XCharge North America Partners With Hypercharge to Deploy First GridLink Chargers Across Canada

Rhea-AI Summary

XCharge North America has announced a strategic partnership with Hypercharge Networks Corp. to deploy GridLink EV chargers across Canada, specifically in British Columbia and Ontario. The partnership aims to enhance EV charging infrastructure and energy management in these regions.

Under the agreement, XCharge NA will supply GridLinks to Hypercharge, who will handle distribution to automotive dealerships and other customers. Hypercharge will manage software and customer support, while XCharge NA will oversee hardware maintenance under warranty.

The GridLink system features:

• 215 kilowatt-hours base capacity, expandable to 430 kilowatt-hours
• Bidirectional charging technology enabling power flow back to the grid
• Direct integration with photovoltaics
• Demand charge elimination
• Ability to avoid costly grid upgrades

Positive

• Strategic expansion into Canadian market through partnership with established network provider
• Technology addresses key infrastructure challenges with flexible power capacity
• Revenue potential through new market penetration in automotive dealerships
• Additional value stream through bidirectional charging capabilities

Negative

• Requires significant infrastructure investment and training for implementation
• initial deployment to only two Canadian provinces
• Dependent on Hypercharge's distribution and support capabilities

Insights

Business Strategy Expert

This partnership between XCharge North America and Hypercharge represents a strategic market expansion play that addresses specific infrastructure challenges in the Canadian EV ecosystem. The deal creates a clear division of responsibilities: XCharge supplies the hardware (GridLink chargers), while Hypercharge handles distribution, software support, and customer maintenance across British Columbia and Ontario.

The partnership structure reveals thoughtful operational planning with Hypercharge staff receiving training for corrective maintenance, suggesting a long-term relationship rather than a one-time product supply arrangement. This approach leverages each company's core strengths - XCharge's hardware expertise and Hypercharge's established distribution channels and customer service infrastructure.

While the announcement lacks financial details that would help quantify immediate revenue impact (no contract values, minimum order quantities, or deployment timelines), the strategic value lies in geographic expansion into a market with growing EV demand. Targeting automotive dealerships provides a focused go-to-market strategy, though this segment is becoming increasingly competitive.

For XCharge, this represents a logical step in building market presence beyond its current footprint, potentially creating a foundation for broader Canadian expansion beyond the initial two provinces. However, without financial specifics, investors should view this as a positive but incremental strategic development rather than a transformative deal.

Energy Infrastructure Specialist

XCharge's GridLink technology addresses a critical infrastructure gap in the Canadian EV ecosystem. The article correctly identifies that despite growing EV demand, much of Canada still requires additional power infrastructure to support rapid charging - a challenge particularly acute in areas with strained grid capacity.

The technical specifications of GridLink provide meaningful advantages in this context. The base capacity of 215 kilowatt-hours (expandable to 430 kWh) enables deployment in locations where grid limitations might otherwise prevent fast-charging installations. More importantly, the bidirectional charging capability enables power to flow back to the grid, creating potential value beyond simple EV charging.

The system's ability to eliminate demand charges (typically the largest operating expense for DC fast charging) addresses a key economic barrier to charger deployment. Additionally, its compatibility with photovoltaics enables renewable energy integration, supporting broader sustainability goals while potentially reducing operating costs.

These features position GridLink as particularly valuable for rural Canadian deployments where grid infrastructure may be While the technology appears well-suited to address these challenges, the actual impact will depend on deployment scale and timeline, neither of which is specified in the announcement. The partnership represents a technically sound approach to Canadian charging infrastructure challenges, though competitive differentiation in the increasingly crowded EV charging market remains a consideration.

GridLink will help enhance EV charging and energy management across British Columbia and Ontario

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- XCharge North America (“XCharge NA”), a provider of high-power EV charging and battery-integrated solutions designed to strengthen the North American electrical grid, announced a strategic partnership with Hypercharge Networks Corp. (OTC: HCNWF; TSXV: HC; FSE: PB7) (“Hypercharge”), a North American EV solutions provider, to extend its global footprint and bring XCharge NA’s GridLink chargers to Canada.

To support the development of EV charging infrastructure in Canada, XCharge NA will supply GridLinks to Hypercharge, who will distribute the chargers to automotive dealerships and other customers across British Columbia and Ontario. As part of this partnership, Hypercharge will handle software and customer support maintenance, while XCharge NA will oversee preventive hardware maintenance under the unit warranty. Additionally, the Hypercharge team will receive training and certification to manage corrective hardware maintenance, ensuring long-term operational efficiency.

“GridLink’s bidirectional, battery-integrated system offers businesses a smarter way to fast EV charging success, eliminating demand charges and avoiding costly grid upgrades,” said Chris Koch, Head of Growth & Partnerships at Hypercharge. “By introducing this solution alongside Hypercharge’s innovative network solutions and 24/7 customer support, we’re helping our customers improve charging accessibility while supporting energy infrastructure across Canada.”

Despite growing demand for EVs in Canada, much of the country still requires additional power infrastructure to support rapid charging. Built with serviceability and flexibility in mind, GridLink by XCharge NA allows for a wide range of input power to achieve maximum output performance by offering a base capacity of 215 kilowatt-hours that can be expanded to 430 kilowatt-hours. This flexibility ensures optimal performance across a wide range of deployment scenarios, and provides businesses with the reassurance and confidence they need in their energy technology solutions. Other notable features include:

• GridLink provides advanced bidirectional charging technology, seamless grid integration, and renewable energy support.
• The bidirectional charging technology allows power to flow back into the grid or act as an off-grid energy source, enhancing overall grid stability.
• The grid integration feature enables the charger to support direct integration with photovoltaics.
• GridLink not only promotes electric transportation but also strengthens each region’s sustainable energy infrastructure.

“Redefining energy interaction is at the heart of what we do—from changing how people think about energy, to opening up new revenue streams for small and large businesses in the process,” said Aatish Patel, cofounder and president of XCharge NA. “Our partnership with Hypercharge is a significant step in furthering that mission. We look forward to seeing how our GridLinks can help strengthen Canada’s grid stability, particularly in rural deployments, while also addressing the region’s growing demand for EVs and supporting electric transportation needs.”

For more information on GridLink by XCharge, visit: xcharge.us/product/gridlink.

About Hypercharge Networks Corp.
Hypercharge Networks Corp. (TSXV: HC; OTC: HCNWF; FSE: PB7) is a leading provider of smart electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions for residential and commercial buildings, fleet operations, and other rapidly growing sectors. Driven by its mission to accelerate EV adoption and enable the shift towards a carbon neutral economy, Hypercharge is committed to offering seamless, simple solutions including industry-leading hardware, innovative and integrated software, and comprehensive services, backed by a robust network of public and private charging stations. Learn more: https://hypercharge.com/.

About XCharge North America
XCharge North America (XCharge NA) specializes in high-power EV charging and battery-integrated solutions tailored to the North American electrical grid. With solutions that store energy, improve grid resilience, and create new revenue streams, XCharge NA is the first scalable open-access EV charging solution designed to strengthen the country’s electrical grid and broader energy infrastructure while providing charging solutions for EVs from individual to fleet.

About XCharge
XCharge (NASDAQ: XCH), founded in 2015, is a global leader in integrated EV charging solutions. The company offers comprehensive EV charging solutions, which primarily include the DC fast chargers and the advanced battery-integrated DC fast chargers as well as its accompanying services. Through the combination of XCharge’s proprietary charging technology, energy storage system technology and accompanying services, the company enhances EV charging efficiency and unlocks the value of energy storage and management. Committed to providing innovative and efficient EV charging solutions, XCharge is actively working toward establishing a global green future that is critical to long-term growth and development.

Safe harbor statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250325120057/en/

XCharge North America contact: Alex Urist, Vice President

alex.urist@xcharge.us

Media contact: Katie Jacobs, Quarter Horse PR

Email: xcharge-na@qh-pr.com

Hypercharge contact: Kyle Kingsnorth, Head of Marketing

kyle.kingsnorth@hypercharge.com

Source: XCharge North America

FAQ

What are the key features of XCharge NA's GridLink EV chargers being deployed in Canada?

GridLink features 215kWh base capacity (expandable to 430kWh), bidirectional charging, grid integration capabilities, and photovoltaic support, while eliminating demand charges.

How will the XCharge NA and Hypercharge partnership divide responsibilities for GridLink operations?

Hypercharge will handle distribution, software, and customer support, while XCharge NA will manage preventive hardware maintenance under warranty.

Which Canadian regions will receive the new GridLink EV chargers?

The GridLink chargers will be deployed across British Columbia and Ontario.

How does GridLink technology address Canada's EV charging infrastructure challenges?

GridLink's flexible power input system and battery integration help overcome power infrastructure limitations while supporting grid stability, particularly in rural deployments.