ChargePoint: PG&E Proposal Bad For Ratepayers, Drivers and EV Industry

CAMPBELL, CALIF.– Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint – the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network – today issued the following statement in response to Pacific Gas and Electric’s proposal to own and operate 25,100 new electric car charging stations by 2022:

"ChargePoint believes strongly that utilities should play an expanded role in the EV industry and the infrastructure that supports it. However, the proposal PG&E filed today creates a monopoly in EV charging equipment and services that will stifle growth and innovation in the market.

"Allowing one monopoly utility to define the EV charging hardware, network, pricing, features and everything in between, will reduce competition and innovation. Removing station owner choice will leave little incentive to innovate or provide better or more affordable services to consumers. ChargePoint has been successful because it supports flexibility for the site owner to decide what pricing and features are best for them to attract the EV driving public. Additionally, ChargePoint prides itself in providing the features required by EV drivers for a seamless driving and charging experience.

"PG&E's proposal will hamper the industry, is bad for ratepayers, bad for EV drivers and bad for California’s emissions reduction goals."

ChargePoint believes utilities should play a significant role in the EV industry. The right approach as taken by Southern California Edison, allows utilities to do what they do best – install electrical infrastructure. This approach protects customer choice and encourages continued innovation in EV charging hardware, network and services.

About ChargePoint

ChargePoint operates the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, with more than 20,000 spots to plug in and charge. We are transforming the transportation industry by providing the charging stations, mobile apps, analytics and the charging network that allow property owners and drivers to benefit from EV charging. We are also transforming the energy industry by providing intelligent solutions to help people and businesses shift away from fossil fuels and use electricity more efficiently. Our mission is to get all drivers behind the wheel of an EV and provide them a place to charge whether at home, at work, around town or out-of-town.

More than 165 million gas-free miles have been driven on our network, and our drivers have collectively avoided more than 6.9 million gallons of gasoline and 51 million pounds of CO2 emissions.

For more information about ChargePoint, visit www.chargepoint.com or on Twitter @ChargePointnet.