Blink Charging (NASDAQ:BLNK) outlined its progress toward profitability, an expanded build-out of DC fast-charging infrastructure and the rollout of its EnergyConnect energy-management platform during a company presentation.
The company said it has spent the past 18 months restructuring its cost base, reducing cash burn and emphasizing financial discipline as market conditions changed. Blink reported second-quarter revenue of just under $22 million and gross profit of $8.4 million. GAAP gross margin was about 39%, while adjusted, non-GAAP gross margin was nearly 48%.
Recurring Revenue Mix and Charging Expansion
Blink said its business combines sales of EV charging hardware and Blink Network software subscriptions with the ownership and operation of charging infrastructure. The owned-and-operated network generates transaction fees and electricity sales, which the company characterized as repeat and recurring revenue.
Service revenue totaled $11.5 million in the second quarter. Blink said recurring service revenue generally represents about 50% to 60% of its revenue mix, and it is targeting 80% recurring revenue by 2028.
The company said it raised $18.5 million on a net basis in December, with most of the proceeds earmarked for capital expenditures on DC fast-charging stations. Blink currently has 25 sites under construction, expected to add about 118 electrified charging stalls by year-end. The company expects to have 169 DC fast-charging sites and more than 500 electrified stalls by the end of the year.
Blink operates in the U.S., United Kingdom and Belgium and owns and operates approximately 7,000 charging stations. By year-end, roughly 350 of those chargers are expected to be DC fast chargers. The company said it is shifting more of its capital spending away from Level 2 AC charging equipment and toward DC fast charging.
EnergyConnect Platform Targets Electricity Costs
Blink also highlighted EnergyConnect, an energy-management system platform that it said has already launched and will receive additional functionality over time. The platform is intended to allow Blink and its customers to manage charging-site electricity use, including through load limiting and load balancing.
The company said the platform can help customers avoid electricity demand charges by limiting the amount of power drawn at a location. As an example, Blink cited automotive dealerships operating DC fast chargers, where occasional high-power charging sessions can trigger substantial utility demand charges.
Blink said it initially deployed EnergyConnect at 11 company-owned sites and has since expanded it to 45 sites. The company estimated annual electricity-cost savings of about $360,000 across those sites, which it said would directly benefit its margins.
- Load balancing could enable charging-site expansion without requiring upgrades to utility interconnections, according to Blink.
- Battery storage could allow sites to use stored power during high-cost periods and recharge during lower-cost periods.
- Future grid-connected services could allow excess stored energy to be sold back to utilities where permitted.
Longer-Term Energy Management Opportunity
Blink said it has about 50,000 charging stations connected to its network globally, including approximately 30,000 in the U.S. The company said EnergyConnect can operate as a cloud layer over charging infrastructure and could potentially be used with chargers beyond the Blink Network.
Over time, Blink said it aims to pair fast chargers with solar canopies and battery energy storage, enabling participation in virtual power plant services through aggregated energy assets. The company described potential revenue sources including hardware and software sales, software subscriptions, energy-management services, shared-savings arrangements and grid services.
Blink estimated that EnergyConnect-related services could represent a roughly $115 million opportunity over the next five years. The company said that estimate includes subscription revenue, grid services and savings generated by helping charging-site owners manage electricity costs, rather than solely incremental revenue from its existing charging operations.
About Blink Charging (NASDAQ:BLNK)
Blink Charging Co is a provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, offering a nationwide network of charging stations and related software services. The company designs, develops and markets Level 2 AC and DC fast charging equipment, as well as a cloud-based management platform that enables real-time monitoring, analytics and payment processing. Its integrated approach addresses the needs of commercial, residential and fleet customers looking to deploy EV infrastructure.
Blink’s product portfolio includes a suite of charging stations suitable for parking garages, retail locations, hospitality venues and multiunit dwellings.
