At the American Center for Mobility, we have assembled residents leading some of the most cutting-edge and progressive products in mobility. From autonomous trucks and vehicles to the electrification and charging equipment that keeps them moving, to automated groundskeeping equipment, the growing mobility ecosystem at ACM is one of a kind.
One of our ACM residents is a leading innovator of products that can’t always be seen but make a big impact in the world of electrification, and that’s EcoG. We spoke with serial entrepreneur and EcoG’s U.S. Managing Director Robert Skinner about the work his company, which is based in Germany, has been doing at ACM’s EV Basecamp since 2024.
ACM: How would you summarize EcoG’s focus?
Bob Skinner: At the heart of it all, EcoG is a universal operating system for EV charging stations, offering secure interoperability with any vehicle. Our EcoG® Universal Core is an agnostic and open IoT control platform that allows EV charging station manufacturers to build reliable and smart products faster. Universal Core provides best-in-class interoperability and reliability and is complemented by a broad eco-system of EcoG products to ensure fast time-to-market and competitive chargers.
ACM: EcoG is a relatively young company – founded in 2017 at the TechStars Mobility Accelerator in Detroit – that made its mark quickly. What’s your company’s differentiator?
Bob Skinner: When companies utilize EcoG, they can cut the time to market in half. Approximately 94% of electric vehicles on the road are already tested with EcoG – we are proud to have been proven and trusted early in the game.
ACM: How does ACM’s EV Basecamp meet your needs?
Bob Skinner: The facilities at ACM are perfect for us, especially the EV Basecamp, because it’s a space solely dedicated to charging technology. We were attracted to the EV Basecamp because of the space and power capabilities, alongside the opportunity for interoperability. We’re plugged into the whole ecosystem at the Basecamp; I don’t know if there’s any other place like ACM.
ACM: What’s the hot topic in charging now?
Bob Skinner: EcoG is big on mega charging stations (MCS – Megawatt Charging Systems). These are ultra-high-powered EV chargers designed to deliver 1,000 kilowatts (1 MW) or more of direct current to quickly recharge heavy-duty commercial vehicles, like electric semitrucks. For charging speed and efficiency, this is a game changer for the industry and will dramatically improve the appeal of EV commercial fleets.
ACM: EcoG just announced a new collaboration with Google Cloud. Tell us about that.
Bob Skinner: EcoG is collaborating with Google Cloud to incorporate AI-power into EV charging operations. With this, AI agents will be able to oversee EV charger networks and offer smart tools for maintenance, and there will be an interactive chatbot that will allow operators to obtain information from their charging fleets. This effort aims to eliminate downtimes and lower the cost of ownership for EV chargers. We’re looking forward to seeing these enhancements be rolled out for increased efficiencies.
ACM: We’re thrilled to have residents like EcoG here. When it comes to safe, sustainable and secure mobility, every company here is making a contribution.
