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XInCharge Bidirectional Chargers Empower Fleet Owners to Save Big on EV Transition
David Shultz reports on clean technology and electric vehicles, among other industries, for dot.LA. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Outside, Nautilus and many other publications.

Last week at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, Santa Monica-based InCharge unveiled a new family of bidirectional electric vehicle chargers.
While a new charger might not have been the most jaw dropping tech unveiled at the expo, bidirectional charging–especially right now–offers the kind of cost saving solutions that should be extremely attractive to anybody that owns electric buses, delivery vans, or even tractor trailers in significant numbers. Basically, any fleet owner looking to save some money during their transition from diesel to battery would benefit from these chargers.
Bidirectional charging, also called V2X technology, does what its name suggests. Instead of electricity always flowing from the grid into the vehicle, InCharge’s newest products also allow electrons to flow from the vehicle’s battery back into the grid–or anywhere else. This means that EVs basically become large, roving batteries that can be used to power virtually anything from the electricity in the depot, the grid, or other vehicles.
InCharge’s new product comes in three different sizes, 22kW, 44kW, and 66kW. All of which are considered relatively slow charging speeds compared to many direct current fast chargers that you might see on the side of the highway that are intended to charge your EV back to full capacity as quickly as possible. But speed is not the name of the game in bidirectional charging and isn’t much of a concern at depots, where vehicles usually sit idle overnight and have plenty of time to charge.
Instead, the technology is intended to help fleet owners save money. Especially right now, with the transition to electrification still in its relative infancy, the country’s energy grid in places like California is often saturated with renewable energy during the middle of the day when the sun is brightest and solar production is at maximum. During those hours energy is cheap and clean, but in the evening, when demand spikes and solar production begins to wane, electricity becomes dramatically more expensive and more reliant on fossil fuels.
According to InCharge CEO Terry O’Day the fleets his company is selling to are using the new tech for three different but closely-related applications.
The first is shaving the peak off of the demand curve. By enabling fleets to use electricity stored in their vehicle batteries to charge when energy demand is at its highest and most expensive, fleet owners can simple avoid charging when rates are at their highest. In the same vein, fleet owners can also hold onto their electrons until demand is high, and then sell the energy back to the grid for a profit. This is the same principle underlying the new residential rooftop solar rules outlined in NEM 3.0, which basically requires new solar installs to come with a battery in order to be profitable. But in the case of fleets, the scale is vastly magnified due to the size and number of the batteries in the system.
Finally, the tech can also be used to help fleet owners avoid drawing too much energy from the grid all at once: Right now, in California and many other places, grid operators charge a tariff for companies that use too much energy at any one time. Electricity may cost 30 cents per kilowatt hour, as long as you’re drawing less than 200 kWs at a time, for instance. But as soon as you exceed that level of power, companies may start charging more. Bidirectional charging can add the flexibility needed to stay below certain tariff levels–a concept known as tariff shifting.
All of this equates to cost savings for fleet owners. And while these savings will likely pale in comparison to the cost of buying a new fleet of EVs and installing the charging tech, the savings scale with how large the fleet is and can significantly ease the pain. O’Day can’t publicly divulge yet who the major customers have been for the new chargers, but he says InCharge has a pipeline of order numbering in the thousands, spanning from delivery companies to school districts.
Like much of the electrification industry, one of the biggest bottlenecks for InCharge is waiting for utility companies to install grid upgrades that allow the chargers to actually connect to the larger grid. “It's taking as much as 24 months to get utility upgrades at a lot of sites,” says O’Day. Against that background, planning remains a major challenge for fleet owners, and despite progress in standardizing the tech, interoperability between charger and vehicle can remain an issue. InCharge is O’Day’s fifth EV startup. “Each time I start one of these companies, I think it's you know, we're gonna be making cookies. Turns out, we're making snowflakes pretty much.”
While InCharge offers a turnkey solution and will work with clients to understand the needs and requirements of every custom install, the market remains somewhat disjointed. “Different providers in the value chain are all trying to come together and make their stuff work together. They may choose you for a slice of it, your brother for another slice of it, your sister for a different one, and then all the siblings have to work together,” O’Day says. “That can get complicated.”
The industry has already seen that drama play out in the light duty public charging sector, where every charger brand has its own apps, its own payment procedure, and its own charger standards. All of this has led to an unreliable charging experience for EV owners—a study from April 2022, for instance, found that less than three quarters of the chargers in its survey were actually operational.
For fleets, where vehicle uptime equals revenue, this is simply not an option, and the commercial transportation industry is eager to avoid the same pitfalls.
Up to this point, Tesla is the only non commercial charging company that has managed to deliver a solid product. The EV giant is famous for the quality of its supercharger network, and to O’Day, the success isn’t particularly surprising. “For Tesla is it's an integrated, fully interoperable charger and vehicle where Tesla builds the software, they own the sites and they [control the payment processing.]”
While O’Day doesn’t want to compare InCharge to Tesla, he says that sort of unified turnkey approach will be vital for the commercial transportation industry as it works to eliminate diesel completely by 2036, as per the California Air Resources Board’s recent ruling. Getting there will be a Herculean effort, but bidirectional charging is almost guaranteed to be crucial in making the transition economically viable.
David Shultz reports on clean technology and electric vehicles, among other industries, for dot.LA. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Outside, Nautilus and many other publications.
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Why a Downturn in Esports Investments Isn’t Something To Fear
Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.
Last year, global venture capital investment in esports dropped by more than 40%. Investors have been rapidly selling off teams and franchises, and the industry has witnessed a consistent decline in ad spend. This has prompted many critics to coin the term “esports winter,” referring to a fall-off in the industry, an indication that VCs believe their investments didn’t achieve success as expected.
A recent article in The New York Times highlighted two major esports leagues that recently divested from their teams: Madison Square Garden sold its team CounterLogic Gaming to NRG in April, while Team SoloMid sold its League of Legends Championship Series team in late May.
Arguing that the industry still has potential for growth, several gaming executives at a LA Tech Week panel said that instead of an “esports winter,” the industry was experiencing a period of “normalization.” The panel at SoHo House in West Hollywood featured Brian Anderson, CEO of Culver City-based esports outfit FlyQuest Sport, Gene Chorba, head of developer relations at Roku and Felix LaHaye, founder of United Esports.
“I'm actually very skeptical of the claim of an esports winter,” Anderson said. “I think that what I'm seeing in the market right now, ultimately, is just a lot of venture capital firms that deployed capital into the eSports space that are not generating the returns that they were looking for, and have now done the press junket and are labeling it an esports winter.”
“In reality,” Anderson said, “esports, in my view, is alive and well.”
Anderson said there were a lot of “unrealistic expectations” around esports since it became popular in 2016, and the current decline was a sign that the market was correcting itself. “This is a necessary pain point that any nascent industry is going to go through as it matures and develops, and I think that in, let's say, 24 months, 36 months, esports will be in a much better financially sustainable place,” he said.
“I think we're having a little bit of a normalization,” Chorba said. “We saw the entire economy was being shot to the moon, with nothing behind it… we were seeing valuations of companies, public and private, that just didn't make sense for what they were building.”
Other tech industries have experienced a similar “normalization” in recent years. Cryptocurrencies, NFTs and big tech have all seen a downturn in recent months after being flooded with VC interest for many years.
According to the panelists, the existing viewer base for esports was a clear sign that the industry still had potential for growth. “There's still a ton of attention on professional video games. There's still so much grassroots fan support,” Anderson said. “As long as organizations and developers are able to figure out how to actually monetize that fan base, I think esports is still alive and well and here to stay for a long time.”
According to Insider Intelligence in 2022, there were 532 million esports viewers globally, with nearly 30 million viewers in the U.S.; this is expected to increase to 34.8 million by 2026.
Chorba explained that the reduction in ad spend and brand deals in esports shouldn’t worry investors because these crucial revenue streams have slowed down for other industries as well. “Ad-supported is hemorrhaging money and really just trying to wait out what's really a bad economy right now,” he said. As more people stop paying for cable, Chorba said, eyeballs will move onto streaming sites like YouTube or Twitch to watch gaming content.
LaHaye and Chorba said that one of the reasons for the decline in esports investments could be that executives and VCs are running esports companies like tech or SaaS companies. “As a matter of fact, they are not tech companies. They are ad-supported entertainment products,” LaHaye said.
By taking their companies to IPOs too early, certain esports companies ruined their chances in the market, LaHaye added. “There's also a downswing that's done by a rush to [go] public,” he said. “There are some fairly poor business models in esports that are going through a rougher time.”
“[Game publishing] is a hit-making business,” LaHaye said. “I think there tends to be confusion between what is a fundamental issue for the esports industry itself and some business models within the esports industry being bad business.”
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Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.
L.A. Tech Week has brought venture capitalists, founders and entrepreneurs from around the world to the California coast. With so many tech nerds in one place, it's easy to laugh, joke and reminisce about the future of tech in SoCal.
Here's what people are saying about day four of L.A. Tech Week on social:
Day two of #LATechWeek was so much fun at the @dotLA event—I ran into old friends and somehow I keep running into my H-Town people. The music and vibes by @dnice were so dope! @Techweek_#techweek23 🎉💃🏻🎶 pic.twitter.com/77E6EbfoGk
— Christina 💜 (@Themetamaven) June 8, 2023
It was terrific fun to see my #LongLA guy @spencerrascoff and his entire awesome @dotLA team show out for our entrepreneurial economy last night! @Miguel@AustinEkeler#PledgeLA team ❤️🫶🙌🥳🎉 we’re all building thr foundation of LA’s next 50-100yrs right now! 🌎🥳 Energy &… pic.twitter.com/hJwwpb4iNm
— Rob Ryan (@IAmRobRyan) June 8, 2023
Exciting energy at LA’s Earliest Stage Investors and Founders rooftop sunset mixer #LATechWeek
hosted by @fikavc@MaCVentureCap@blingcapital@amplifyla@techweek_pic.twitter.com/HWmhOmfm7N
— WeAreLATech📍Los Angeles 🌊 (@WeAreLATech) June 8, 2023
Thanks to the whole #musictech & LA Tech community for mayking #latechweek as fun as it gets at our MAYK HAUS AI MUSIC PARTY & ARTIST SHOWCASE. We had a blast! C U next year! @a16z@KatiaAmeri@Techweek_pic.twitter.com/OqxDPMHLHK
— stefan👄🇺🇦📍music’verse (@stefan_mayk) June 8, 2023
Swinging into the world of VC like a perfectly timed forehand! #InvestorTennis is the newest way to network while staying active. 🎾💼 #LATechWeek@Techweek_@Expert_Dojo@PropelVC@a16zpic.twitter.com/MpfERkjlLw
— Taissa Maleh™️ (@tmaleh9) June 8, 2023
gm LA tech week ✌🏽🌴 pic.twitter.com/DJD22bfE2D
— Tyler Denk 🐝 (@denk_tweets) June 8, 2023
A huge thanks to @upfrontvc and @nickbkim for a great rooftop breakfast event on Day 4 of #LATechWeek! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UEEixSdzw5
— Tech Week (@Techweek_) June 8, 2023
#LatechWeek: Reconnecting post-Covid! Delighted to engage with inspiring women founders, collaborators, and climate/ESG investors! pic.twitter.com/qZu7BG6O6Z
— Aalia Mauro (@aaliamauro) June 8, 2023
It was inspiring to see so many bright, self-aware, energetic, young founders dedicated to:
doing things right
not compromising
sharing valuable insights
aspiring to better the world
Everything is cyclical.
Gen Z founders and founders event #LATechWeekpic.twitter.com/bgbLcNIuhu
— Kayla Cho (@0xkycc) June 8, 2023
gathered XR folks for #LATechWeek w/ @pearvc & crowdsourced predictions:
1) 40% expect regular headset wear on planes in 2025
2) 60% think the first @Apple#VisionPro app to reach 1M DAU will be made by a co that already exists
3) 90% say Apple will beat @meta to 100M DAU... pic.twitter.com/pwtBGpbuen
— Keith Bender (@keith__bender) June 8, 2023
halfway thru LA tech week, and I can confidently say Los Angeles has the best, most fun, and diversified tech + VC scene in the country. It's not debatable at this point
— Cass (@cassidyjrdnn) June 8, 2023
Sound baths with the sounds of the ocean at #LATechWeek 😌 pic.twitter.com/KSoV5JIFAr
— Tech Week (@Techweek_) June 8, 2023
Thank you to everyone who attended our Creator Economy Panel, co-hosted by @unitedtalent VC and @CooleyLLP, at #LATechWeek! And a special thanks to our panelists @CHRISELLEtweets, @MrEddieHuang, and @justinkan! @Techweek_#TechWeekpic.twitter.com/LlkNMQL4Nw
— GOLD HOUSE (@GoldHouseCo) June 8, 2023
Yes, @terryarbaugh and I I did ride @BirdRide scootere 16.6 miles to make it to an #LATechWeek event on time. This pic shows the first leg. We had to swap scooters due to dead batteries 🤣 pic.twitter.com/w3smaciAUd
— Connor Bush (@TheBushFromLA) June 8, 2023
Last night we hosted a #hardwaremeetup at our office for #LATechWeek.
It was an excellent event. Speakers Rahul Dhond from @firstresonance shared his journey in manufacturing and Karthik Gollapudi talked about his experience developing Dragon Flight software at @SpaceXpic.twitter.com/j30epg0gHk
— Duro (@durolabs) June 8, 2023
Going back to Cali! #LATechWeek!
Attending:
- @a16ztxo Demo Day
- @founderfamilia & @VCFamilia panels and after party
- Speaking at @3XPgg Gaming Expo and @DcentralCon@hackapreneur
If you would like to connect, please feel free to hit me up!#startup#founder#web3#nftpic.twitter.com/OPiyV9XMOm
— Jonathan G. ₿lanco 🛠🦄 (@jgproduct) June 8, 2023
We wrapped up our #LATechWeek day in the one-of-a-kind Budman Studios art gallery for "AI Music Showcase & Party," immersed in the future of music + AI! 🎶 pic.twitter.com/qm3VfY9mnW
— Tech Week (@Techweek_) June 8, 2023
Great sunset soirée by the beach. only in Silicon Beach. 🏖️ let’s https://t.co/qEYeXtxCqe ! #LATechWeek@Techweek_pic.twitter.com/5BOU9iRoqc
— stefan👄🇺🇦📍music’verse (@stefan_mayk) June 8, 2023
We had so much fun celebrating #LATechWeek with our friends from @amplifyla & @techweek_ 🌴
If you've been listening to our World Music 🎧 playlist, what has been your favorite track?#GoGlobal#TechWeekpic.twitter.com/W6tfYWuMLy
— GoGlobal (@goglobalgeo) June 8, 2023
Best part about LA Tech Week? LESS events. MORE intimate spaces with quality humans.@brexHQ Wired. Iykyk pic.twitter.com/nTmgAiShkg
— Jeanine (@JeanineSuah) June 8, 2023
In LA for #LATechWeek with Black Meta Agency tap in and let’s build! #Web3#Tech#VR#AppleXR#AppleMR#Fintech#Blockchain#NFT#Crypto#bmaweb3#lifeandtimesofhj -
Let’s rock!!! pic.twitter.com/VZKqwK9lou
— Howard R. Jean 🇭🇹 • DC • NY (@howardrjean) June 8, 2023
This is me at LA Tech Week
(my 49 year old body can no longer keep up 2023 founders) pic.twitter.com/ISSHdjrQEK
— Ed @ HelloStartup.LA (@hellostartupla) June 8, 2023
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The Impact of Authentic Storytelling. LA Latino/a Founders and Funders Tell All
Decerry Donato is a reporter at dot.LA. Prior to that, she was an editorial fellow at the company. Decerry received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. She continues to write stories to inform the community about issues or events that take place in the L.A. area. On the weekends, she can be found hiking in the Angeles National forest or sifting through racks at your local thrift store.
As one of the most diverse cities in the world, Los Angeles is home to almost 5 million people who identify as Hispanic or Latinx. Yet, many feel they still lack representation in the city’s tech space.
“I can safely say that last year’s LA tech week hosted all of the events on the west side, and very few were focused on telling Latino and Latina entrepreneurial stories,” said Valeria Martinez, investor at VamosVentures. “We wanted to change that this year.”
The event, titled “The East Side Story –– Latino/a Founders and Funders in LA,” was held at Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) in the vibrant Arts District with participation from VamosVentures, LatinxVC, VCFamilia, Supply Change Capital, and LEEAF.
The event was centered around stories about the Latinx community told by its members. “Storytelling is the most powerful tool we have as human beings,” said restauranteur Bricia Lopez. “We are all here because of the stories that were told to us and the stories that were read to us.”
Lopez’s father migrated to Guadalajara, Mexico because he heard a story about a better life on the other side of the border. While he didn’t have the opportunity to see that “better life,” Lopez wants to share his story with the world in the hopes of inspiring others to share their stories.
“I think for many generations, we were the gatekeepers holding us back from telling our own stories,” Lopez said. “But we are now empowered to share our stories and when we talk about wanting to hear stories from us, it's because we want a mirror into the possibility of who we can become. To me that was how powerful a story is.”
With over 400 RSVPs and a packed house that ranged from founders and investors to vendors and aspiring entrepreneurs, the event brought light to a community hungry for stories they can connect and relate to.
Fanny Grande, CEO of Avenida Entertainment Group, said that on-screen stories about the Latino community are very limited. This lack of representation inspired her to start her production company that aims to empower independent creators.
“The advances of technology, social media and the new generation being very vocal about how they want to be represented gives me hope that things are going to change,” Grande said.
One way Avenida Entertainment Group champions its creators is by providing tech solutions to help fund and produce projects. At the event, Grande announced that her production company plans to launch an English-language streaming service for Latinos to provide visibility to these projects.
“A lot of our clients are so happy that not only did they get their projects made, they're going to be seen by the community who funded the project,” she said.
Patty Rodriguez, co-founder of publishing company Lil’ Libros, aims to give representation to the Latinx community by publishing bilingual children’s books.
Rodriguez said that entrepreneurship was never a part of her vocabulary while growing up. She also had no experience in publishing before she started her business, but she believed that “we belong on these platforms.” For her, the greatest moments are opening the doors for Latinx authors and seeing copies of their books at major bookstores.
“It's so beautiful to see your dreams come true and you're working every morning to see them,” she said. “It's wonderful to see them at Target, Barnes & Nobles across the country.”
Decerry Donato is a reporter at dot.LA. Prior to that, she was an editorial fellow at the company. Decerry received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. She continues to write stories to inform the community about issues or events that take place in the L.A. area. On the weekends, she can be found hiking in the Angeles National forest or sifting through racks at your local thrift store.