Envision Solar International, Inc., the leading producer of unique and sustainable infrastructure products for electric vehicle charging, energy security, and outdoor media, announced that its flood-proof EV ARC™ product is now patent-pending through U.S. Patent Application No. 16/898,097.
The flood proof EV ARC™ 2020 incorporates all the benefits of previous generations of EV ARC™ products and can now withstand an inundation of over nine feet without suffering damage or ceasing to operate. Transportable, but permanent, and deployed without construction or connections to the utility grid, the EV ARC™ 2020 is an ideal solution for the Gulf Coast, Florida Panhandle, East Coast and any other environment where the potential for flooding exists and where electrical infrastructure is required.
The EV ARC™ product family provides a source of power for EV charging and emergency preparedness in locations where it is too expensive, too impactful or simply impossible to extend the utility grid. Because EV ARC™ products generate and store all their own electricity they are also ideal EV charging and emergency power solutions during grid failures such as blackouts and brownouts.
Traditional grid tied EV chargers and the cabling and conduits that supply them are generally destroyed by flooding. The new patent pending EV ARC™ 2020 will continue to generate and store electricity during flood conditions. The product’s emergency power panel is installed more than 10 feet above ground level and will continue to supply electricity during weather events which disable traditional sources of electrical power.
“This latest patent pending product will enable us to deliver an additional layer of energy security to our customers,” said Envision CEO Desmond Wheatley. “Grid failures and flooding create significant vulnerabilities for EV owners whether they are private vehicle owners or fleet managers. We’ve been supplying EV charging solutions that are immune to grid failures for many years. We have seen them used in COVID-19 emergency centers, during fire related public safety power shut offs, and by first responders across the country. With this new patent pending product, those emergency workers and others will know that they have a supply of vital electricity which will serve them faithfully even during and after flooding.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) fifth assessment report anticipates that, in light of climate change, North America will experience “an increase in the number of heavy precipitation events” and “increased damages from river and coastal urban floods.” Local electrical distribution infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to flooding whether by fresh or saltwater. An increase in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) being used by both government and non-government entities means that flood-resilient infrastructure is already an imperative for disaster continuity programs.
Envision believes that the combination of EV charging, emergency power, and transportability make the patent-pending flood-proof EV ARC™ 2020 an essential tool in any fleet operator’s disaster preparedness program. As COVID-19 stimulus infrastructure funds are directed by Federal, State, and Local Governments, the EV ARC™ will provide a shovel ready, American-made option that is vital and timely.
