BMW, Ford and Honda have begun operations of the new joint venture that they announced last year and have appointed the first CEO and CTO. ChargeScape is a software platform that integrates electric vehicles (EVs) into the power grid, shoring up grid stability while saving drivers money on their charging.

As more Americans switch to EVs, cheaper fueling costs have become top-of-mind for drivers, the companies say, particularly while charging at home where 80% of EV charging occurs according to U.S. Department of Energy estimates. At the same time, the nation’s power grids have come under increasing strain due to electricity demand from data centers and the intermittent nature of renewables.

To meet these needs, ChargeScape’s technology wirelessly connects to electric vehicles and, working with participating utilities, manages the flow of electrons in line with real-time grid conditions, temporarily reducing demand when the grid is constrained through smart charging (V1G) and even sending energy back into the power grid when needed (V2G). EV drivers have the potential to be rewarded financially for their flexibility and always have their vehicle charged by the time they specify.

ChargeScape builds off of the early success of these automakers’ work on smart charging through the Open Vehicle-Grid Integration Platform (OVGIP), which counts multi-state utilities such as Duke Energy, Xcel Energy and Eversource Energy as clients.

Following the official launch of the joint venture, BMW, Ford and Honda announced the appointment of ChargeScape’s first CEO, Joseph Vellone. Bringing 15 years of experience in the energy and climate sectors, Vellone was most recently part of the founding team at software start-up ev.energy, where he launched and grew the company’s North America business to include over a dozen utilities and 150,000 EVs, the companies say.

Before joining ev.energy, Vellone worked as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he was part of the firm’s energy and environment practice. He is a graduate of Princeton University and the London School of Economics. While in high school, his student research on hydrogen fuel cells was recognized with honors from Congress and the White House.

Newly appointed ChargeScape Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Kalidindi Raju has over 15 years of experience leading high-performing technology organizations and is a recognized leader in cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics, data engineering and product development. He previously held senior leadership positions at Amazon, OATI and other technology companies.

Raju holds a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M International and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela (India).