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Consumer familiarity with electric vehicles will swing upward as EV market heats up

ChargePoint and other industry leaders to speak at Smart Energy Summit

Parks Associates research forecasts major changes coming to the energy space, as the EV market continues to expand and reach wider adoption. The international research firm will share insights into this sector of the energy and smart home markets during the virtual session “Electric Vehicles: A New Era for Consumers,”Thursday, August 4, as part of the 13th annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer.

Smart Energy Summit, sponsored by Schneider Electric, SmartThings, Rapid Response Monitoring, Zen Ecosystems, and Particle.io, features the latest consumer research and industry insights on the primary factors driving consumers to adopt energy management solutions.

Parks Associates research finds EV purchase intention recently leapt six percentage points as Tesla became a household name and major auto OEMs including Ford, GM, and Stellantis brands began announcing and marketing their new electrified models.

“Electric Vehicles: A New Era for Consumers” features an executive spotlight session featuring Colleen Jansen, Chief Marketing Officer, ChargePoint, and two interactive panels, “EV Growth and Outlook” and “Breaking Barriers: Infrastructure and Charging Stations,” with the following speakers:

  • Luis Castro, Business Development Manager, Enel X Way
  • Srijata Chattopadhyay, Director, Corporate Development and Strategy, Volta Charging
  • Evan Conley, VP, Strategic Partnerships, GridPoint
  • Maria Kretzing, Director, Innovation, Bidgely
  • Yann Kulp, Co-Founder & Director Business Development, eIQ mobility
  • Sadia Raveendran, Senior Director, Industry Solutions, AutoGrid
  • Rebecca Gutierrez, VP Marketing, Blink Charging
  • Stacy Noblet, VP, Transportation Electrification, ICF
  • Sophia Zhang, Senior Data Scientist, Eversource Energy

“The early adopters proved the viability of EVs. Now it’s time for automakers, utilities, charging network operators, and governments to unite and bring the benefits of electric mobility to the masses,” said Srijata Chattopadhyay, Director, Strategy and Corporate Development, Volta. “Volta’s Charging For All initiative demonstrates our commitment to affordable, reliable, and equitable charging across the US. We’re thrilled to be joining our peers for a discussion central to creating a clean, carbon-free future for all.”

“We are seeing tremendous growth with EV sales, growing 85% over the last year, with plug-in hybrid electric vehicle sales increased by 138% in the same period. In addition, a significant interest by fleet operators for electric fleets is making the conversations around EV charging infrastructure front and center,” said Rebecca Gutierrez, VP Marketing, Blink Charging. “I look forward to collaborating and sharing insights, as the leaders in the EV charging industry, about what factors are impacting the adoption of EVs and what infrastructure companies can do to create the EV infrastructure to drive widespread EV adoption.”

“Broad adoption of electric vehicles can dramatically increase electricity demand and strain existing distribution systems,” said Sophia Zhang, Senior Data Scientist, Eversource Energy. “Utilities and energy providers must proactively plan for these disruptions, understand their system impact and develop robust tools and flexible solutions to continue to maintain reliable electricity supply.”

“The infrastructure required to support mass EV adoption means more energy demand which collides with grid needs to decarbonize the current built environment as much as possible," said Evan Conley, VP, Strategic Partnerships, GridPoint. "At GridPoint we are excited to bring the commercial perspective to this panel and discuss how smart technologies can help businesses deploy EV chargers efficiently and cost-effectively.”

Parks Associates will feature its latest consumer and industry insights throughout the event, featuring data from its ongoing quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

About Smart Energy Summit

Parks Associates’ 15th annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer is co-located with DISTRIBUTECH 2024 on February 27-28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.  Smart Energy Summit addresses energy and renewables technology trends in the residential and small-to-medium business markets.

Industry players join expert panels and networking sessions to address the expansion and monetization of energy management and other energy-focused offerings through consumer engagement, new business models, unique partnerships, and innovative technologies.

The conference also features 2024 virtual sessions January 23, July 23, and October 10. Follow the event on Twitter/X at @SmartEnergySmt and #SmartEnergy24. For information on speaking, sponsoring, or attending Smart Energy Summit, visit www.smartenergysmt.com.