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    Fuel retailer partners with FreeWire to deploy Ultra-fast Charging in British Columbia

    Oct. 31, 2022
    n the initial phase, the firms will deploy FreeWire's battery-integrated Boost Charger, which is a 150-kW ultra-fast EV charging station, enabling customers to achieve a range of 200 miles in 15 minutes
    Image credit Freewire
    Freewire 635fc700ea2a3

    Fuel distributor and retailer Parkland Corp. has partnered with EV charging solutions firm FreeWire Technologies to deploy ultra-fast charging across the British Columbia province of Canada, as the country marches towards its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

    FreeWire Founder and CEO Arcady Sosinov said this will be the largest deployment of battery-integrated ultrafast chargers in the North America region.

    “Our technology will help Parkland to provide coverage in areas where securing new, larger grid connections would make installing such infrastructure more challenging, making it possible for drivers to get a premium charge in the same amount of time it takes to grab a meal on the go - all without impacting the electrical grid,” Sosinov said.

    In the initial phase, the firms will deploy FreeWire's battery-integrated Boost Charger, which is a 150-kW ultra-fast EV charging station, enabling customers to achieve a range of 200 miles in 15 minutes. The Boost Charger can be plugged into existing low-voltage utility services and yet deliver high-power charging. This means, no extensive site improvements and grid upgrades will be needed to deploy this flexible solution.

    "We are committed to staying one step ahead of our customers' evolving needs,”

    Darren Smart, Senior Vice President, Energy Transition and Corporate Development, Parkland, said. “Using battery-integrated chargers will mitigate the need for time-consuming and costly electrical upgrades, allowing us to expand our charging network quickly and efficiently, as customer need increases. Also, because they constantly trickle charge, these chargers significantly reduce strain on our utility grids and minimize our peak demand charges."

    Read EnergyTech's full coverage of the E-Mobility sector

    Related story: Auto Fuel Retailer Phillips 66 debuts EV Fast Chargers

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    The chargers will be deployed in dense urban locations as well as remote locations.

    Moreover, the chargers will be integrated with Parkland's JOURNIE Rewards App and loyalty programs. Charging will be free for app users in the first launch period.

    FreeWire’s solutions are currently in use by traditional fuelers including bp, Chevron and Phillips 66. 

    The EV charging infrastructure startup has secured more than $100 million in funding from investors that include Riverstone Holdings, bp ventures, Energy Innovation Capital and TRIREC.

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.