Palmer Digital Group Partners With IoTecha On Smart EV Charging Kiosks

May 20, 2022 by Dave Haynes

NJ-based custom display manufacturer Palmer Digital Group was already doing EV charging kiosks but now has a formal partnership with a start-up – IoTecha – that’s focused on providing the key hardware and software components for smart charging infrastructure.

The EV vehicle market is growing rapidly, reasons PDG in PR, “and the current infrastructure is unable to keep up with the demand. Business owners can become part of the infrastructure solution while also enticing electric car owners to frequent their store locations. Palmer’s new PDG EVTOWER smart electric car charging kiosk is designed for this purpose and offers both convenience and an enhanced charging experience to EV vehicle owners.”

The new solution embeds a 19.2kW level 2 EV charger in a steel enclosure that also houses a Samsung 55-inch outdoor-rated display that can be customized to a brand’s needs.

“We chose IoTecha as our partner due to their modular approach, ease of integration and their rapid development timeline,” says Chuck Lewis, VP of Palmer Digital Group. “Together, we’re offering the market a pre-certified, best of breed charging solution–right when it’s needed most.”

19.2 KW is the maximum power available for a level 2 charger. The EV charging kiosk also enables plug and charge and smart charging capabilities that can be pre-configured or activated remotely. All the products come pre-integrated with cloud services designed to save money on device management and charging costs while also providing easy setup, remote management, diagnostics, and over-the-air software updates. Each unit also features interactive displays for programmatic advertising, customer information, service offers, personalized messages, and more. The integrated solution combines data analytics from charging sessions and digital content to improve driver experience and increase return on investment. 

“Palmer Digital Group is an ideal partner for us,” says Kim Sarubbi, VP of Media at IoTecha. “They have decades of experience and thousands of installations in key verticals such as restaurant, retail and public destinations, all of which have immediate charging needs for their patrons. In addition, their expertise designing unique hardware solutions stands apart. We see multiple iterations of charging options coming out of this partnership to support the explosive needs of the EV charging ecosystem.”

IoTecha’s products include V2G and HomePlug Protocol Analyzer, Combined Charging System on Module (and custom modules), EV charging stations and cloud-based services.

It is reasonable to think most custom display manufacturers engaged in the crowded outdoor display totem market will eventually get into EV charging stations, if they aren’t there already. I assume there are some complicated aspects to adding the charging component, but in most cases these kiosks appear to be existing totem designs with the EV part added on.

If gas prices remain at record highs the expected shift by consumers to electric vehicles will also accelerate, which will mean a big jump in demand for charging infrastructure in commercial and public spaces. Everyone from QSR operators to parking garage owners may be looking to add stations as a way of getting motorists to stop there instead of somewhere else.

Another announcement coming tomorrow on a display manufacturer getting into this …