Last week, Ford announced it is acquiring Electriphi, a California-based provider of charging management and fleet monitoring software for electric vehicles. Electriphi participated in (and won) DISTRIBUTECH’s 2020 Initiate! program, which brings startups to the annual event to showcase their solutions. Watch a video interview with the founder, Muffi Ghandiali below.
Based in Silicon Valley, Electriphi’s team of more than 30 employees has developed and deployed a purpose-built electric vehicle fleet and charging management platform that simplifies fleet electrification, saves energy costs, and tracks key operational metrics like real-time status of vehicles, chargers and maintenance services, according to the company. The team brings deep expertise in charging infrastructure, commercial electric vehicles and enterprise software, and has provided services to government, commercial businesses, energy utilities and OEMs.
Electriphi’s team and services will be integrated into Ford Pro – a new global business within Ford committed to commercial customer productivity and to developing the most advanced charging and energy management experiences.
While more commercial vehicle customers are considering all-electric vehicles, charging management remains a hurdle to mass adoption. Ford Pro plans on leveraging Electriphi’s technology to help customers with this transition.
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“As commercial customers add electric vehicles to their fleets, they want depot charging options to make sure they’re powered up and ready to go to work every day,” said Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis. “With Electriphi’s existing advanced technology IP in the Ford Pro electric vehicles and services portfolio, we will enhance the experience for commercial customers and be a single-source solution for fleet-depot charging.”
Ford Pro estimates that the depot charging industry will grow to over 600,000 full-size trucks and vans by 2030. This acquisition supports Pro’s target to capture over $1 billion of revenue from charging by 2030.
The Electriphi acquisition comes as Ford prepares for the launch of all-electric versions of two of the world’s most popular, high-volume commercial vehicles – the Transit van and F-150 pickup. Ford will start shipping E-Transit to customers later this year; F-150 Lightning Pro will be available in spring 2022.
“Customers have been clear – electrification of their fleets is inevitable, with significant economic and sustainability benefits. They now need solutions that enable a seamless transition to electric vehicles,” said Electriphi CEO and co-founder Muffi Ghadiali. “Our synergies with Ford Pro will supercharge this transition. We’ll delight customers by helping them reap the benefits of electrification, so they can focus on what matters most – running their businesses effectively.” (Watch an interview with Ghadiali below.)
Electriphi’s charging platform will complete the purpose-built, charging ecosystem services for commercial customers, including employee home charging, public charging and e-telematics solutions. Customers in North America can sign up for Electriphi charge management services now at electriphi.ai. Ford Pro plans on making these services available in Europe at a later date.
The Electriphi acquisition is expected to close this month. Terms are not being disclosed. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is serving as Ford’s financial advisor in connection with this transaction.
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