Charlotte, N.C., Selects Envision Solar-Powered Charging Stations for Emergency Preparedness

SAN DIEGO, March 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Envision Solar International, Inc., (Nasdaq: EVSI, EVSIW) (“Envision Solar,” or the “Company”), the leading producer of unique and sustainable infrastructure products for electric vehicle charging, energy security and outdoor media, announced that the City of Charlotte, N.C. purchased four of the Company’s EV ARC™ solar-powered EV charging stations for public and city use. Each off-grid unit includes an emergency power panel and can be relocated for city events or in case of emergency power needs.

“The City of Charlotte is excited to add sunshine as a reliable energy source for our transportation needs,” said Steve Gucciardi, Environmental Services Project Manager for the City of Charlotte. "In addition to free EV charging for our citizens, the EV ARC solar charging stations make a visible sustainability statement. We plan to occasionally relocate them for special events, but they will primarily live by our award-winning Fire Department headquarters."

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), in coordination with the Department of Environmental Quality, developed a ZEV Plan to guide zero emission vehicle (ZEV) adoption and increase the number of ZEVs in the state to at least 80,000 by 2025. The ZEV Plan provides guidelines for establishing state-wide vehicle corridors, installing charging stations and other infrastructure, and incorporating best practices for increasing ZEV adoption. The Charlotte deployment was supported by the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) project—Funded in part by NCDOT—that provides grant funding to reduce transportation-related emissions.

“Cities continue to accelerate the buildout of their off-grid EV charging infrastructure with multi-unit deployments,” said Desmond Wheatley, CEO at Envision Solar. “The grid-independent EV ARC EV charging stations deployed by the City of Charlotte include emergency power panels, visibly demonstrating the city’s commitment to EV infrastructure, emergency preparedness and energy safety. We believe this expansion trend will continue as cities update their plans in the wake of the current COVID-19 crisis.”

Local governments are mandated or recommended by federal and state laws to have emergency management policies and procedures in place. Organizations like Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state government agencies provide resources, guidelines and tools to city planners. EV ARC solar-powered charging stations are included in the FEMA Authorized Equipment List, under designation 10BC-00-SOLR Chargers.

Manufactured in California, the patented EV ARC™ and EV ARC™ DC Fast Charging products fit inside single parking spaces without reducing available parking. The EV ARC™ product generates enough clean solar electricity to power up to 225 miles of EV driving in a day. EV ARC™ DC fast charging systems provide up to 1,100 miles per day. The EV ARC™ system’s solar electrical generation is enhanced by EnvisionTrak™ (patented) which causes the solar array to follow the sun, generating up to 25 percent more electricity than a fixed array. The energy is stored in the EV ARC™ product’s on-board energy storage for charging day or night, and to provide EV charging and emergency power during grid failure. The EV ARC™ product is a permanent solution that provides Level I, Level II and DC Fast Charging, but because it requires no trenching, foundations or installation work of any kind, is deployed in minutes and can be moved to a new location with ease. EV ARC™ products are manufactured in the company’s San Diego facility by highly talented, mission-driven team members, including combat veterans, individuals with disabilities and other underserved demographics.

About Envision Solar International, Inc.

Envision Solar, www.envisionsolar.com, produces and sells unique and patented sustainable infrastructure products for electric vehicle charging, energy security and outdoor media, including the EV ARC™ and the Solar Tree® with EnvisionTrak™ patented solar tracking, SunCharge™ solar Electric Vehicle Charging, ARC™ technology energy storage, and EnvisionMedia™ solar advertising displays.

Based in San Diego, the company produces Made in America products. Envision Solar is listed on the Nasdaq CM under the symbols EVSI and EVSIW. For more information visit www.envisionsolar.com or call (858) 799-4583. Follow us on social media to keep up with the latest news: Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.