SK E&S to Establish Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at Houston Airport with US Avis

Full-Scale Progress in US Energy Solution Business Performance

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] SK E&S has successfully established a large-scale electric vehicle (EV) charging station at Houston Airport in the United States in collaboration with the global company Avis.

On the 29th, SK E&S announced that its EV charging subsidiary EverCharge completed the installation and began operation of an EV charging station at Avis’s site within George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, USA. The opening ceremony held on the 26th (local time) at the EV charging station in the Avis site was attended by key executives including Yoo Jung-joon, Vice Chairman of SK North America External Cooperation and CEO of PassKey, Joe Ferraro, CEO of Avis, and Jason Apfelbaum, CEO of EverCharge, celebrating the establishment of large-scale charging infrastructure based on the cooperation of the three companies.

This is the first time a Korean company has succeeded in building large-scale charging infrastructure locally in the U.S., with Avis, one of the top three rental car companies in the U.S., selecting PassKey’s energy solution business operation capabilities and EverCharge’s technological expertise as key partners for the transition to “eco-friendly mobility services.”

According to Avis’s policy that “strengthening sustainability through operating electric vehicles or fuel-efficient vehicles is a core business strategy,” the company is leading the U.S. rental car industry in building large-scale charging infrastructure. Avis is expanding its cooperation with SK E&S by securing additional airport locations where charging stations can be installed within this year.

Exterior view of the Avis-Evercharge EV charging station located at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport
[Photo by SK E&S]

The reason EverCharge’s excellent technology, recognized locally, was chosen as the standard EV charging model for Avis at airports across the U.S. is due to its superior technology. EverCharge’s EV charger ‘EVO2’ is equipped with ‘SmartPower,’ an innovative software that effectively manages and controls power loads to enhance energy efficiency. It analyzes charging patterns of electric vehicles during charging to allocate power efficiently and operates chargers flexibly considering power conditions, allowing more chargers to be installed without additional facility expansion work.

Based on this partnership with Avis, SK E&S plans to expand its EV charging infrastructure business in the North American region and establish a foundation to grow as a global top-tier energy solutions provider. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), the U.S. EV charging infrastructure market is expected to grow rapidly at an average annual rate of 27%, from 1.84 million chargers in 2020 to 20 million chargers in 2030, making it a fiercely competitive area for global companies to secure early positions.

Vice Chairman Yoo Jung-joon said, “Through the partnership with Avis, we are now able to provide the infrastructure necessary for customers to use eco-friendly transportation,” adding, “The establishment of EV charging infrastructure at Houston Airport has proven SK E&S’s capabilities in the energy solutions business, and based on this success, we will become a leading power solution company in the North American region.”

On the 26th (local time), at the opening ceremony held at the Avis electric vehicle (EV) charging station inside Houston Airport, USA, Yoo Jung-jun, Vice Chairman of SK America in charge of external cooperation and CEO of Passkey (third from the right), Joe Ferraro, CEO of Avis TM (fourth from the right), and Jason Apfelbaum, CEO of EverCharge (fourth from the left), along with other officials, posed for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by SK E&S]

Joe Ferraro, CEO of Avis, said, “Having core infrastructure such as EV charging stations is extremely important for the transition to electric vehicles,” adding, “Avis will work with SK E&S to operate EV charging stations effectively, providing the best experience to customers and jointly implementing sustainable strategies for a clean future.”

Jason Apfelbaum, CEO of EverCharge, stated, “EverCharge’s charging solution ‘SmartPower’ is an innovative technology that enables broader use of EVs with existing EV charging infrastructure,” and added, “EverCharge will accelerate decarbonization in the transportation sector together with Avis.”

SK E&S entered the U.S. electric vehicle charging business by acquiring the EV charging company EverCharge in 2022 through the U.S. investment company PassKey. In addition, SK E&S successfully acquired the U.S. grid solution company KCE (Key Capture Energy) in 2021 and invested in the energy solution company Rev Renewables, providing integrated energy solution services linking the ‘grid-distributed resources-mobility’ sectors within the U.S. SK E&S is also actively advancing its energy solution business based on EV charging through its subsidiary ParkingCloud in Korea as well as in the U.S.