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August 2, 2022


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.”

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.

To register, visit the event website and apply for a Press Pass here. To request data or an interview, contact Rosey Sera, [email protected], 972-490-1113.

About Smart Energy Summit

Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer addresses the evolution of the consumer utility market, the impact of COVID-19 on energy management programs, and new opportunities to drive engagement in utility-sponsored programs. Virtual panels and networking sessions, featuring executive-level experts from multiple industries, address strategies for utilities, service providers, retailers, software providers, and manufacturers to expand and monetize energy management and other energy-focused offerings through consumer engagement, new business models, unique partnerships, and innovative technologies.

Smart Energy Summit features an in-person conference February 13-15 at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, with virtual sessions on June 15, August 17, and November 9. The summit agenda features leaders from utilities, state and national regulators, telecom and security companies, retailers, and OEMs. Follow the event on Twitter at @SmartEnergySmt and #SmartEnergy23. For information on speaking, sponsoring, or attending Smart Energy Summit, visit www.smartenergysmt.com.