XCharge North America and Energy Plus Partner to Build One of the Largest Battery-Backed EV Charging Depots in the U.S.

KYLE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 7, 2026--

XCharge North America (“XCharge NA”), the North American subsidiary of XCHG Limited (NASDAQ: XCH, “XCharge”) and provider of high-power EV charging and battery-integrated solutions designed to strengthen the North American electrical grid, announced today that it has partnered with Energy Plus, a leading New York–based energy-efficiency and electrification contractor, to transform New York’s EV charging landscape. Slated to go live in Q2 2026, the new site in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, will serve as one of the largest battery-backed EV charging depots in the country. The 44 XCharge NA GridLink units will provide 9.46 MWh of energy storage and serve 88 parking spaces once complete. The site will operate under Energy Plus’ Eplug brand—a next-generation urban charging solution designed for dense, high-demand environments like New York City.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107371186/en/

By leveraging GridLink’s battery storage, the project mitigates the pressure of growing electrification while strengthening local resiliency by drawing energy at off-peak times and returning it when it is most in demand. This supports New York City’s energy-resiliency and affordability priorities, opening new pathways for affordable, diversified power across the city. GridLink’s proprietary technology and bidirectional energy flow provide decentralized power to bolster local infrastructure, increase energy resilience amid persistent peak-hour grid strain, and mitigate soaring electricity costs for citizens.

“Helping launch the East Coast’s largest battery-backed fast-charging depot is a defining moment for XCharge NA and for the EV industry,” said Aatish Patel, co-founder and president of XCharge NA. “Through this strategic alignment with Energy Plus, we’re proving that the EV transition can thrive domestically, setting a model for how public and private companies can come together to accelerate the clean energy transition and make urban energy cleaner, faster, and smarter.”

“This is what American-made electrification looks like in practice: XCharge North America provides the cutting-edge technology and hardware, and we build the infrastructure here with local American labor,” said Moshe Lefkowitz, founder of Energy Plus. “Together we’re not only creating a model that any U.S. city can replicate, but also laying the foundation for Eplug, a network designed for real urban life—one that’s dependable, familiar, and as easy to use as stepping into your local café to grab a cup of coffee.”

Energy Plus’ Eplug model emphasizes predictable operations, a minimal footprint, and a charging experience that meets New Yorkers where they already live, work, and travel. Energy Plus plans to expand New York’s model to other major U.S. cities, featuring transparent pricing and a forthcoming loyalty program with rewards and preferred rates, while each location will maintain a friendly local presence through partnerships with nearby businesses. In addition to everyday drivers, Eplug will also provide dedicated fleet solutions designed for predictable scheduling, fast turnarounds, and high uptime, supporting both daily operations and long-term electrification planning for commercial fleets.

To learn more about XCharge North America, visit xcharge.us. To learn more about Energy Plus, visit energyplusny.com

About Energy Plus

Energy Plus specializes in large-scale energy-efficiency upgrades, electrification, and EV infrastructure for multifamily, commercial, and industrial properties. The company delivers end-to-end engineering, installation, and compliance services that help buildings meet clean-energy mandates and lower operating costs. Energy Plus also develops and operates Eplug, an urban fast-charging network designed to provide reliable, accessible, and locally integrated EV charging across New York and other major U.S. cities.

About XCharge North America

XCharge NA specializes in high-power EV charging and battery-integrated solutions tailored to the North American electrical grid. With solutions that store energy, improve grid resilience, and create new revenue streams, XCharge NA is the first scalable open-access EV charging solution designed to strengthen the country’s electrical grid and broader energy infrastructure while providing charging solutions for EVs from individual to fleet.

About XCharge

XCharge (NASDAQ: XCH), founded in 2015, is an integrated EV charging and energy solutions company. With dual headquarters in Hamburg, Germany and Austin, Texas, XCharge offers comprehensive EV charging solutions, which primarily include the DC fast chargers and the advanced battery-integrated DC fast chargers as well as its accompanying services. Through the combination of XCharge’s proprietary charging technology, energy storage system technology and accompanying services, XCharge enhances EV charging efficiency and unlocks the value of energy storage and management. Committed to providing innovative and efficient EV charging solutions, XCharge is actively working toward establishing a global green future that is critical to long-term growth and development.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in XCharge’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and XCharge does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Source: DREAM GREEN DESIGN NY

Renderings of XCharge NA and Eplug's upcoming battery-backed EV charging depot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Source: DREAM GREEN DESIGN NY

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that he will allow service members to carry personal weapons onto military installations, citing the Second Amendment and recent shootings at bases across the country.

In a video posted to X, Hegseth said he is signing a memo that will direct base commanders to allow requests for troops to carry privately owned firearms “with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection.”

He said any denial of a service member's request must be explained in detail and in writing.

“Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,” Hegseth said. “Unless you're training or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn't carry, you couldn't bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post.”

Questions about why service members lacked access to weapons have often emerged following shootings on the nation's military bases. Such shootings have ranged from isolated events between service members to mass casualty events, such as the shootings by an Army psychiatrist at Texas’ Ford Hood in 2009 that left 13 people dead.

Hegseth cited some of the events in his video, including a shooting that injured five soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia last year. Officials said the shooter, an Army sergeant who worked at the base, used his personal handgun before he was tackled by fellow soldiers and arrested.

“In these instances, minutes are a lifetime,” Hegseth said. “And our service members have the courage and training to make those precious, short minutes count.”

Defense Department policy has prohibited military personnel from carrying personal weapons on base without permission from a senior commander, with strict protocol for how the firearms must be stored.

Typically, military personnel must officially check their guns out of secure storage to go to on-base hunting areas or shooting ranges, then check all firearms back in promptly after their sanctioned use. Military police are often the only armed personnel on base, outside of shooting ranges, hunting areas or in training, where soldiers can wield their service weapons without ammunition.

Tanya Schardt, senior counsel at the Brady gun violence prevention organization, said in a statement that Defense Department leaders and the military’s top brass have opposed relaxing the current policy, which was originally enacted under President George H.W. Bush.

Schardt noted that most active duty service members who die by suicide do so with a weapon they own personally, not one military-issued, and argued that there will “undoubtedly be an increase in gun suicide and other gun violence.”

While fewer American service members died by suicide in 2024, the suicide rates among active duty troops overall still have gradually increased between 2011 and 2024, according to a Pentagon report released Tuesday.

“Our military installations are among the most guarded, protected properties in the world, and they’ve never been ‘gun-free zones,’” Schardt said. “If there is a problem with violent crime on these installations, then the Secretary of Defense has an obligation to alert the American people and describe how he’s working to prevent that crime.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)