Huntersville-based startup Atom Power has made a deal with downtown Los Angeles' sports and entertainment district, L.A. Live, to install 48 of its electric vehicle-charging ports there.
The transaction allows L.A. Live to more than triple its EV charger count that it has available on site. Its campus, which attracts nearly 20 million annual visitors, is equipped with a theater, museum, restaurants and ballrooms, and it has hosted concerts and high-profile events such as the Grammy Awards.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Adding Atom Power's charger systems there have set "a new standard," as entertainment venues are typically limited to only a handful of EV-charging solutions, according to the local company.
“One of the biggest hurdles to widespread EV adoption is the lack of access to reliable public charging," said Ryan Kennedy, co-founder and CEO of Atom Power, in a statement. "Drivers want assurance that they’ll be able to charge their vehicles wherever they go. Right now, that need isn’t being met. Installing Atom EV chargers at L.A. ive allows us to go beyond just addressing the demand for EV-charging. We're elevating the entire destination experience, starting the moment guests pull into L.A. Live’s parking garage."
L.A. Live said it partnered with Atom Power due to the startup's advanced energy capabilities. Founded in 2014, Atom Power's EV-charging stations feature its digital circuit breaker technology developed by Kennedy. The solution allows for built-in notification control and expedited response times, among other benefits. He is aiming for the company to become a global power in the electric vehicle-charging space.
The startup said it finished installing the nearly 50 EV-charging stations in August.
The deal comes as Atom Power's growth has been exponential since its founding nearly a decade ago. It was awarded incentives in July for its major Huntersville expansion plans, which includes adding 205 new jobs in Huntersville by 2026 — a move that would more than triple its N.C. workforce. Additionally, the $4.2 million project calls for the expansion of Atom Power's corporate headquarters and its research, development and manufacturing operations.
Last year, the company also closed a $111.2 million funding round that saw South Korea-based SK Inc. become Atom Power's top outside investor.
