DeepSea Developments - Fundación Cleantech Hub

Investing in Impact

P4G has awarded the partnership with around US $339,000 in grant funding. 

The DeepSea Developments - Fundación Cleantech Hub partnership seeks to revolutionize Colombia’s charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), addressing significant challenges such as the scarcity of charging points, limited space for installation in residential and commercial areas, and the low adaptability of electric vehicle charging systems, which reduces vehicle range and user confidence. 

In Colombia, only 0.37% of vehicles are electric, and this figure is projected to reach just 3% by 2032, meaning 90% of vehicles will still use fossil fuels. Internal combustion vehicles consume four times more fuel than electric ones, leading to higher CO2 emissions and cost per kilometer, which disproportionately affects low-income individuals and their ability to cope with climate change.

EVs can help reduce urban air pollution, as 90% of people live in areas with high pollution levels. However, the lack of EV charging system and infrastructure in residential and commercial areas is a significant barrier to user adoption and confidence. 

To tackle this challenge, DeepSea Developments launched MubON, a suite of portable and efficient charging solutions for EV users seeking convenience without compromising charging speed. MubON focuses on residential units and complexes. Its business model eliminates the high upfront costs of buying and installing a charger and the need for extensive infrastructure modifications by allowing for cost-sharing amongst households. It generates revenue from the energy sales which is shared between the multifamily units and MubON, creating an incentive to deploy this infrastructure. 

During the P4G funding period, the partnership aims to install and operate at least 150 MubON chargers, improving the capacity and user experience for charging electric vehicles in the country, and build networks between key players, such as energy marketers, digital wallets and charging system operators. 

The partnership also plans to improve the regulatory frameworks by incorporating electric charging infrastructure into the Casa Colombia certification, a Colombian Council for Sustainable Construction certification tool that helps evaluate housing solutions and ensures they meet sustainability regulations, and promoting charging points as an accreditation element for sustainability certification. Working with the Colombian Council for Sustainable Construction it will encourage the installation of additional charging points under the LEED certification. The partnership will also promote the use of electric mobility and zero-emission vehicles across the country through a knowledge chatbot designed to address e-mobility misinformation. 

DeepSea Developments will ensure that at least 50% of its technical, sales and marketing positions are held by women. To do so, it will work with ICESI University to create a training program aimed at increasing the number of women with e-mobility expertise. 

Finally, Celsia, the largest energy service company in Colombia, will serve as the testing laboratory for new features developed by MubON before they are released to the market. It aims to promote the commercialization of MubON's new services among its customers. 

The partnership comprises the following partners: DeepSea Developments S.A.S (lead business partner); Fundación Cleantech Hub (lead administrative partner); ICESI University (lead research and capacity building partner); Celsia S.A. E.S.P (research partner).