart electric vehicle (EV) charger for a $31 fixed monthly fee, if a customer already has a permitted 240-volt circuit or a $38 fixed monthly fee if a customer needs a 240-volt circuit. Included in that fee is unlimited off-peak renewable electricity for charging as well as the cost of the charger, plus all installation, engineering and permitting costs. To be eligible for the program, FPL residential customers must own or lease an EV, own and live in a single-family home with an attached garage, and have access to Wi-Fi in the charging location. In addition to the convenience of charging at home, the FPL EVolution Home program also provides customers with: • Increased range confidence & faster charge times: Up to 60 miles of range per hour and only 4 to 7 hours to fully charge most EVs. • Lower charging costs: Unlimited off-peak renewable electricity on weeknights and weekends and up to $579 in annual fuel cost savings compared to conventional vehicles. • Reduced emissions: 8,000 pounds less CO2 per year compared to conventional vehicles. Recognized by CNET and Car and Driver as "Best EV Charger Overall for 2022," the Enel X Way JuiceBox Level 2 EV charger is grid-connected, meaning it utilizes off-peak charging to help balance the grid, delivering energy cost savings that allow EV owners to maximize their investments. The award-winning JuiceBox chargers are also compact, weatherproof and recharge EVs up to 12 times faster than other charging equipment, providing owners with a best-in-class charging experience. "As an experienced partner that's helped dozens of utilities, thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of consumers take advantage of smart EV charging solutions, Enel X Way is honored to partner with Florida Power & Light and scale affordable residential EV smart charging to their customers across the state," said Chris Baker, Head of Enel X Way North America. "If there's one takeaway we can gather from the rapid growth of the EV market, it's the United States is approaching an EV tipping point, meaning now is the time to explore what consumer EV incentive options are available to you." Through the FPL EVolution Home program, the JuiceBox chargers will be programmed to charge automatically whenever low-cost renewable electricity is available. These smart charging stations will also capture data to provide FPL with valuable learnings and insights around customers' charging behaviors and preferences, including: • Scalability: Reliable and extensible EV charging network to accommodate the growth of electric transportation in the service territory • Power quality evaluation: Information on customer charging behavior and grid impacts of EV adoption • Equipment performance and materials longevity: Effects of accumulating charging sessions and exposure to Florida environmental conditions • Customer satisfaction: Feedback on charger placement, availability, segment/type and billing mechanism • Pilot program insights: Opportunities to expand the EV charging program, enhance service and reduce costs • Open network protocol: Lower risk of assets stranded due to proprietary hardware, software or communication protocols • Branding and data ownership: Co-branding (or white label) and full data ownership To participate, FPL customers must complete a three-step enrollment and installation process, starting with confirming eligibility through a brief questionnaire. For more information about the new program and Enel X Way's EV chargers, visit fpl.com and evcharging.enelx.com/products. About Enel X Way North America Enel X Way is a global leader in smart electric vehicle charging solutions with over 320,000 charging ports worldwide, including roaming agreements. As a subsidiary of Fortune 200 renewable energy leader, the Enel Group, Enel X Way is committed to providing smart mobility solutions for drivers, businesses and partners to make driving electric simple. Enel X Way's flagship home charging station, the JuiceBox, has been named the "Best EV Charger Overall" in 2022 by CNET and Car and Driver. For more information, please visit our Enel X Way North American website here and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @enelxwayna.
• Enel X Way will scale up smart electric vehicle charging solutions and services to support an all-electric transportation future. • Under the new business, Enel X Way will expand its portfolio of award-winning smart EV charging solutions to further increase charging accessibility for consumers, companies, cities and governments. San Carlos, Calif. – June 27, 2022 — Enel, a Fortune 200 energy company that plans to decarbonize its business by 2040, has announced Enel X Way, its new global business line dedicated to smart electric vehicle infrastructure solutions. Enel X Way will focus exclusively on developing EV charging solutions and services to accelerate the adoption of EVs for consumers, companies, cities, and governments. The business is currently active in 17 countries across North and South America, Europe, and Asia and manages over 320,000 public and private charging ports directly and through roaming agreements. In North America, Enel X Way is headquartered in the heart of the Bay Area, San Carlos, Calif., and will support the rapidly increasing demand for electric vehicles and smart EV charging infrastructure with its portfolio of EV charging solutions, including the award-winning JuiceBox, which this year was recognized by CNET and Car and Driver as the “Best EV Charger Overall for 2022.” According to BloombergNEF, EV sales in North America were up 88% in 4Q 2021, bringing the EV share of new car sales to 6.8% that quarter – the highest yet for the region. With more than 110,000 charging stations deployed across North America, EV drivers plug into an Enel X Way charging station every 2.6 seconds, and since launching its flagship consumer product in 2014, JuiceBox customers have avoided more than 510 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to 1.3 million miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle1. "The future is electric, and decarbonizing our energy and transportation systems will require smart infrastructure solutions to be the bedrock of this transition," said Elisabetta Ripa, CEO of Enel X Way. “Enel X Way was created to accelerate a sustainable transportation future for all. Becoming Enel X Way is a testament to Enel’s increasing investment in electric mobility and commitment to supporting the larger clean energy transformation.” Under the new business line, Enel X Way North America is committed to further increasing sales and production, expanding its portfolio of solutions to include more commercial charging stations and growing its workforce with new highly skilled jobs to meet the evolving market needs. To help new EV drivers and businesses go electric, Enel X Way now offers 24/7 customer support and is helping customers leverage hundreds of millions of available incentive dollars across the United States and Canada as part of state, local and utility programs. “Across North America, major automakers are doubling down on their electric vehicle plans, large corporations are electrifying their fleets, and new policies and incentives are accelerating more EV adoption,” said Chris Baker, Head of Enel X Way North America. To further promote the spread of electric mobility, Enel X Way will strengthen its numerous partnerships around the world with electric vehicle manufacturers, private companies and public institutions and will leverage an ‘interoperable system’ by participating in roaming agreements and joint ventures to ensure that customers have access to an extensive and ubiquitous charging experience throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. This spring, Enel X Way will be launching new retail, automotive and utility partnerships, adding to its roster of commercial customers since releasing its commercial product line in 2020. About Enel X Way North America Enel X Way is a global leader in smart electric vehicle charging solutions with over 320,000 charging ports worldwide, including roaming agreements. As a subsidiary of Fortune 200 renewable energy leader, the Enel Group, Enel X Way is committed to providing smart mobility solutions for drivers, businesses and partners to make driving electric simple. Enel X Way's flagship home charging station, the JuiceBox, has been named the "Best EV Charger Overall" in 2022 by CNET and Car and Driver. For more information, please visit our Enel X Way North American website here and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @enelxwayna. 1https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases-equivalencies-calculator-calculations-and-references#miles
EVs Can Last Longer Than Gas Cars! Here’s How. With gas prices rising to unprecedented levels, and the coronavirus-induced car shortage finally behind us, many are wondering whether now is the time to consider purchasing an electric vehicle. Indeed, annual EV sales in the US have tripled over the last five years, so it’s clear their popularity isn’t going away. But there’s one question many car buyers may have on their tongues: how many years do electric vehicles last? Purchasing an electric vehicle is an investment in lower bills and a cleaner future, and you’ll want to be sure that this investment lasts. It may surprise you to learn that electric vehicles may already be longer-lasting than their combustion-based cousins. The average gas car’s age has increased from five to twelve years during the past five decades, but combustion-vehicle technology is not going to improve much more. Meanwhile, EVs are already required to last at least eight years, with lifespans averaging about 10-15 years, and the industry is just getting started. The longest range electric car in 2021 was a car with a range of 520 miles, with just one charge. Current EV-focused automakers are working on batteries that could last a million miles! Here’s why EVs have the components for long lifespans, and how to make the most of your EV: Electric Cars Have Fewer, Simpler Components The main difference between cars that are green and cars that need gasoline is in their engines: electric motors typically have just one moving part, instead of the literally hundreds that exist in a gas-powered vehicle, each of which can break. With battery-powered vehicles, you can say goodbye to oil changes, transmission issues, spark-plug replacements, and more! Of course, you’ll still need to maintain your tires, service the brakes, change out coolant, and so forth, but the only new concern should be the electric car battery life. As it turns out, batteries aren’t much of a longevity concern anymore. EV Battery Lifespans Are The Most Important Part An electric car battery can be quite costly to replace, and we all notice our phones losing their capacity to hold a charge after just a few years of use. It is important to look at the electric car maintenance cost in order to prevent battery replacement. Breakthroughs in battery technology have made this the last aspect of your car worth worrying about. Importantly, federal rules require an EV manufacturer to provide warranties on battery life and electric motors for eight years or 100,000 miles, and some states go even farther. Back in 2010, Prius batteries often began to have battery degradation around that mark, but now Tesla expects its Model S cars to maintain 90% of their total battery capacity after 150,000 miles, with Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s putting up similar numbers. Why Battery Lifespans Are Increasing: It’s Science! The increased longevity of EV batteries has come from several improvements. First, the industry switched from nickel metal hydride to lithium ion batteries, the cost of which per unit of energy has fallen by 85% in real terms since 2010. This has allowed more fuel cells to be combined into modules, which are then combined into battery packs; in the event of damage, only individual modules need to be replaced, rather than whole packs. Further, automakers now add excess capacity to battery pack, which can absorb some of the wear and tear without reducing energy storage or vehicular performance. General Motors and Tesla are each rumored to be developing new battery chemistries that will be able to last one million miles! How to Make the Most of Your Battery: A Few Tips Avoid Charging in Extreme Temperatures Battery maintenance technologies and practices have improved to make better use of already available technologies. For example, fuel cell storage capacity can be permanently degraded by lengthy exposure to high temperatures. Therefore, EV owners are encouraged to avoid regularly parking in the sun in weather warmer than 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and to change their coolant every 100,000 miles. Similarly, chilly weather temporarily weakens battery power, but extreme cold can completely crack fuel cells. Charge Responsibly Try to avoid regularly filling all the way up, or draining all the way down: the closer your charge is to 50%, the less hard your battery has to work at balancing ions between its anode and its cathode. However, don’t worry too much about this, since EV software already prevents you from filling up above 90% of battery capacity, and tells you that you’re empty once you reach 10%; avoiding those extremes yields most of the relevant benefits to battery longevity and battery health. Use a Level 2 Charger Most importantly, EV owners are encouraged to limit their use of DC rapid charging to special occasions like road trips, because this can overheat their batteries. Using a Level 2 home charger like the JuiceBox is much better for your battery, and you can juice up overnight while you sleep and travel hundreds of miles on a single charge. The Future of Battery Breakthroughs Batteries have been improving at a roughly constant rate for decades, in terms of both price per watt-hour and watt-hour per kilogram. It doesn’t seem like the breakthroughs are likely to slow down: lithium iron phosphate and lithium sulfur battery improvements are currently being tested by companies like Tesla, and the tests seem quite promising. Researchers are doing what they can to make batteries last, meaning EV lifespans are sure to outpace gas-powered cars. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to charge your electric vehicle battery responsibly and make your EV last with a high-quality Level 2 charger today! Shop for a Level 2 JuiceBox charger
The Newest Electric Offering from Chevrolet Is All-Electric and Greatly Improved More and more people are opting out of the gas engine vehicle and switching to the battery power vehicle. And aside from the Tesla Model S, the other car brand often talked about the EV industry is the Chevrolet. You’ve probably heard of the Chevrolet Volt, the major car company’s keystone electric offering. But have you heard of the much newer, fully-electric Chevrolet Bolt? If you’re confused about these two electric vehicles with such similar names, you’re not alone! Read on to learn more about the differences between the Chevy Bolt and Chevy Volt, to learn which one is right for you. The History The Chevy Volt was one of the first plug-in hybrids on the market. It debuted in 2011, quickly earning the highest consumer satisfaction rating of all GM cars, and soon became the best-selling electric car in the United States. But in 2019, after a long and illustrious eight-year career, the Chevy Volt was retired to make way for a more advanced successor. The Chevy Bolt, GM’s first long-range all-electric vehicle, began rolling out into dealerships across the country in 2017. The most immediately noticeable development is that the Volt was a low-riding sedan, whereas the Bolt is a taller hatchback, though both are compact. However, the differences between them go much deeper than their exteriors, and the Bolt’s deep-down advantages have done so well that the Volt had trouble keeping up! So, what are these key changes? Maintenance Improvements and Gas Benefits The key difference is that the discontinued Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), whereas the Chevy Bolt is a battery-powered electric vehicle (BEV). This means that, in addition to a battery-powered engine, the Chevrolet Volt also has a gas tank, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe, and all the additional mechanical parts that go in a gas-powered vehicle. Meanwhile, the Bolt needs just a battery pack and an electric motor to run. As a result, with the Bolt, you can say goodbye to gasoline! No more high prices, no more dangerous pollution, and no more unhealthy fumes. Additionally, you will save on maintenance costs: there is no oil to change, no transmission to damage, resulting in fewer parts that can break down and far fewer tune-ups and maintenance needs. Consumer Reports estimates that these savings add up to $4,600 over the life of a car! Electric Range The Volt’s 18 kilowatt-hour battery pack lasts about 50 miles. Meanwhile, at 60 kWhs, the Bolt’s battery can go roughly 250 miles before you need to recharge. Given that the average American motorist drives less than 30 miles per day, a typical person could go a whole week without charging up their Bolt. However, most owners plug theirs in at home each night, so they can wake up ready to go. How long does it take to charge a Chevy Bolt? Admittedly, the Bolt does take longer to fully charge. A standard Level 1 charger can fill up a Volt in just 6 hours, compared with the 48 hours required for the Bolt. However, a Level 2 JuiceBox can get the job done in 2.5 hours for the former, and 8.5 for the latter. Whatever your commute looks like, an overnight recharge should be more than enough. Plus, when you’re filling up on the road, those super-fast direct-current chargers give you an additional 100 miles of range from just thirty minutes. The Performance Most people don’t realize that going electric doesn’t mean sacrificing performance. The Volt goes from zero to sixty in 7.5 seconds, with 150 horsepower; meanwhile, the Bolt accelerates to 60 a whole second faster, and has 200 horsepower. Their top speeds are both limited by the software to just over 90 miles per hour. Further, the Bolt provides you with a Sport mode, if you’re looking for an extra kick. There’s also a low gear setting to maximize regenerative braking, so you can recharge your battery whenever you slow down. In contrast, the Volt uses a smooth continuously-variable transmission (CVT), which is standard for hybrids. Finally, the Bolt’s heavy battery pack is placed below the seats, which really improves its handling. Room for People and Luggage The Volt is 16 inches longer than the Bolt but surprisingly, the Bolt has 95 cubic feet of interior space, compared with 90 cubes for the Volt. Similarly, the Volt has about 10 cubic feet of cargo space normally—which expands to 30 with the back seats folded down—while the Bolt has 17 and 57, respectively. Further, the Volt’s battery tunnel takes up substantial foot space from the middle back seat, whereas the Bolt’s battery pack rests under the floor. Additionally, the Bolt is noticeably taller than the Volt, giving drivers more visibility and clearance. The Bolt comes with a ten-inch touchscreen, a back-up camera, mobile Wi-Fi, and other such amenities. You can purchase several upgrades, including the “Driver Confidence” package, and the “Comfort and Convenience Package.” These add on blind-spot alerts and rear traffic monitoring, and heated seats and a heated steering wheel, respectively. The “Premier Trim” provides you with all that, and leather upholstery. Whether you like to travel in style or save on amenities, the Bolt has you covered. Price Point The Bolt’s sticker-price begins at $36,620, while the Volt begins at MSRP $34,395. However, nearly all new electric vehicle purchases qualify for electric vehicle tax credits. Recently, federal tax credits for both battery-powered and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have been $7,500, but Congress has just proposed increasing this to a $12,500 rebate. Further, 45 states (and the District of Columbia) add on their own EV tax credits: for example, Colorado and Connecticut have provided up to $5,000 off qualifying purchases. This credit doesn’t apply to used cars, however, so with the Volt discontinued, only the Bolt would apply. Exactly how much you’ll pay depends on where you live and what your taxes look like, but in many states, battery-powered EVs receive a much larger incentive than do plug-in hybrids. In Massachusetts, the difference is $1,000; in Delaware, it’s $2,000. Additionally, home charging stations—like the JuiceBox Level 2 charger—are deductible from federal taxes, and Maryland refunds up to 40% of what you pay for home charging equipment. Which One Will You Choose? The Chevrolet Volt was a tremendously successful car. It quickly became America’s best-selling electric vehicle and received higher consumer satisfaction ratings than any other car from General Motors. But purchasing the Bolt allows you to save on gas and maintenance costs, and potentially qualify for more tax credits. The Bolt spares you and the planet from toxic fumes, and yet provides superior engine performance. It handles better, with greater visibility, and yet gives you more space, for people and things. It’s no wonder that GM considered this a sufficient replacement for their Volt! The future looks fully electric. At least 85 new electric car models are slated to launch between now and 2024, according to Bank of America analysts. President Biden announced a goal of EVs growing to 50% of US passenger sales by 2030. Federal law already requires automakers to ensure that BEV and PHEV batteries last at least eight years or 100,000 miles, and massive improvements in battery technology keep on coming. Indeed, your Bolt battery should last 300,000 to 400,000 miles before its capacity and range seriously degrade—and the best way to keep it healthy is by using a Level 2 charger. With gas prices and global temperatures going up, there’s no better time than now to go fully electric! Find the right charger for you
We’ll Make This Quick: Yes! Here’s Why. You’ve just picked up your first battery-powered vehicle. You’re driving it home from the dealership with the windows down, admiring the way it turns so smoothly and quietly around each corner, how the sun feels sunnier, and wondering if breezes have always felt so perfect. Then you get home and plug it into your Level 2 home EV charger, and your smile grows even larger, knowing that you’re about to save money and charge up without lifting a finger. But one thing keeps nagging your mind. Where is that green electricity coming from? Most EV drivers rest easy, knowing that by owning a zero-emission vehicle, they’re part of a movement towards a sustainable world. Electric vehicles are, by and large, much better for the environment than their gas-powered counterparts. They require less maintenance and are far more efficient with their use of renewable energy generation and utilization. But unless you plug in at home and have solar panels on your roof, you don’t always know where that electricity is coming from. You just might be plugging into a grid powered by coal. Thankfully, there’s a way to make sure your EV is powered by a clean, renewable energy source. It’s called a “Renewable Energy Certificate” (REC). What Is A Renewable Energy Certificate? RECs are a way for you to drive clean, even when the grid isn’t clean. It represents the same social and environmental benefits as clean green energy. It’s a specific, measurable unit comprised of one megawatt-hour of renewable energy added to the grid. Every renewable energy certificate comes with a unique ID number, which is used for tracking. This ensures the investor knows where their energy comes from and that no one else can use that purchased REC. The REC(s) must be used by the purchaser and cannot be resold. RECs are a natural fit for EV drivers seeking to minimize their carbon footprint. It’s better than a carbon offset. After all, purchasing a renewable energy credit ensures that a megawatt-hour of renewable energy is added to the grid. Not every individual or business can install solar panel solutions, and not every region of the United States benefits from hydro-electric green power like the Pacific Northwest or abundant wind in Texas and solar energy across the Southwest. How Do RECs Work? Renewable Energy Certificates work by incentivizing electricity providers to build more renewable energy they can sell on the market. It’s essentially like owning a property deed to the benefits of wind and solar. When looking at renewable energy certificates vs carbon credits, renewable energy certificates are favored because they are specific and measurable. Owning the right amount of RECs ensures that clean, renewable electricity is generated in an amount equal to what you’ll use in your zero-emission vehicle. RECs have been created to help renewable energy generators harness a second revenue stream, in addition to selling electricity, based on the environmental benefits of the generation. In a sense, a REC represents the rights to the “greenness” of electricity generated. Basically, RECs are a way for you to drive clean no matter where you go. What Does an EV Driver Do With a Renewable Energy Certificate? With RECs, EV drivers can avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a driving experience that is truly emission-free. By participating in a REC market, you’d be creating more demand for zero-emission, renewable energy, ultimately accelerating the transition to 100% clean energy. Most EV drivers can feel good about facilitating (or participating in) a cleaner solution needed for transportation. Buying RECs to go along with this will complete the personal transition to a zero-emission lifestyle. Make your EV charging cleaner, even if you charge in places where direct renewable energy sources are unavailable. Which Renewable Energy Certificates Are Best? There are many different kinds of renewable energy certificates, so you’ll want to make sure you’re getting one that’s truly creating demand for renewable energy. With JuiceEco, we provide Green-e® Certified RECs to match how much you drive. The Green-e® Energy certification program, administered by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), is the trusted global leader in clean energy certification. Through the Green-e® Energy program, CRS certifies renewable energy that meets the highest standards in North America: it must be generated from new facilities, marketed with complete transparency and accuracy, and delivered to the purchaser, who has a sole title. Green-e® staff verifies the entire chain of custody of certified renewable energy from generation to retirement to ensure individuals and businesses get exactly what they paid for. How Much Does It Cost? It depends on how much you drive! For as little as $30, you can purchase enough RECs to cover your driving for the full year. We offer three price points: • $30 for 3,400 kWh, which equates to about 10,000 miles • $45 for 5,100 kWh or 15,000 miles • $60 for 6,800 kWh or 20,000 miles According to the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the average person drives around 14,000 miles per year. But the best way for you to determine the best mileage for you is to think about how many miles you drive in a given week, and multiply that by fifty-two. How Do You Get a Renewable Energy Certificate? It’s easy! You can get your Green-e certified RECs in two minutes on our JuiceEco webpage. First, simply select the amount you want to match based on how much you drive. Then, we’ll send you a purchase confirmation and a certificate representing your REC purchase. After that, you’ll be able to enjoy cleaner driving with JuiceEco, and we’ll give you the option to renew your contract each year. No matter where you live and where you charge, you can reduce your carbon emissions and footprint and drive on a 100% renewable energy resource with JuiceEco. Shop JuiceEco today