One of the biggest obstacles to installing DC fast charging stations is getting it the big three-phase power it needs from the power company. This is not only expensive to put in, but makes for a huge bill every month (called demand charges). Demand charges are based on the maximum amount of power you use in a 15 or 30 minute period during the month.

Many commercial and industrial customers have already solved this problem by signing up for time-of-use (TOU) electric rates with their utility. TOU rates are lower at night and on weekends when demand is low. This gives customers an advantage and helps the power company manage its loads. But, that only helps with the rates, and not the monthly demand charge.

There’s a solution to both this and the limited availability of big power at rural businesses: FreeWire’s stations with integrated battery storage.