FreeWire Technologies, a pioneer in flexible mobile power and EV charging technology (earlier post), will demonstrate its Mobi Gen and Mobi EV Charger units at DistribuTECH in partnership with Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), the nation’s sixth-largest utility. SMUD is testing the units for deployment within Sacramento.

Mobi EV Chargers are suited for applications that require flexibility and when installing permanent infrastructure is not feasible; they deliver high-performance EV charging capabilities beyond the confines of fixed infrastructure.

The Freewire products currently offer Level 2 charging at 7.5 kW or DC fast charging at 50 kW. The L2 models recharge from a wall outlet; each unit is equipped with dual J1772 plugs and can charge 2 vehicles at once. The L3 fast chargers also recharge from a wall outlet; each model is compatible with CHAdeMO or Tesla standards. Mobi Chargers are intelligent networked stations that allow flexible pricing and electricity delivery, track energy usage for reimbursement, and provide remote access of the stations.

These units allow us to expand our power service offerings. SMUD chose FreeWire’s Mobi Gen and Mobi EV Charger units to engage Sacramento residents with a new offering aimed at improving air quality, driving EV adoption, and intelligently managing customer demand.

—Lupe Jimenez, Manager of Energy Research and Development at SMUD

The Mobi Gen battery-backed power provides an alternative to diesel-burning generators for applications that require quiet, non-polluting power for facilities or remote sites, such as food trucks, music events, construction sites, emergency response, and backup power needs.

This collaboration builds on SMUD’s major progress towards the clean energy transition, while identifying new ways to provide services that generate new revenue streams. The community-owned utility has drafted an Integrated Resource Plan, committing to achieving a 90% reduction in their electricity portfolio greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, relative to 1990 levels.

The plan acknowledges that reducing GHG emissions in the Sacramento region will require transforming the local energy economy in ways that expand beyond current state policies and mandates.SMUD is poised to facilitate critical pieces of this transition.

SMUD also expects to be a major partner with other local, regional, and state players in ensuring that Sacramento is on a path to achieving the state’s ambitious climate goals.