KIGT: The Apple of Charging Stations
Just like the first wave of most technologies, home EV chargers tend toward the … utilitarian side. Not so with KIGT, where UX/UI have been top of mind since the outset. Paul Francis, CEO of KIGT, told me in a recent interview that the energy industry is still caught in a mindset of just getting the technology right. A big part of our EV revolution, however, is market adoption, and for that, KIGT’s sleek, user-friendly design is helping expand the EV charging market to customers with style and a more advanced UX/UI in mind on top of functionality.
“For EV Drivers, KIGT is a user-experience company that makes EV charging more flexible, affordable, accessible, and enjoyable,” said Francis.
Of course, they’ve got the tech worked out, too. Working alongside partners such as UC Riverside and Cleantech San Diego (SCEIN), KIGT is siting charging stations in places where people park their cars the most. To help large-scale customers like UC-R, KIGT integrates and then standardizes all new requirements for utility-grade infrastructure so that EV charging is smarter and easier to operate for the site host and utilities during demand response times.
KIGT is currently looking for connections to commercial real estate and multi-family developers, electricians and general contractors, and automotive OEM V2G demonstration partners. Also, it is offering people the chance to get a charger for just $99. For those qualified, incentives can cover the rest of the cost. Submit your application here to see if you qualify.
They also like to have some fun. Check out their EV story competition, where you can enter to win prizes and miles.
In addition to being an innovative and truly customer-facing company, KIGT also gives back. Francis and his team recently launched the first ever EV technician training program, in partnership with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI). A diverse group of students was recruited to help cast a wide net and reach beyond the usual choir of EV enthusiasts, and to start creating a new workforce of certified technicians who can help fix and maintain EVs.
Click here to read KIGT CEO Paul Francis’s bio on Cleantechies, where the rest of my interview with him covers vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, the history of KIGT, and what it’s like being a Black CEO in the cleantech industry.
Know a Black leader of a cleantech company? We’d love to feature them, as part of our company’s anti-racism efforts. Cleantech can and will solve all the world’s problems for all the world’s people, but can only do so if it’s inclusive and features members of all races in its leadership. Let us know here.
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