SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — What began as a pilot program for SMUD is now becoming a mainstream solution for managing the power to the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE).  Cyber Switching, an innovator in the energy management space for over 25 years, continues to lead the way toward reliable, cost effective electric vehicle charging with the Electric Vehicle Master Controller (EVMC). SMUD has been a leader in electric vehicle research for nearly 30 years and it was natural that Cyber Switching would work alongside the electric utility in its ongoing EV fleet implementation.

Understanding how the grid will be impacted by electric vehicle adoption and focusing on existing electric distribution infrastructure, SMUD decided to try the EVMC.

SMUD has been committed to electric vehicles since 1989 and continuously supports EV adoption which helps improve the air quality in the Sacramento region and reduces dependency on oil. “SMUD is working with Cyber Switching to test the charge management capabilities of their EV Master Controller to determine if it can help our customers save money by avoiding the cost of an electrical panel upgrade,” explained Dwight MacCurdy, SMUD Energy Research and Development Project Manager. “We have been able to charge 3 to 4 fleet EVs from a single circuit using their rotational charging technology.”

Cyber Switching CTO, Ron Silorio, commented, “We are a power management & control company, first and foremost. We’ve expanded our offerings to include different functionalities.  In SMUD’s case we become their analytical dashboard, their means of access and control. At times they don’t need to rotate or power share- but that benefit is always available.” For example, when SMUD has a busy day with all hands on deck- all circuits run at same time.  However, in the case where longer dwell time is acceptable, SMUD can flip the EVMC into rotation mode and continue charging one vehicle for a set time and multiplex the circuit in a round-robin fashion. 

The additional Cloud-based platform allows for simplicity in managing and monitoring the energy use to control demand charges, time of use, and other significant cost factors.  “We are definitely involved in the Utility space where these considerations are at the forefront of the discussions and are pleased our technology is being praised as a solution for our customers,” shared Silorio.