Orange EV announced that it has launched OptiGrid, a new U.S.-based battery-integrated charging company designed to accelerate fleet electrification by eliminating grid delays and reducing installation and operating costs.

The platform pairs ultrafast EV charging with onboard battery storage, eliminating the need for complex site work or long utility timelines, the company said in a news release. Headquartered in Kansas City, Kan., OptiGrid offers a drop-in system that supports high uptime, low maintenance, and what it calls the lowest total cost of ownership of any DC fast charger.

The technology builds on the work of FreeWire Technologies, an early developer of battery-buffered charging systems. Although FreeWire attracted strong interest, it struggled with manufacturing and support, which ultimately impacted operations. Trucking executive Wayne Hoovestol acquired FreeWire’s assets, including its IP and engineering team, with the goal of improving reliability and serviceability, the release says.

To accelerate commercialization, Hoovestol partnered with Orange EV founders Kurt Neutgens and Wayne Mathisen to form OptiGrid. Orange EV brings proven U.S. manufacturing capabilities and established customer relationships, and will serve as both a strategic partner and launch customer.

“We’ve seen firsthand how infrastructure delays can slow down fleet electrification efforts,” Neutgens said in the release. “OptiGrid gives us a turnkey, fleet-ready system with low cost of ownership and the flexibility of optional leasing to reduce capital barriers.”

OptiGrid currently employs 50 people across Kansas, California, and Colorado. The company is preparing for commercial launch later this year.

Tyler Phillipi was named CEO of OptiGrid in April 2025. A veteran of the EV charging and mobility tech space, Phillipi previously led product and growth at FlexCharging, founded Halo Automotive, and served as CEO of two other startups.

“Fleet electrification has outpaced infrastructure, creating a gap that legacy utilities and traditional charging solutions can’t fill fast enough,” Phillipi said. “The next era deserves more than promises; it demands performance.”

OptiGrid says its chargers are designed to be rapidly deployed in days or weeks instead of months or years. Each unit includes a 180 kWh battery that charges slowly from the grid or renewables, enabling rapid deployment.

Additional features include support for both CCS and NACS connectors, a smart asset management platform for monitoring and data access, and the ability to scale or relocate infrastructure as fleet needs change, and more.

“Our collaboration with Orange EV gives us the ideal proving ground to harden the new product before scaling broadly,” said Phillipi.