On April 28, 2023, InCharge Energy announced the launch of three bidirectional DC fast chargers: the ICE-22 V2X, ICE-44 V2X, and ICE-66 V2X. These chargers enabled vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities, allowing electric vehicles to both charge from and discharge back to the grid or facility.
The ICE-22 V2X supported sequential charging for extended vehicle dwell times and back-to-back vehicle discharge operations. The ICE-44 V2X could simultaneously or sequentially charge and discharge two vehicles. The ICE-66 V2X provided high-output rapid charging or facility-level energy discharge capability.
All three models underwent extensive interoperability testing with V2G and V2X-capable electric vehicles to ensure compatibility across different manufacturers. The chargers integrated with InControl for fleet management system integration.
InCharge identified four primary use cases: qualifying for grant funding programs that increasingly required V2X capability, integrating with renewable energy systems, optimizing time-of-use utility rates by discharging during peak periods, and providing backup power during grid outages.
CTO Cliff Fietzek stated: "Our turnkey bidirectional solution helps fleets reach emissions goals and provides greater sustainability for local communities." The announcement emphasized providing complete system integration rather than requiring customers to assemble components from multiple vendors.
The product launch occurred as California and other jurisdictions began including V2X capability requirements in grant programs and building codes. Several federal and state funding programs offered additional incentives for bidirectional-capable charging infrastructure.
Product Development for Grant Requirements
In early 2023, few fleets were actively requesting bidirectional charging. The primary EV fleet use case was simple: charge vehicles overnight at the depot, operate routes during the day, return and repeat. Bidirectional capability added complexity, cost, and battery cycling concerns without clear operational benefits for most fleet operators.
But grant programs were changing. California's infrastructure funding increasingly favored or required V2X capability. Building codes in some jurisdictions started mandating bidirectional-ready installations. These policy shifts created a market-forcing function: fleets that wanted access to grant funding needed V2X-capable hardware, regardless of whether they planned to use the bidirectional features immediately.
The product decision was to develop bidirectional capability ahead of organic market demand because the funding environment would make it table stakes for competitive deployments. This is a specific pattern in infrastructure markets: policy requirements drive product roadmaps faster than customer pull.
The "extensive interoperability testing" mentioned in the announcement was critical and time-consuming. Unlike unidirectional charging, which follows relatively mature standards (CHAdeMO, CCS), bidirectional charging in 2023 still had implementation variability across vehicle manufacturers. Each vehicle model required validation testing to ensure the charger could successfully manage bidirectional power flow without tripping safety systems or damaging battery management systems.
The three-model product line—22 kW, 44 kW, and 66 kW—reflected different deployment scenarios rather than simply offering customers more power options, as they had different form factors. The ICE-22 fit smaller facilities with limited electrical service. The ICE-44 handled typical fleet depot needs with multiple vehicle positions. The ICE-66 targeted facilities that wanted to use EVs as significant grid-interactive assets for demand response or backup power.
Our software architecture for fleet management integration acknowledged that V2X operations required deeper system integration than simple charging. Fleets couldn't practically manually manage which vehicles discharge when; it required automated coordination with vehicle schedules, state of charge requirements, utility rate periods, and facility energy needs.
The backup power use case was marketable but operationally complex. Using EV batteries as backup power meant accepting battery cycling costs, managing state of charge to ensure vehicles were ready for routes after a discharge event, and coordinating with facility critical loads.
Selling back energy to the grid required our utility friends to be ready and approve of the installations. with 2,000 something utilities in the USA, this readiness had a lot of local variability. Our goal was not just finding willing customers and grant programs but also finding utilities that were interested in piloting these projects.