San Marcos-based XCharge North America is set to install its Net Zero Series EV charging station in Allen, marking the first open-access DC Fast Charging (DCFC) station in the North Texas city, the company announced. The station, which includes an energy storage system, features bi-directional capability that can return power to the grid when needed.

Slated for installation in April, the station will be located in the parking garage of telecom service provider MD7’s corporate headquarters at One Bethany West, allowing two vehicles to be charged simultaneously.

The charging station will be installed at MD7’s headquarters at One Bethany West located at the One Bethany campus.

Allen Mayor Ken Fulk praised MD7’s commitment to sustainability, saying, “This represents a commitment to sustainability, which further contributes to national goals for electrification and decarbonization. They’re setting a great example for others to follow as we move toward a more electric vehicle world.”

MD7 relocated to Allen from San Diego in 2021.

MD7, a company with a history in cell tower sites and construction, entered the EV charging station market a little over a year ago. It’s a natural progression, says MD7 CEO Michael Gianni.

“Like the inception of the cell tower industry about 30 years ago, EV charging station operators need assistance finding, leasing, and building large numbers of EV charging sites across the United States and Europe—this is what we do,” Gianni told Dallas Innovates.

“We feel like we are getting in on the ground floor in what we anticipate will be a major societal improvement to how we power our vehicles,” said an MD7 spokesperson.

Michael Gianni, chairman and CEO of MD7 [Photo: MD7]

The company’s partnership with the City of Allen and XCharge North America has allowed them to take this significant step towards a cleaner, healthier environment with the installation of its first “open-to-the-public” DC Fast Charging solution at its new headquarters at One Bethany West.

Allen Economic Development Corp. Assistant Director David Ellis noted the importance of EV charging capabilities for a city.

In a statement, Ellis emphasized the strategic value of investing in EV charging infrastructure, saying, “A robust EV charging infrastructure helps companies attract and retain top talent.”

He also noted that companies embracing this technology showcase their commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation and recognizing the importance of maintaining a competitive edge in an ever-evolving global landscape.

EV chargers with the U.S. grid in mind

XCharge Net Zero charger rendering

XCharge North America’s NZS is equipped with a liquid-cooled Lithium-Ion battery as buffer storage allowing for easy installation and highly stable operations.

XCharge’s Net Zero Series battery-based charging station provides a 194kW maximum output with two charging ports, the company said. That’s nearly 20 times more output than the majority of L2 chargers, significantly reducing charging idle time to 35-45 minutes.

“The Net Zero Series is made with the U.S. grid in mind,” Aatish Patel, president and co-founder of XCharge North America, said in a statement. “With its high capacity internal storage, low input requirements, and ability to distribute energy in multiple forms, the NZS is what grids need to ensure sustainable and fortified energy in the future.”

Patel said that the chargers allow operators to maximize voltage output—up to 194kW—based on the desired use case, because of its modular design.

“XCharge North America is excited to strengthen its presence and partnership in Allen understanding that access to efficient EV charging solutions is a key component to a growing sustainable city,” Patel said.

Optimizing energy supply

The charger has integration capabilities with energy storage systems and liquid-cooled Lithium battery pack to enable optimized energy supply and demand for EVs and grids, the company said. 

The integrated bi-directional energy storage allows the NZS to store up to 233kWh of electricity, while reducing the needed infrastructure to support this power transfer.

The storage can be used not only to charge vehicles, but also act as emergency power for surrounding buildings and additional support to the grid in times of need or during blackouts.

The bi-directional ACDC modules allow vehicles and the storage unit to sell back energy to the grid, which enables peak shaving capabilities and more flexibility in operation, the company said. XCharge said it offers NZS plus, which combines two units of storage to make it 466kWh, doubling the number of charging sessions from energy storage.

A need for more DC Fast chargers in North Texas

Allen, whose population tops 109,0000, has had no previous open-access DCFC charging station availability. The only comparable Level 3 charger in the city is at a Tesla Supercharger station near Allen Premium Outlets, but that’s a closed network for Tesla drivers only.

XCharge says its charger upgrade will provide drivers with roughly 100-plus miles of range per 30 minutes of charging versus Level 2 abilities to provide roughly 25 miles of range per half-hour of charging.

The company said it has been accepted as a member of the Open Charge Alliance’s Open Charge Point Protocol, an institution that supports the global development, adoption, and compliance of communication protocols in the EV charging infrastructure.

It allows XCharge North America to contribute to Open Charging Point Protocol and Open Smart Charging Point ideas and establish best practices globally. Joining the OCPP coalition and becoming UL compliant were vital business steps, as it demonstrates the company’s determination to contribute, and abide by, open standards on a global scale, XCharge said.

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