New Smartcar Connect updates ?? more app conversions

Hey there ???

From product updates to new content and live events, we have lots to share with you this month.

How long will it take to read this newsletter??4.5 minutes ??

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?? What’s new with Smartcar Connect?

?? A Smartcar guide to EV integrations for DERMS software

?? A summary of research on lifetime EV emissions

? A recap of our smart EV charging event with Amp X and EV roundtable

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P.S. Have you heard?this episode?of The Carbon Copy podcast about smart homes??

It’s an exciting look at the technology helping residents build carbon-free homes. It also expands on the topic of customer experience we discussed in our webinar earlier this month!

Improvements to Smartcar Connect

Today, Smartcar is compatible with?33 brands?and counting.?Drivers across a wide range of makes and models use Smartcar-powered apps daily.?

We’re excited to announce that we’ve revamped?Smartcar Connect?to give drivers more clarity and accessibility when connecting their cars to an app!?

A cleaner brand search experience ??

We've enhanced brand selection and discovery to make vehicle onboarding even easier. A new search bar lets users quickly narrow in on their vehicle and even supports abbreviations (such as VW for Volkswagen).

Content localization ???

In addition to English and French, Smartcar Connect is now available in German! The Connect flow will automatically reflect one of these three languages based on the default language for a user's device or browser.

Stay tuned as we announce more languages to help apps boost conversions in different countries and regions!

More comprehensive errors ??

Developers can now log more comprehensive Smartcar Connect errors during testing to help accelerate production. Drivers will also trigger an error in the Connect flow if they don’t have a vehicle tied to their connected services account.?Check out our?error docs?to learn more!

?? How DERMS platforms use Smartcar’s EV APIs

SEPA’s Utility Transformation Survey indicated that 52% of utilities engage with external partners to increase EV charging deployment.

Collaboration is vital to maximizing resources across EV charging, energy management, and software. As Stacy Noblet, VP of Electrification at ICF, shared with us about the state of the?managed charging?ecosystem — “The rising tide raises all ships, and if you can get it right, it’s going to benefit the industry as a whole.”?

Smartcar enables DERMS software to communicate with most EVs without any charging hardware installation. So what does this mean for energy providers???

• Standardized data collection at scale across EV makes and models
• Actionable integrations that start and stop charging remotely
• Dedicated resources to investigate brand-specific API errors and interruptions
• Easy opt-in and onboarding for residents?

We have a few examples to share of the tech that makes this happen ?

Read our guide to Smartcar for DERMS?to learn how energy management apps use our API today to launch their smart charging programs — 8 minute read

??The lifetime emissions of EVs vs. gas-powered vehicles

Between 2021 and 2030, researchers expect light-duty vehicles to be the biggest source of CO2 emission reductions.

But questions have been raised about lifetime emission reduction from EVs due to the carbon intensity of extracting and refining materials for batteries.

Here’s the good news: Many studies have explored this topic and proved that the?absence of tailpipe emissions offsets the higher upfront emissions of manufacturing EVs.?

That’s because battery-powered EVs produce 50% fewer emissions than gas-powered vehicles over the first 150,000 miles.??

Here’s what that difference looks like per mile with the average US electricity mix.?

Read our summary of EV research?that highlights when an EV’s upfront emissions break even with gas-powered vehicles and how electricity as a power source impacts the equation — 8 minute read

?? Recap: Discussing smart charging at our joint event with Amp X

Earlier this month, Amp X joined Smartcar to share how software-based EV integrations helped them maximize the opportunity for smart charging.

Here are a few takeaways from the discussion:?

???EV charging hardware vs. telematics:?EV chargers don’t provide in-depth visibility into the vehicle data needed for drivers to customize device preferences and charging schedules.

?? The user onboarding process:?Human action directly influences grid flexibility. Drivers are motivated by a seamless and convenient user experience that emphasizes personalization.

?? Interoperability standards:?The energy management ecosystem is complex. Solutions like Amp X need standardized data and integrations to help grids meet decarbonization targets.?

Read the recap?for more highlights and access to the full webinar replay — 5 minute read

?? CEO panel: How software is making EVs mainstream

Today, governments are shifting focus on the infrastructure needed to support the EV ramp-up. Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced $2.5 billion in new grants for EV charging stations.?

As EV companies face aggressive growth targets, how can players in the ecosystem work together to provide EV owners with a convenient and accessible driving and charging experience?

Check out the event recording?to see?Smartcar’s CEO,? Sahas Katta , join? Eileen Waris from Energize Capital ?and CEOs from? Sitetracker ,? Monta , and? DroneDeploy ?to talk about the role of software in bridging the gap between electrification goals and driver expectations.

That's all for this month!

Let us know in the comments if you have any thoughts, questions, or ideas you'd like to share with the Smartcar team.