electric vehicle charging accessibility network (evcan)

What electric vehicle charging accessibility network (evcan) does

EVCAN (Electric Vehicle Charging Accessibility Network) is a nonprofit initiative of Efficiency Forward, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Medford, Massachusetts. The organization operates as a standards-and-qualification consortium for EV charging infrastructure, targeting the gap between rapid EV adoption and the immaturity of charge management system (CSMS) technology. Its core deliverables are the EVCMS 1.1 Technical Specification (released May 2025), which establishes eligibility criteria across interoperability, cybersecurity, grid integration, monitoring and control, energy management, and data reporting; and the Qualified Product List (QPL), launched October 2025, which independently vets CSMS products against those criteria. EVCAN does not manufacture hardware or software; it is a framework-and-listing platform positioned to become the de facto procurement screening tool for utility programs and federal infrastructure grants.

EVCAN serves four primary stakeholder groups: utility program managers (the principal procurement audience), state and municipal governments deploying federally funded EV infrastructure, CSMS manufacturers and network service providers seeking third-party qualification, and NGOs/foundations advancing transportation electrification equity. The business model is a hybrid of a one-time $1,250 CSMS application fee paid by manufacturers and undisclosed sponsor and supporter agreements with regional, state, and utility programs across the U.S. and Canada. The QPL is offered free to all users, modeled after the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) QPL approach, which Efficiency Forward has operated since 2011.

The strategic positioning leverages the DLC's 14-year track record in the lighting sector (30% LED efficacy improvement, 1,000+ TWh attributed energy savings) and transplants that operating playbook into EV charging. EVCAN's specification aligns with OCPP, OCPI, IEEE 2030.5, ISO 15118, SunSpec, and OpenADR, and is deliberately aligned with NEVI and federal Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Programs. The organization is governed through a Program Advisory Committee and EV Charging Solutions Working Group that includes Eversource, ConEdison, National Grid, and Grid Alternatives. As of launch, three CSMS products (EVConnect, Driivz, Wevo) have been verified on the QPL.

Name

electric vehicle charging accessibility network (evcan)

Legal name

Efficiency Forward, Inc.

Website

https://evcan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EVCAN is a nonprofit consortium that publishes the EVCMS 1.1 technical specification and operates an independent Qualified Product List to vet EV charge station management systems for utilities, municipalities, and government agencies across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

EV Charging Standards & Qualification

NAICS

Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

EV Charging Network Management & Software Services (CPMS, Monitoring, Billing) (TLAKAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

EV Charging Grid Integration Services (Utility Make-Ready, Load Management Integration) (EUAEANAJ), EV Managed Charging as Demand Response (Residential, Fleet, Workplace) (EUAFAGAL)

Keywords

• EV charging qualification
• CSMS technical specification
• Managed charging programs
• EV charging standards
• Utility program support

Headquarters

HQ city

Medford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. CSMS Application Fee: Manufacturers and network service providers seeking to list their Charge Station Management Systems on the EVCAN Qualified Product List pay a one-time application fee of $1,250. The fee covers the initial review and comprehensive technical evaluation of the submitted system.
2. Sponsor and Supporting Organization Agreements: EVCAN generates revenue through sponsor and supporter agreements with regional, state, and utility programs throughout the U.S. and Canada. These sponsors and supporting organizations support the EVCAN Program through formal agreements and contribute to the consortium's operational funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EVCAN develops and publishes the EV Charge Station Management Systems Specification (EVCMS 1.1) and operates an independent, third-party Qualified Product List (QPL) that evaluates and vets Charge Station Management Systems against technical criteria covering interoperability, cybersecurity, grid integration, and performance. The organization supports utilities, municipalities, and government agencies in procuring reliable, connected EV charging infrastructure through impartial specification development, product qualification, and managed charging program resources.

Product overview

EVCAN operates as a platform organization offering the Qualified Products List (QPL) as its primary product — a listing and verification service for Charge Station Management Systems (CSMS). The QPL is backed by the EV Charge Station Management Systems Specification (EVCMS), which establishes technical criteria for interoperability, cybersecurity, and performance. EVCAN also provides an Application Submission Portal for manufacturers to submit products for qualification review. The organization facilitates managed charging programs and offers a Marketing Toolkit for community stakeholders. The core value proposition is providing objective, vetted product information to help decision-makers procure safe and reliable EV charging solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Qualified Product List (QPL): An impartial qualified products list for EV Charge Station Management Systems (CSMS) that verifies interoperability, cybersecurity, and performance capabilities.

Products and services

• EVCAN Qualified Products List (QPL)

Quantifiable outcome

• Managed charging programs could save utilities $30 billion over the next 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grid AlternativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrid Alternatives participates in EVCAN's Program Advisory Committee and EV Charging Solutions Working Group, providing insight and expertise into EVCAN's technical priorities and public-facing tools to scale reliable and connected EV charging infrastructure.
• EversourcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEversource participates in EVCAN's Program Advisory Committee and EV Charging Solutions Working Group, contributing expertise in utility program design and EV infrastructure deployment to help shape EVCAN's technical priorities.
• ConEdisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConEdison participates in EVCAN's Program Advisory Committee and EV Charging Solutions Working Group, providing input on technical requirements and feasibility for the EV charging industry from a utility perspective.
• National GridcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Grid participates in EVCAN's Program Advisory Committee and EV Charging Solutions Working Group, contributing expertise in grid integration and EV charging programs to EVCAN's technical specification development.
• Efficiency Forward, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEVCAN is an initiative of Efficiency Forward, Inc., an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization. Efficiency Forward pioneered the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) QPL model for energy-efficient lighting and has been supporting energy efficiency programs since 2011. EVCAN leverages this proven consortium approach and stakeholder input process.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEVCAN references Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory research on EV charge management deployments and managed charging programs, including a survey and gap prioritization study informing the specification's technical requirements.
• Open Charge AlliancecoreTechnology or IntegrationThe Open Charge Alliance develops and maintains OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol), which is a foundational interoperability standard required by EVCAN's Technical Specification. OCPP 2.01 includes built-in security features for encryption and authentication.
• DesignLights Consortium (DLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe DLC operates under Efficiency Forward and is referenced as the model for EVCAN's consortium and QPL approach. DLC set performance thresholds that helped increase LED efficacy by 30% over the last decade and attributes over 1,000 TWh of energy saved. Several EVCAN team members (including Tina Halfpenny, Liesel Whitney-Schulte, and Levin Nock) have prior DLC experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Others

• Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI): Trade association that runs a long-established product certification and performance rating program for HVAC equipment used by utilities and government procurement. Functionally analogous to EVCAN's QPL model in a different equipment category.
• Atlas Public Policy: Policy and data firm operating the EV Hub and related analytics used by state agencies, utilities, and advocates to track EV infrastructure deployment. Operates in the same EV charging policy and stakeholder ecosystem that EVCAN serves, though it focuses on data rather than product qualification.
• Forth Mobility: Nonprofit that advances electric, shared, and active transportation through research, pilots, and stakeholder convening. Comparable to EVCAN as an EV-charging-adjacent nonprofit working with utilities, municipalities, and community organizations on equitable charging access.
• Veloz: Nonprofit public-private coalition focused on accelerating EV adoption through education, data, and stakeholder convening in the U.S. EVCAN's consortium model and utility/municipality outreach overlap with Veloz's role as an EV ecosystem convener, though Veloz does not run product qualification.

Direct peers

• DesignLights Consortium: Operates under the same parent nonprofit (Efficiency Forward, Inc.) and runs a nearly identical QPL-based product qualification model for energy-efficient lighting. EVCAN explicitly modeled its CSMS qualification process on DLC's, and several EVCAN team members are DLC alumni, making DLC the closest functional peer.
• CharIN e.V. Global industry alliance focused on ISO 15118-based charging (Plug & Charge) and interoperability standards for EVs. Engages in testing, certification, and conformance programs analogous to EVCAN's qualification work in the same EV charging ecosystem.
• Open Charge Alliance: Industry alliance that develops and maintains OCPP, the foundational EV charging interoperability protocol referenced in EVCAN's EVCMS 1.1 specification. Operates an OCPP Certification program that overlaps functionally with EVCAN's QPL evaluation of CSMS products.
• ENERGY STAR: U.S. government-backed product qualification and labeling program for energy-efficient consumer and commercial products. EVCAN's CSMS qualification operates on a comparable third-party-vetting concept, targeting utility and government procurement decisions in the EV charging category.

Emerging players

• SunSpec Alliance: Industry alliance establishing open standards and certification for distributed energy and inverter-based resources, including EV charging integration. EVCAN's EVCMS 1.1 explicitly references SunSpec protocols, making it an adjacent standards-and-certification peer in the same grid-edge ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• UL Solutions: Large, established global safety science and certification organization that performs third-party product testing and qualification across electrical, EV charging, and energy categories. Represents a scaled, broader-scope version of EVCAN's qualification-and-standards mission in the EV charging space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evcan

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about electric vehicle charging accessibility network (evcan)