Clean Fuel News

Member News: FreeWire Achieves Buy America Compliance to Rapidly Scale Ultrafast EV Charging for Federal Transportation Electrification Projects

Originally posted by FreeWire Tech | September 22, 2021 | Original Article

The Buy America Act, requiring federal agencies to procure domestic materials and products, is also spurring renewed interest from retail chains and fleets for American-made high power EV charging solutions.

FreeWire Technologies, a leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging and power solutions, announces its compliance with Buy America provisions under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements for domestic sourcing of components in the manufacturing of its ultrafast EV Boost Charger™, making it one of a few preferred fast charging vendors for federally-funded transportation investments.

With the nation’s rapid transition to electrified modes of transportation, the Buy America Act has gained increasing relevance given the $21 billion proposed investment being considered in Congress to build-out the country’s EV charging infrastructure. As federal and state entities plan for major infrastructure projects, preference is given to Buy America vendors to ensure that these investments are supporting U.S. made products and jobs in the clean energy economy. 

Build America, Buy America is a top priority for the Biden administration and is included as a major strategy of the bi-partisan Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act as well as the Budget reconciliation package moving through Congress. These initiatives represent a recommitment to Buy America policy for federally-funded public infrastructure investments, including a $7.5 billion investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of the infrastructure bill and $13.5 billion as part of the Budget reconciliation process.

“FreeWire’s fully-integrated Boost Charger has enabled retailers and fleets across the U.S. to scale up ultrafast EV charging quickly without requiring expensive and time-consuming utility upgrades,” stated Arcady Sosinov, Founder and CEO of FreeWire Technologies. “By achieving Buy America compliance, we can now give federal and state agencies access to the same innovative technology to enable rapid and cost-effective electrification across government fleets without straining the electrical grid.” 

President Biden has made American jobs a central aspect of his Build Back Better agenda, which is currently advancing in Congress and anticipated to include Buy America stipulations. As state and federal entities procure products for public infrastructure projects, they are able to source FreeWire through a streamlined process using FreeWire’s partnership with Sourcewell. As a recognized vendor for Sourcewell, a self-sustaining government organization, FreeWire provides and installs Buy America compliant ultrafast charging stations for government, education, and nonprofit entities with the ability to deploy infrastructure investments more quickly.

With the opportunity to receive preference for funding, customers are able to reduce the total cost of charging deployment. “We have had numerous inquiries from customers wanting to confirm that we are Buy America compliant,” stated Ethan Sprague, FreeWire Technologies VP of Sales and Marketing. “It matters to them, and it matters to us. As the nation’s first battery-integrated EV charger manufactured in the U.S., we are committed to sourcing our components domestically to the greatest extent practicable.”

FreeWire produces its fully-integrated ultrafast Boost Charger in San Leandro, CA, inside a former Dodge & Chrysler manufacturing facility which has been redeveloped into a state-of-the-art battery and power electronics production facility. The battery pack, a proprietary technology developed and produced by FreeWire, is made up of cells manufactured in Smyrna, Tennessee by Envision AESC, one of the world’s leading battery technology companies. In addition to mitigating costly demand charges, FreeWire’s fully-integrated battery pack solution enables fast deployment in more places than conventional charging by removing the need for substantial grid upgrades.

About FreeWire Technologies

FreeWire’s turnkey power solutions deliver energy whenever and wherever it is needed for reliable electrification beyond the grid (see video). With scalable clean power that moves to meet demand, FreeWire customers can tackle new applications and deploy new business models without the complexity of upgrading traditional energy infrastructure.

FreeWire has deployed battery-integrated chargers with Fortune 100 companies, commercial customers, fleets, retail locations, and gas stations. In addition to the expanded partnership with bp pulse, FreeWire and ampm, a bp subsidiary and convenience store chain with over 1,000 locations, have already deployed multiple public charging stations in the U.S. FreeWire’s regulatory affairs and policy team keeps customers up to date on federal, state, and utility incentive opportunities, which in some cases cover up to 80% of the cost of the charging station.