Connect with us

Technology

Detroit Partners with it’s electric to Bring the First Building-Powered Curbside EV Charging to the Motor City

Published

1 year ago

on

First validated through the Detroit Smart Parking Lab in 2022, it’s electric kicks-off curbside where they first started, with plans to expand to 25 locations throughout 2025

DETROIT, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — it’s electric, a Brooklyn-born electric vehicle (EV) curbside charging company, proudly announces the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for its groundbreaking Detroit deployment. This initiative, launched in collaboration with the Detroit Smart Parking Lab, Bedrock, Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility, Michigan Central, Newlab, and DTE Energy, marks significant progress in exemplifying Detroit’s commitment to innovative transportation solutions.

“Today marks a major milestone for Detroit and the future of transportation within cities,” said Nathan King, CEO of it’s electric. “Detroit’s first is not its last, and represents what’s possible when new ways of addressing infrastructure barriers for EV charging are implemented. It’s quite meaningful to cut today’s ribbon, as it was in Detroit, with the support of so many interested partners, that we first prototyped and received our earliest funding. We’re thrilled to stand here today to look into the future together.”

“The Office of Mobility Innovation was created to help the City of Detroit navigate today’s rapidly changing transportation and mobility industries — and this project is a great example of the innovation we aim to foster,” said Tim Slusser, Chief of the Office of Mobility Innovation. “But OMI did not do it alone. We were supported by our colleagues, Detroit City Council, the Mayor’s Office, and numerous other stakeholders across Michigan who came together to make this project possible. I’m proud of the collaboration and dedication that led to installing our first curbside chargers, and I’m excited to see the chargers that it’s electric and others will bring to Detroit because of the foundation we’ve built.”

“The Detroit Smart Parking Lab was designed to provide startups the space to test, prove and scale their ideas—and it’s electric is a strong example of what this platform can unlock,” said Bedrock’s Senior Director of Urban Strategy & Innovation, Kevin Mull. “it’s electric is a great addition to DSPL’s list of graduates as it deploys its technology right outside its doors. At Bedrock, we see infrastructure like this as essential to building cities that are both sustainable and future-facing.”

The first tranche of deployments, supported by grants from DTE Energy’s Emerging Tech Fund, the Michigan Office of Future Mobility, Electrification’s Michigan Mobility Funding Platform, and Michigan Central’s Scale Fund, introduces it’s electric’s unique approach to EV charging infrastructure. First validated by the Detroit Smart Parking Lab, an open innovation platform for real-world testing of connected mobility & EV charging solutions, in 2022, it’s electric chargers feature small-footprint, design-centered Level-2 charging posts installed at no cost to property owners or the city. The initial public curbside installations will be located at Detroit Smart Parking Lab (1701 W Lafayette Blvd.), with more community-requested locations expected across the City in 2025. Key to it’s electric community model is the ability to deploy chargers in neighborhoods where residents want to see this infrastructure, and where the need is the greatest.

“it’s electric’s contributions to Michigan’s mobility ecosystem are a shining example of how the state’s proactive approach to supporting innovative startups is positively impacting the accessibility of EV charging,” said Justine Johnson, MEDC’s Chief Mobility Officer of the State of Michigan. “From incubating at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab (DSPL) to becoming the city’s first curbside charger located just outside the DSPL, Detroit is demonstrating how innovation hubs such as the DSPL can foster public-private collaborations to deliver tomorrow’s transportation infrastructure for Michigan residents, property owners, and businesses, today.”

it’s electric Charging Stations are small, sleek-by-design curbside chargers and the only US detachable charging cable model available. Through partnerships with cities, it’s electric manages the installation, operation, and maintenance of chargers at no cost to municipalities or building owners. This provides drivers with easy and affordable charging options while offering property owners (the buildings they install in front of) monthly passive income. This behind-the-meter connection also bypasses the utility, adding no additional stress to the electrical grid, and allows for much faster installation.

“Today is a great day for the city of Detroit as we celebrate what will ultimately be the installation of more than 20 public Electric Vehicle chargers,” said Neal Foley, Director, Electric Marketing for DTE Energy. “DTE is proud to have been a partner on this exciting project through our Emerging Technology Fund, which was launched three years ago to help EV innovators across the state and country find new solutions to make electric vehicles more affordable and accessible. As an Emerging Tech Fund recipient, it’s electric is bringing their innovative, curbside chargers to Detroit, which will benefit all Michiganders who live, work, and visit the Motor City. We are thrilled that the vision is becoming a reality.”

“Born in Brooklyn, but raised in Detroit, it’s electric has been one of the first startups to span this unique mobility innovation corridor,” said Katie Soven, Managing Director of Newlab Detroit. “Through the expansive network and resources from Newlab’s hubs in Brooklyn and Detroit, as well as the robust support from Michigan Central and the State of Michigan to advance and scale early-stage companies seeking to solve the most pressing challenges facing humanity, today’s ribbon cutting is the perfect next chapter. With it’s electric at its center, we are building a rich technology ecosystem together.”

Building owners and drivers who want to see a charger on their block can join the it’s electric waitlist. Download the it’s electric app to request a detachable charging cable at no cost.

About it’s electric
Millions of drivers lack home or private garages and cannot transition to electric vehicles due to the lack of on-street charging. it’s electric accelerates the adoption of EVs with its scalable and simple curbside charging solution, ensuring that every community has access to clean, sustainable transportation options. Building owners and drivers who want to see a charger on their block (in Boston and beyond) can express interest by joining it’s electric’s waitlist https://www.itselectric.us/get-started

To learn more about it’s electric, please visit https://www.itselectric.us.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/detroit-partners-with-its-electric-to-bring-the-first-building-powered-curbside-ev-charging-to-the-motor-city-302444565.html

SOURCE itselectric

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Technology

Canton Fair Buyers Alliance Launched as the 140th Edition Opens

Published

2 hours ago

on

October 18, 2026

By

GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On October 15, the Canton Fair Buyers Alliance was officially launched at the Canton Fair Complex, marking a significant milestone as the fair celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding.

More than 140 overseas buyers attended the launch ceremony, highlighting the fair’s enduring role as a bridge connecting global commerce with China’s export sector.

Speaking at the ceremony, Luís Vilariça, CEO of Joinco, Import & Export, Ltd., discussed his company’s long-standing relationship with the Canton Fair. Drawing on years of participation, he reflected on the growth opportunities created through cooperation with Chinese suppliers and highlighted the fair’s role in supporting international business development and global trade exchanges.

The ceremony also featured a joint declaration by alliance members. Representatives from five member companies read the statement in their respective native languages, underscoring the international character of the new organization. Additional members sent video congratulatory messages, joining the celebration and witnessing the official launch of the alliance.

The Canton Fair Buyers Alliance represents one of the fair’s key service innovations. Designed primarily for Fortune Global 500 companies, buyers from the world’s top 250 retailers and leading sourcing enterprises across a diverse range of markets, the alliance aims to offer members a platform for information sharing and resource coordination. The first cohort of alliance members includes 58 companies from 32 countries and regions across 5 continents. Through the alliance, members will gain access to a range of priority benefits spanning four major areas: services, events, resources and information.

 For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:

https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canton-fair-buyers-alliance-launched-as-the-140th-edition-opens-302911896.html

SOURCE Canton Fair

Continue Reading

Technology

Bioethanol from human hair – Indian start-up’s solution to rising prices of grains and sugar

Published

3 hours ago

on

October 18, 2026

By

GUJARAT, India, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In what could be called the beginning of the 5G (fifth-generation) of bioethanol or non-cellulosic bioethanol or non-sugar-based biofuels, an Indian start-up, Techofest Global, based out of Gujarat, has developed its own, indigenous, and patented technology for the production of bioethanol from waste human hair. Such processes would significantly reduce the employment of sugars, grains, and agricultural residues, which form the classical first- and second-generation bioethanol feedstocks. As a result, the rising fuel-vs.-food/fodder debate is anticipated to reduce, and instead, ethanol produced from municipal/industrial waste, after trials, can supplement the current supply being used as blends with presently retailed fossil fuels (E20, E27, etc.). 

As stated by Dr. Ravi, the founder-CEO of Techofest Global, the strategic priority and the USP of the start-up is industrial symbiosis, which, typically, involves an ecosystem of up-cycling/valorising the effluents of an industry, thereby creating a value-chain for residues often lacking an end-of-life. With more than three decades of experience in designing customized nuclear fusion reactors for international programmes, such as ITER, JET/UKAEA and SST-1, Dr. Ravi, a seasoned mechanical engineer, spearheads the start-up’s patented technologies’ scale-up and commercialization.

Two biochemical engineers, Dr. Navnit – the former CTO, and Dr. Kabilan – the former CEO of Biomakerz, Chennai, are the brains behind the current technology/process portfolio of the joint-venture between Techofest Global and Biomakerz. They have been working on biorefineries’ process intensification for more than a decade. “Having foreseen the fuel-vs-fodder/food competition as early as the year 2015, we began developing techno-economically feasible and viable in-vitro metabolically-engineered bioprocesses for scaling-up ethanol production from municipal waste streams between 2019–2021”, says Navnit. After developing operational technologies for international biofuel organizations, serving process engineer roles with certain biorefineries-related OMC R&D’s of India, Dr. Navnit, presently works for a premier academic institution.

An on-going fermentation trial at the Techofest Global-Biomakerz JV’s R&D facility

Techofest Global has developed and tested, in its R&D JV’s pilot-facility of ~100-L, 3 innovative and cost-effective technologies, such as 5G ethanol production using human hair, used cooking oil (UCO), and enriched bio-methane production from disposed sanitary napkins.

“With massive CapEx and OpEx, 2G ethanol technology is facing a major commercialization bottleneck, owing to competition with food/livestock fodder, requirement of a cost-intensive pre-treatment procedure, and the requirement of cellulolytic cocktails, which have a poor recycle efficiency. The proprietary 5G SAFE process developed for the start-up circumvents the mentioned constraints, and instead, utilizes a single-stage saccharification followed by fermentation, and records over 85–90% biocatalyst recovery. Likewise, the proprietary SIM process for bio-methane production, exclusively developed for the start-up, is 2x faster with improved intermittent feeding cycles and continuous gas harvest”, says Navnit.

“With on-going pre-commercialization trials, the proprietary ethanol and bio-methane processes of ours are soon being commercialized”, says Ms. Bhumika, the co-founder and the corporate advisor of the start-up. Furthermore, Mr. Ronak pilots the organization’s global market entry and commercialization frontier.

Techofest Global’s veteran Principal Technology Advisors include: Dr VS Tripathi, former Joint Director, DRDE Gwalior, Dr B S Munjal, former Director, Structures and Thermal group, SAC/ISRO, Academician and Advisor CIKS-Dharohar, GTU, and Dr AV Santhanababu, former Scientist at Satish Dhawan Space Centre. With on-going R&D activities, Dr. Munjal says, “the start-up is striving to provide a unique solution along the lines of the Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat Vision 2047”.

Media Contact: www.techofestglobal.com; e-mail: info@techofestglobal.com; contact person: The PR team of Techofest Global.

Photo: https://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS2015507/Picture1.jpg?id=OA3024965&token=5vT9XuZXAG0yamsZlRrsBAiUapaplm73wYH8NIfU0xCtOlj76dueXcTw2Eb-3w

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/bioethanol-from-human-hair–indian-start-ups-solution-to-rising-prices-of-grains-and-sugar-302911813.html

Continue Reading

Technology

As AI Speeds Up Marketing, Louisville’s RedTag Bets on Strategy

Published

8 hours ago

on

October 17, 2026

By

Independent agency unveils new brand and website, and co-hosts Louisville’s PROOF AI Workshop

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RedTag, an independent Louisville-based marketing agency, this month unveiled new positioning, marking its evolution from a digital performance agency into a strategy-first marketing partner. The move comes as AI makes execution faster than ever, and RedTag is betting that strategy, not speed, is what will set businesses apart. Clients can now choose from outcome-based programs that best fit their marketing needs. 

“Clients don’t come to us needing more tactics. They come to us needing a path,” said Russ Renbarger, founder and CEO of RedTag. “Our new brand says out loud what our work has shown for years: We start with strategy and build everything on that foundation.”

RedTag built its reputation on high-performing paid digital campaigns. Over the years, the agency expanded into strategy, creative, video production and website development, giving clients one partner for the full scope of their marketing. Most recently, a team of automation specialists has integrated AI across the agency to speed up production and analysis, guided by an internal AI policy that keeps people accountable for quality. The time AI saves goes back into strategy: knowing what to say, who to say it to and why.

“Our best client relationships have always been partnerships, where we’re in the room when the big decisions get made,” said Alison Conway, chief client officer at RedTag. “This evolution is about bringing that strategic partnership to every client.”

On Oct. 14, RedTag co-hosted the PROOF AI Workshop with Slingshot, Vsimple and Advanced Business Solutions. The hands-on event gave Louisville business leaders practical experience applying AI to their own work. RedTag led the event’s AI in Marketing and Branding track, with four sessions ranging from AI search optimization to a playbook for adopting AI across an organization.

“AI can produce hundreds of ads in an afternoon, but it can’t tell you which one your brand actually needs and why,” Renbarger said. “The faster the tools get, the more valuable human-led strategy becomes.”

RedTag was named the agency of record for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2025. Its client list includes PGA of America, Castle & Key Distillery, Bourbon Barrel Foods, ShopCaterpillar and American Beverage Marketers. Since 2023, RedTag’s work has received two Emmy Awards and more than 35 ADDY and AIGA awards. The agency is a four-time Louisville Business First Fast 50 honoree and was named one of the 2026 Best Places to Work in Kentucky.

To learn more about its outcome-based programs, visit RedTag Programs

About RedTag

RedTag is an independent, strategy-first marketing agency based in Louisville, Kentucky. Established in 2008, the agency starts every engagement by understanding the goal before recommending tactics. With a foundation rooted in discovery, RedTag delivers full-scale marketing campaigns built around each client’s business goals. RedTag serves organizations across hospitality, sports, agriculture, government, retail and consumer packaged goods. Learn more at redtag.agency.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/as-ai-speeds-up-marketing-louisvilles-redtag-bets-on-strategy-302911869.html

SOURCE RED TAG LLC

Continue Reading

Trending