XCharge North America’s GridLink battery-integrated DC fast charger has been named a 2026 Judges’ Choice Winner in the Environment+Energy Leader Awards’ Business + Infrastructure category. The recognition, announced by XCharge North America, highlights GridLink’s role in enabling high-power charging at sites where conventional infrastructure is constrained by grid limits, cost, or timeline. It marks a second consecutive year of E+E Leader recognition for the system.
Highlights
- 2026 Judges’ Choice Winner in the Business + Infrastructure category of the Environment+Energy Leader Awards
- More than 50 GridLink sites deployed across the United States and Canada, delivering over 1.1 GWh of energy in 2024
- Reduces required grid capacity by an estimated 50–80% versus conventional DC fast charging
- Contributed to avoiding approximately 2.91 million pounds of CO₂ in 2024 through off-peak energy use
Award Recognition
The Environment+Energy Leader Awards, now in their 14th year, recognize products, projects, startups, and organizational programs that deliver measurable progress in energy management and sustainability. Entries are evaluated by an independent panel of industry experts, with a focus on innovation, scalability, and impact.
GridLink was selected in the Business + Infrastructure category, which honors deployable systems addressing operational and environmental challenges at scale. The win follows GridLink’s 2025 recognition as Top Product of the Year in the same program, marking back-to-back honors for the platform.
“As organizations navigate an increasingly dynamic and uncertain operating environment, the ability to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and deliver measurable results has never been more critical,” said Sarah Roberts, Co-President and Publisher of Environment+Energy Leader. “This year’s winners demonstrate the innovation and leadership required to move forward with clarity and impact.”
How GridLink Works
GridLink combines DC fast charging, on-board energy storage, and bidirectional power flow into a single infrastructure-grade unit. The system’s design allows it to deliver high charging output from a relatively modest grid connection, cutting the need for utility upgrades that often delay or block conventional fast-charger deployments.
Core Specifications
- Charging output: Up to 300 kW of DC fast charging per unit
- Grid input flexibility: Dual-input compatibility with 208V and 480V systems
- Bidirectional capability: Enables participation in demand response and distributed energy resource (DER) programs
- Battery integration: Allows the charger to operate as an active grid asset rather than a passive load
By drawing energy from the grid during off-peak windows and discharging during peak demand, GridLink shifts load profiles in a way that benefits both site hosts and utilities. The same architecture underpins XCharge NA’s 44-unit, 9.46 MWh deployment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with Energy Plus, scheduled to go live in Q2 2026.
Deployment Scale and Operating Impact
GridLink units are now active at more than 50 sites across the U.S. and Canada, spanning commercial, fleet, and public charging environments. Combined throughput exceeded 1.1 GWh in 2024, a figure XCharge NA cites as evidence of sustained utilization rather than pilot-stage activity.
Operating economics are central to the platform’s positioning. According to the company, GridLink reduces required grid capacity by an estimated 50–80% compared with conventional DC fast charging, opening sites that would otherwise be infeasible to electrify. Site hosts can lower operating costs by up to 30% through off-peak energy management and demand-charge avoidance. The company also estimates that GridLink systems contributed to avoiding roughly 2.91 million pounds of CO₂ emissions in 2024 by reducing reliance on carbon-intensive peak power.
Industry Context
The award arrives as U.S. high-power charging deployment continues to run ahead of available grid capacity in many markets, particularly in dense urban corridors and rural transit hubs. Battery-integrated chargers have emerged as one of the more practical near-term workarounds, allowing operators to sidestep multi-year utility upgrade timelines. XCharge NA, the U.S. subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed XCHG Limited, has positioned GridLink as the centerpiece of its North American strategy since the product’s launch.
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