By: Phil Jones
Transportation electrification is in a pivotal era of maturity. The earlier years of rapid expansion and fragmented market development have given way to a new imperative: scaling efficiently through collaboration, consolidation, and strategic partnerships. The EV ecosystem faced a difficult start in 2026 with the loss of federal tax credits and abrupt federal policy shifts. But the EV market has stabilized and is growing again across a range of “electrified” vehicles, including BEVs, PHEVs, and hybrids. Consumers can choose from about 160 light duty models, including some exciting new entrants to the market. Moreover, the private industry has accelerated its push to build out publicly accessible charging infrastructure, which reduces range anxiety. And the used EV market has grown rapidly and offers tremendous value to buyers.
Industry Consolidation and Strategic Alliances
In this challenging and dynamic environment, organizations are facing pressures to refocus and collaborate. The merger of CALSTART and Forth, recently announced in my hometown of Seattle at the Roadmap conference, exemplifies a movement toward greater scale for work in EVSE projects and advocacy. With combined forces re-branded as Catalyst Mobility under the leadership of Michael Berube, we look forward to continued coordination and collaboration with Catalyst and other aligned organizations in the months and years ahead.
My observations and discussions in Seattle were quite positive. A mood of cautious optimism prevails while recognizing the painful bumps many of us have encountered on the road of electrification. I believe that the medium-heavy duty EV market is poised for significant disruption and growth. And utilities and aggregators are increasingly active in the fields of VGI, managed charging, and VPPs.
Meanwhile, in the commercial sector cross-industry partnerships are expanding physical access to charging ports in more convenient locations. Automakers and charge point operators are increasingly teaming up to expand charging infrastructure collaboratively and cultivating partnerships with convenience store chains, travel centers, and retail giants. These joint ventures deliver the reliable, seamless charging experience drivers demand while maximizing site utilization.
Unlocking Scale Through Utility and Regulatory Harmonization
While consolidation strengthens market leaders, scaling infrastructure to meet national targets requires overcoming persistent regulatory and operational friction. ATE members are voicing an urgent need for consistency across utility service territories and PUCs to enable better forecasting, analysis, and unlock investor capital to accelerate speed and scale in charging infrastructure deployment.
Currently, charge point operators and developers navigate a patchwork of localized interconnection processes, disparate utility energization timelines, multiple and complex rate structures and inconsistent reporting requirements. Streamlining internal utility processes—such as site intake, grid capacity assessments, hosting capacity maps, and the timing and fees for engineering studies—will dramatically reduce soft costs and accelerate energization.
Likewise, Commissions should work to harmonize processes and requirements to accelerate utility services and encourage private investment. In general, the overall Commission process—reviewing and approving, modifications, rate filings, policy guidance, rulemakings—is taking too long. In this era of rapid and dynamic change it is critical that a sense of urgency is given to all this work. More holistic planning processes to incorporate these new technologies and use cases would better support these innovations than the traditional siloed approach.
The Road Ahead
The trajectory of electric transportation is clear. Private industry has stepped up its investments and deployments. By embracing strategic mergers, cross-sector retail partnerships, and standardized regulatory practices, the EV ecosystem is laying the foundation for sustainable, long-term growth. State and local government need to step up in kind to support the industry through this dynamic period.
We need to keep our eye on the long-term and stay true to our principles and goals. Industry and NGO players need to collaborate, communicate, and stay the course. Cohesion across advocacy groups, private enterprise, utilities, and regulators remains the ultimate catalyst for an electrified future. We at ATE will continue to work hard to foster this cohesion and push the industry toward its bright future.