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WYTHEVILLE, Va., March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Evatran announced today, in cooperation with Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), that it has been awarded a subcontract under ORNL’s DOE Project, “Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) and Charging of Plug-In Electric Vehicles.” The three-year project, opened in October of 2012, covers high power wireless charging technology integration into electric vehicles currently on-sale in select US markets. Evatran’s knowledge of efficient wireless power transfer, system controls, and intuitive user interfaces coupled with the Company’s documented success in prototype field trials led ORNL to select the three year-old, Virginia-based start up for inclusion.

Utilizing strong technical knowledge out of its office in the Research Triangle Park area of Raleigh, Evatran will focus on vehicle integration and supply production designs for the Project Team. “This is our area of expertise,” commented Rebecca Hough, Evatran CEO and co-founder. “We’ve spent the last three years focusing on how to efficiently and safely integrate wireless charging systems into electric vehicles. The information and learnings gathered from our field trials will be extremely valuable in helping ORNL to create an efficient, low cost production design. We couldn’t be more excited to work with such strong industry leaders on this initiative to bring wireless charging into the mainstream.”

The project team, led by ORNL, also includes two major international automotive manufacturers, Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), Cisco, and Duke Energy. After a first year of design research, the team will integrate 6.6kW and 10 kW designs into six production electric vehicles during the second year of the project. The third year of the project will see those vehicles placed into the field for limited field trials. The project team will install static wireless charging systems and show capability for dynamic wireless charging (wireless charging while vehicle is in motion).

About Evatran
Plugless Power™, developed by Evatran™, is the first electric vehicle (EV) charging system on the market to offer customers a simple way to charge their EVs with the ease of wireless technology. In addition to aftermarket distribution, Evatran is currently working with automotive manufacturers to integrate the Plugless Power technology into mass-market EVs for launch by 2015. The Company is currently working with Oak Ridge National Lab on a three-year DOE grant to integrate high power wireless charging technology into production electric vehicles. Evatran has signed installation and distribution agreements with Bosch Automotive Service Solutions and Sears Home Services to support the installation of Plugless Power systems nationwide. The Apollo Launch Program, an initiative started by Evatran in 2012, follows industry leaders Duke Energy, Clemson University, LADWP, Google, the City of Sacramento, EDTA, DTE Energy, the City of Raleigh and the Hertz Corporation, as they trial the Plugless Power technology on their own EVs. To learn more about Plugless Power or to reserve a wireless charging system for your own EV, visit www.pluglesspower.com.

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Evatran has plans to sell aftermarket systems that will work with popular plug-in models such as the LEAF and the Volt. Qualcomm is using its London trial as a test bed for its Halo wireless EV charging (WEVC). Momentum Dynamics is developing a system aimed at fleet operators. And Infiniti has incorporated wireless charging into its LE Concept electric sedan, which it says will be ready for the market in 2014. Meanwhile, many more companies are researching wireless applications of various kinds – over 40 organizations are involved in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) committee that’s working on a set of wireless standards.

The casual observer might think of wireless charging as simply offering a little added convenience, and wonder why it’s worth developing a whole new technology. After all, don’t EV boosters insist that charging is already quick and easy? Is picking up a cable from a stand every evening and plugging it into your car really such an onerous task? Why go wireless?

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The Plugless Power technology, based on the 100 year old principle of magnetic induction, was developed to allow electric vehicle drivers to avoid the repetitive process of physically plugging-in and unplugging their EVs on a daily basis. Previous trial participants have commented on the convenience of the wireless charging system and the effortless lifestyle it affords an EV driver.

The Apollo participants will be trialing the second generation of Evatran’s technology, improved through the first phase of the Program, launched in March 2012 with Google, Hertz, Duke Energy, Clemson University, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).

“We are deeply committed to creating a sustainable city,” said John Shirey, Sacramento City Manager. “We made considerable strides over the years making aspects of our vehicle fleet, our city-owned buildings, parking garages, and street lights eco-friendly.  With this partnership and pilot program, we have the ability to go even further with incorporating green practices that make good sense.  In the end, we as a City are setting the example of reducing our carbon footprint.”

“This second phase of the Program,” commented Rebecca Hough, Evatran’s Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, “is aimed at confirming our production design is ready for release to individual electric vehicle owners. The first phase of the Program guided us towards the optimal design for user interface, communication speed, industrial design, and parking guidance. For the second phase, we’ve focused on getting a diverse collection of installation locations – from Detroit to Southern California to the Southeast – to insure we’re ready to launch the product on a nationwide scale.”

The announced installations in the second phase of the program include:

• Four stations installed on Nissan LEAFs and Chevrolet Volts in California from the City of Sacramento and LADWP to Google in Silicon Valley
• Four stations installed in cold-weather climates like Detroit with Apollo partners Bosch Automotive Service Solutions and DTE Energy on Chevrolet Volts
• Five stations installed on Chevy Volts and Nissan LEAF in the Southeast with City of Raleigh, Duke Energy in Charlotte, and Clemson University in South Carolina
• One station installed in the Northeast at The Hertz Corporation Headquarters
• One station installed in D.C. with the Electric Drive Transportation Association

Evatran plans to have over twenty installations as part of the Apollo Trial Program. The partners will trial the second generation systems for three months and then Evatran will release the product to individual EV owners across the country.

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The City of Raleigh, along with the other Apollo partners, will use Plugless Power wireless charging systems on its own fleet of electric vehicles. These second generation systems, improved following the feedback from the first phase of the program, are production-intent and will be available to individual electric vehicle owners as soon as next April.

“We are excited to be the first municipality to participate in this program,” Mayor Nancy McFarlane said. “This is another example of how Raleigh continues to lead the nation in sustainability issues.”

With offices in the Research Triangle Park area, Evatran has been developing the wireless charging technology for high-power applications over the last three years. The City of Raleigh’s commitment to the Apollo Program represents the first wireless charging stations installed in the local area. The installations, at three parking spots in municipal lots around the Raleigh, will allow a Chevy Volt and two Nissan LEAF vehicles to pull up and charge without the effort of plugging into the unit.

“This is an exciting announcement for Evatran,” said Rebecca Hough, chief executive officer and co-founder of Evatran. “We’ve been looking forward to getting this technology into the field and there’s something to be said for our local municipality stepping up to be first. The Raleigh-Durham area is one of the most electric vehicle-friendly areas in the country, and with the City’s participation in the Apollo Program, it will now be a leader in the adoption of advanced electric vehicle charging technologies.”

 The City of Raleigh will have systems installed at the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex and the City’s Transit Operations Center. Both locations will provide charging for City-owned vehicles.

For more information on Plugless Power or the Apollo Program, visit www.pluglesspower.com. For additional information on the City of Raleigh’s sustainability projects, visit the City’s website at www.raleighnc.gov.

WYTHEVILLE, Va., Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Transportation pioneer Evatran is proud to announce the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) and DTE Energy as the newest participants in the Company’s Apollo Trial Program, where participants trial groundbreaking Plugless Power wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging technology. EDTA and DTE Energy join existing Apollo participants The Hertz Corporation, Google, Duke Energy, Clemson University, SPX Service Solutions, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Launched in early 2012, the Apollo Program aims to encourage EV adoption and increase awareness of wireless charging technology. With the Company’s first generation prototypes installed at six locations across the United States from March through November, Evatran captured feedback from diverse climates and charging environments. In the second phase of the Program, kicking off at the beginning of 2013, Evatran will collect charging data from over 25 production grade Plugless Power systems installed with partners across the country.

Insights from the first phase of the Trial Program led Evatran to improve system communication speed, decrease the size of components, and redesign the user interface of the charging system. The second phase of the Program, with announced partners SPX Service Solutions, EDTA, and DTE Energy, will focus on installing production grade hardware in preparation for selling Plugless Power systems to individual EV drivers in April 2013.

“Our team has worked diligently for the past year to prepare for the production launch of the world’s first wireless charging technology available to individual EV drivers. Thanks to the help of our Apollo partners, we’ve improved the product and we’re ready to put the next generation of the technology into the field. With the second phase of our Trial Program ramping up, we look forward to welcoming valuable feedback from another group of strong, industry leading brands like EDTA and DTE Energy,” commented Kevin Beck, Evatran’s Vice President of Sales and Business Development.

EDTA will have systems installed at its headquarters in Washington D.C., while DTE Energy will trial systems in the cold weather climate of Detroit, Michigan. Each participant in the second phase of the Program will test the systems for three months, and then have the systems upgraded to final production quality at the close of the trial.

For more information on Plugless Power or the Apollo Program visit: www.pluglesspower.com.

About Evatran

Plugless Power™, developed by Evatran™, is the first electric vehicle (EV) charging system on the market to offer customers a simple way to charge their EVs with the ease of wireless technology. In addition to aftermarket distribution, Evatran is currently working with automotive manufacturers to integrate the Plugless Power technology into mass-market EVs. The Company has signed installation and distribution agreements with SPX Service Solutions and Sears Home Services to support the installation of Plugless Power systems nationwide. The Apollo Launch Program, an initiative started by Evatran in 2012, follows industry leaders such as Duke Energy, Clemson University, Google, and Hertz, as they trial the Plugless Power technology on their own EVs. To learn more about Plugless Power or to reserve a wireless charging system for your own EV, visit www.pluglesspower.com.

Who will be the Richmond area’s next job creators and how will they fund their operations?

New Richmond Ventures, a venture capital development firm, was formed a year ago by some of the area’s most acclaimed businessmen to identify emerging leaders with big ideas and help them grow world-class businesses in this area.

“We are very supportive of the local coffee shop, but it’s not what we are set up to do,” said J. Robert “Bob” Mooney, one of four partners at New Richmond Ventures.

New Richmond Ventures provides a minimum $250,000 investment and mentoring to startup companies with a passion for social impact and business potential on national or global scales.

The company has invested, for example, in Evatran, which provides wireless recharging products for electric cars, eliminating the need to plug in vehicles and making them easier to recharge.

The technology involves an adapter on an electric car that allows the driver to pull up to a parking place equipped with a transmitter device to recharge the vehicle.

The startup has been through three rounds of funding from equity investors, but none resembles the latest infusion from NRV, said Rebecca Hough, 26, chief executive officer and co-founder of the family-owned business.

Typically, investors are concerned about their equity positions, Hough said.

“The difference for us is the focus that NRV puts on where we are going,” she said, declining to say how much money the group invested. “They look at what impact we hope to have and how they can help us get to where we want to be.”

Evatran’s plant is in Wytheville, but the headquarters will relocate to the Richmond area in early 2013, Hough said.

Some might refer to New Richmond Ventures as an angel investor or venture capital firm.

However, the partners say they are not simply interested in putting money into a company with potential to increase shareholder value. Nor do they seek set returns on investments over pre-determined time periods.

“We are patient investors,” Mooney said. “These are early-stage investments. They will take years to monetize.”

Their mission, they say, is to help jumpstart the region as a hub for a new breed of startups.

The principals at New Richmond Ventures, including Mooney, are among Richmond’s most influential:

¤ James E. Ukrop;

¤ Theodore L. Chandler Jr.; and

¤ Andy Stefanovich.

All four serve on numerous community and corporate boards, providing guidance on several levels in the Richmond area…

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WYTHEVILLE, VA (NOV 2, 2012) – Evatran announced today that it has hired Joe Freeman as Director of Manufacturing for its Wytheville operations. Mr. Freeman comes to the Evatran team with over 30 years of management and manufacturing experience in the Wytheville area. Evatran is in the process of setting up its manufacturing and assembly organization out of the facility at 925 Fairview Road for Plugless Power, its wireless charging technology for electric vehicles (EVs). The first production systems are scheduled to roll off assembly lines in January 2013 with third party certified systems available by April 2013.

“Hiring Joe Freeman to manage our Wytheville operations is an important step for Evatran,” said Thomas Hough, Evatran Chief Executive Officer. “His experience, demeanor, and connection to the Wytheville community will be assets to our Company as we start up manufacturing over the coming months. With new technology like Plugless Power, it is critical to bring on board seasoned, experienced candidates like Joe. We know he will be successful at not only setting up a quality manufacturing facility but also promoting involvement with the community and instilling our Company’s values in our future workforce.”

Mr. Freeman joins Evatran after more than 20 years of managing the Longwood Elastomers facility in Wytheville. With responsibility for engineering, accounting, quality, human resources, maintenance, continuous improvement, and manufacturing, Mr. Freeman implemented a number of progressive manufacturing policies and procedures including team-based operations and lean manufacturing. With his team, Mr. Freeman will be responsible for all facets of Evatran’s manufacturing facility in Wytheville.

For more information, please visit: www.pluglesspower.com.

About Evatran
Plugless PowerTM, developed by EvatranTM, is the first electric vehicle (EV) charging system on the market to offer customers a simple way to charge their EVs with the ease of wireless technology. In addition to aftermarket distribution, Evatran is currently working with automotive manufacturers to integrate the Plugless Power technology into mass-market EVs. The company has signed installation agreements with Sears Home Services to support the installation of Plugless Power systems nationwide. The Apollo Launch Program, an initiative started by Evatran in 2012, follows industry leaders such as Duke Energy, Clemson University, Google, SPX, and Hertz as they trial the Plugless Power technology on their own EVs. To learn more about Plugless Power or to reserve a wireless charging system for your own EV, visit www.pluglesspower.com.