Confucius really did, reportedly, say “A man who lacks reliability is utterly useless.” Sadly, the EV industry is learning the same is true for public EV charging stations. In fact, their lack of reliability is having a significant impact on the whole industry and dampening consumer optimism and interest in electric vehicles. The onus is on stakeholders in the EV charging industry to improve EV charging reliability, but it’s hard to fix a problem if you don’t understand its root. EV charging station reliability comes down to a few very important factors and knowing what to look for can help improve infrastructure.
Quick Links
- What is EV Charger Reliability?
- Why is EV Charger Reliability a Concern?
- What Impacts EV Charger Reliability?
- Top Ways to Improve EV Charger Reliability
What is EV Charger Reliability?
It would be far easier if EV charger reliability were simply one factor, but it’s not. When we talk about charger reliability we’re actually talking about multiple aspects including hardware, software, and network.
In fact, when it comes to each of those aspects of the charging experience, there are multiple factors to consider.
Let’s start with EV charging hardware. For EV charging hardware to be considered reliable, it means all parts– ports, cables, connectors, and more– are all in working order and ready to help a driver charge their vehicle.
When it comes to EV charging software, we’re really talking about the charging app used by EV drivers to connect to the EV charging network. For the app to be reliable it needs to be online (tied to network reliability) and, more importantly, it needs to be able to connect to the charger a driver would like to use. EV charging stations that don’t use open charge point protocol (OCPP) but instead rely upon proprietary charging apps make it difficult for drivers to easily, and reliably, charge at open charging stations.
Finally, EV charger reliability depends pretty heavily upon the EV charging network. The network is responsible for keeping station owners and hosts connected to the stations (ensuring they’re up and running), helping drivers find the stations via apps like Plugshare, and allowing drivers to charge once they’re connected to the charging station itself (provided the station uses OCPP or they have the right app).
So, when we say EV reliability is a concern, it’s because there are multiple moving parts that all need to be in proper working order.
Why is EV Charger Reliability a Concern?
The simple answer is that, for all stakeholders, EV charger reliability is a major concern. Electric vehicles, and our shift to more sustainable transportation, relies heavily upon EV infrastructure. It’s not enough to have a lot of charging stations, they have to be reliable as well. Unfortunately, a recent JD Powers study revealed that approximately 20% of EV chargers are unreliable– drivers were unable to charge their vehicle at the charging station they chose.
As electric vehicle technology improves, and EV ranges grow, it doesn’t lessen the need for EV infrastructure to support charging. In fact, it will likely do the opposite, meaning more EV infrastructure will be needed, at more diverse (and rural) locations, rather than being concentrated in high traffic areas.
To put it bluntly, the lack of EV charging reliability is believed to be one of the primary factors limiting EV adoption rates.
What Impacts EV Charger Reliability?
As we mentioned, there are 3 factors that can impact charger reliability, the first of those is the hardware.
While interoperability is improving and a North American Charging Standard (NACS) is being implemented, the reason that’s necessary is that not every charging station is equipped with the same connector. In fact, the connector depends on the vehicle manufacturer, the country, and the type of charging station (DC fast chargers use a different connector than Level 2 chargers). For example, cars manufactured in Japan may have different connectors (Nissan and Mitsubishi) and that can impact which stations a driver can use if they don’t have an adapter.
Another factor, that relates to the hardware, is whether the charging station is networked or not. Networked EV charging stations stay connected to the charging network allowing station owners and hosts to monitor charging station status and initiate basic maintenance procedures through an EV charging platform management system (CPMS).
How does this impact hardware? A CPMS can alert station owners/hosts when a station is not functioning and, therefore, not available for charging. From there, they can address the issue before a driver arrives at the station to find it non-functional. NovaCHARGE’s CPMS, for example, comes with NovaBOT, an AI tool that handles level 1 maintenance thereby improving charger reliability.
The CPMS is also an invaluable tool for monitoring uptime and network issues as well. That said, as a station owner or host, doing due diligence on your charging station provider’s reliability record, when it comes to networking, is vital. You should be looking for 99.999% uptime. This kind of reliability ensures that drivers can, first and foremost, find your charging stations but also charge when they’re there.
EV charging station hardware as well as the app and network can all have a significant impact on the reliability of your charging station, as individual factors or all together.
Top Ways to Improve EV Charger Reliability
One thing is clear, all stakeholders need to play a role in improving EV charging station reliability. So, as a station owner or host, how can you do your part?
A big part of that is selecting the right EV charging station provider. To recap, when choosing that provider, look for:
- 99.999% uptime for their network
- A CPMS that’s robust and offers transparency and control
- Networked charging stations
- Exceptional warranties and service
- Company solvency
And, finally, look for an EV charging station that uses OCPP, and is prepared for OCPI (open charge point interface) as this increases the likelihood that the charging app, used by drivers, can interact and communicate with your EV charging station. Much like the company’s solvency, you want to ensure that you’ll get ongoing support and that your EV charging solution is future proof. Hardware that is no longer supported by an EV charging solution provider or one that is not already prepared for technological advancements will, undoubtedly, impact your reliability moving forward.
Being one of the most reliable EV charging solution providers in the business and future proofing our solution is a foundational concept for the team at NovaCHARGE. We’ve built one of the best teams in the business with a focus on reliability and technology and we’re excited to help others work towards providing EV infrastructure drivers can rely on.
If you’re ready to play your part and help build a network of EV charging stations ready for the EV rEVolution, get in touch with our team today!