EVCS Recap: The Power of Utility + Charging Provider Partnerships 

Reliable, accessible charging infrastructure is critical to America’s EV future. At the recent EV Charging Summit and Expo, Lynkwell played a pivotal role in a panel discussion that examined how strategic partnerships between utilities and charging providers can meet evolving customer needs. 

Panel Overview and Participants 

Introduced by Kate Kruk, Partner and Engagement Director at Lynkwell and the event MC, Enoch Lenge—who brings 13 years of utility experience from Eversource and now represents Codibly—guided the conversation with expertise from both sides of the partnership equation. “This topic of utility and partners is near and dear to me,” he explained, setting the stage for a discussion focused on real-world examples, challenges, and solutions. 

The distinguished panel featured three industry leaders: 

• Jonathan Schofield: Sales Director at Star Charge Americas, a leader in EV charging and battery storage solutions. 

• Mark Gross: VP of Product Management at NovaCharge, a full-service charging provider based in Orlando. 

• Will DeRuve: VP of North American Sales at Lynkwell, who showcased our comprehensive approach to EV infrastructure. 

Working with Utilities: Building Successful Partnerships 

Each panelist shared their approach to utility partnerships, highlighting the importance of these relationships for successful EV charging deployment. 

Representing Lynkwell, Will DeRuve highlighted the company’s end-to-end capabilities, from manufacturing Level 2 chargers in upstate New York to developing a robust, in-house software backend refined over years of innovation. This comprehensive approach positions Lynkwell as a strong partner for utilities, offering integrated hardware and software solutions that support grid resilience and EV adoption. 

Mark Gross emphasized NovaCharge’s deep-rooted relationships with utilities, particularly in Florida. He noted that he and his team often help design and support their utility’s customer-facing programs, explaining how NovaCharge advocates on behalf of mutual customers and ensures that utility-sponsored programs are not only technically sound, but truly customer-centric. 

Jonathan Schofield explained Star Charge’s collaboration method: “When we work with utilities, we’re really working with a program manager and helping them understand how our product works, how it will be operable within their utility system.” He highlighted their participation in vetted product lists, either directly through utilities or via the Electric Power Research Institute’s national program. 

The Challenge of Asset Utilization and Avoiding Stranded Assets 

Moderator Enoch Lenge emphasized a critical industry concern: ensuring that deployed charging stations remain operational and don’t become abandoned assets. “It takes really strong partners that really care about the longevity of the industry and the ecosystem that don’t want to just throw chargers in and get something in the ground and walk away,” he noted. This focus on long-term reliability aligns with Lynkwell’s X‑Change model, which emphasizes strong industry partnerships to keep charging infrastructure operational and adaptable over time. 

This led to a deeper discussion about maintaining reliable infrastructure, with DeRuve highlighting Lynkwell’s approach to this challenge, saying, “What a lot of the utilities are starting to realize is they’ve funded a lot of bad projects and now they have outlaid resources, dollars, and time for chargers that don’t work anymore.” 

DeRuve emphasized Lynkwell’s thorough vetting process: “We do a ton of testing and a ton of vetting to make sure our system can talk to that other system. If we’re not talking the same language, it’s not going to work well.” 

Rather than focusing solely on utilization metrics, DeRuve explained our focus on successful charging experiences: “What are the successful charge ratios on cars? What is the percentage of time a driver can pull up and have a successful charge the first time they try? Because I want somebody to have a great experience, whether they only come once or they come every day.” 

Forward-Looking Solutions and Maintenance 

A significant portion of the discussion focused on maintaining charging infrastructure long-term and building strategies to enhance customer experience as the industry scales. Will DeRuve shared Lynkwell’s proactive approach: “We’ve started to build out programs for our chargers that include things like upgrades throughout the future. As technology changes, the chargers are getting better.” 

He also described Lynkwell’s advanced predictive approach: “We’re starting to build systems in our backend [software system] that are doing predictive analytics on all of our chargers to determine when something is going to fail so we don’t have to react to when it fails…The key is to get ahead of these things.” 

One of the most forward-looking topics raised during the panel was guest charging—the ability for drivers to access a charger without an app, account, or prior relationship with the site. As Gross noted, setting expectations for a charging experience that is convenient and seamless is crucial for the customer experience, saying “Bare minimum expectation management [is that] you pull up to a charger, you expect it to work.” As EV adoption expands, utilities and charging providers alike are recognizing that infrastructure must serve more than just assigned users or fleet vehicles—it must meet the expectations of visitors, rideshare drivers, and transient users who represent a growing portion of charging demand. 

Reinforcing that point, DeRuve highlighted Lynkwell’s role in enabling this accessibility through simplified, app-free solutions, saying, “You don’t need to download an app anymore and I think you’re going to see that become a more regular thing people offer. Nobody wants to keep downloading apps, especially if I’m traveling into a city I might never come back to…We’re starting to consolidate all the different things you need, so I think doing simple things like enabling guest charging, has really increased the amount of people who are happy with their experience.” 

As utilities increasingly tie incentives to performance and usage metrics, guest charging represents a critical tool for meeting and exceeding those benchmarks. Partners who can deliver inclusive, accessible charging will be better positioned to participate in future utility programs and pilot initiatives. 

Conclusion: The Path Forward 

The panel highlighted the critical importance of strong partnerships between utilities and charging providers to ensure reliable, accessible charging infrastructure. As utilities invest in EV charging programs, they increasingly focus on selecting partners who can deliver high uptime percentages and positive user experiences. 

At Lynkwell, the understanding of these dynamics drives our prioritization of both the technology and the relationships needed to build successful charging networks. As Will DeRuve summarized: “Upholding to the most basic thing we’re trying to do here, which is charge cars, is the most important thing we can do… So just get it done the right way.” 

Through our continued focus on quality hardware, advanced software systems, and proactive maintenance, Lynkwell remains committed to being a trusted partner for utilities and EV drivers alike, ensuring that America’s charging infrastructure remains reliable and accessible as we transition to an electric transportation future. 

Want to dive deeper into the insights that shaped conversations at EVCS? Explore more key takeaways on our EVCS Content Hub.