FYI: Enel X Way North America exit leaves JuiceBox users scrambling, but companies step up to bridge the gap.
Last week, Enel X Way North America unexpectedly announced its withdrawal from the U.S. market, causing significant upheaval for owners of its JuiceBox electric vehicle chargers. While these chargers still function for vehicle charging, users now face the loss of vital app-connected features that offered enhanced utility and efficiency.
Impact on Energy Partnerships
JuiceBox users actively involved with local energy providers as part of "smart grid" initiatives are particularly affected. These partnerships allowed customers to manage their utility bills more effectively, but with the discontinuation of Enel X Way’s services, such benefits are at risk of vanishing overnight. This sudden halt has highlighted vulnerabilities in the evolving landscape of connected vehicle technology.
New Solutions on the Horizon
In response to the service gap left by Enel X Way, new players are emerging to support JuiceBox owners. For insightful guidance, viewers can check out Tom Moloughney’s comprehensive video on the State of Charge YouTube channel, where he discusses solutions with the CEOs of Chargelab, Epic Charging, and United Chargers. This video serves as an essential resource for anyone seeking alternatives.
Options for Residential and Commercial Users
Several companies have stepped forward to help JuiceBox owners maintain functionality in both residential and commercial settings:
-
Liberty Plugins, Inc.: This company offers a "turnkey solution with 90 days of free service" to commercial operators previously reliant on Enel X Way’s systems. Liberty Plugins advises site hosts to transition to their Liberty Access Platform.
-
Sagewell, Inc.: An analytics pioneer in the charging sphere, Sagewell provides solutions for maintaining continuity in utility services. Visit their website for further details.
-
Tridens Technology: Specializing in software, Tridens offers solutions for transferring connected services while using existing JuiceBox hardware. They invite businesses to initiate discussions for network migration.
- Zero Impact Solutions: They welcome commercial site hosts to migrate to their EVOLV platform, ensuring uninterrupted charging operations.
JuiceBox users seeking network migration can also reach out to ChargeLab for detailed discussions on the available options.
Looking Ahead: Unity and Standards Needed
While these companies are stepping up to fill the void, the turmoil Enel X Way’s exit has caused should serve as a wake-up call for the industry. It’s crucial for stakeholders to establish common standards to ensure long-term support and security for all users of connected technology.
For more insights and updates, please contact us at tips@automotive.fyi or find us on Twitter @automotivefyi.
William Kouch, Editor of Automotive.fyi
