Many businesses are predicated on providing something consumers want. What happens when instead of providing them what they want and need, we provide them with something that, while close to their demands, doesn’t quite meet them? That’s where we are with EV charging infrastructure right now. While we saw growth in the industry, more recently EV adoption has slowed. In part, as we’ll discuss, that has a lot to do with the EV infrastructure provided as compared to the EV infrastructure needed. Thankfully, there are solutions, we just need to implement them.
Quick Links
- What EV Drivers are Getting From EV Infrastructure
- What EV Drivers Want from EV Charging Stations
- Challenges to Meeting EV Driver Needs
- How the Right EV Charging Station Provider Can Help
What EV Drivers are Getting From EV Infrastructure
The good news is that EV drivers are pleased with their electric vehicle options, finding everything from luxury vehicles to trucks and finding them meeting their needs. In fact, nearly 40% of U.S. adults report their next vehicle may be electric, which is the most interest we’ve seen so far in EV adoption. Yet, that’s only one piece of the puzzle. While improving electric vehicles is one way to increase adoption, the other piece of the puzzle involves infrastructure.
As we all have heard, by this point, availability and reliability are the biggest challenge facing the EV industry. Most EV drivers are charging vehicles at home, 86% at this point, and while most of them are using Level 1 home chargers, some are starting to make the upgrade to a Level 2 home charger or Level 2 portable charging unit. That said, that’s a reach for a lot of folks in terms of financial investment.
While it might be easy to see the need for improved charging at home, it may also be another key indicator that charging on the fly or “topping up” a charge more quickly is a critical need, one that, perhaps, public infrastructure isn’t providing. In fact, research suggests that the lack of public EV infrastructure is one of the primary obstacles to wider adoption.
Finally, reliability is also a big concern for drivers. JD Powers recently reported that, in addition to concerns about finding an available EV charging station, there are a lot of worries about whether it will work or not.
What drivers are getting is, sadly, not what they want.
What EV Drivers Want from EV Charging Stations
Obviously, given the shortcomings of existing EV infrastructure, it’s easy to see what drivers want from EV charging stations.
First, they want more EV charging stations in more locations. In fact, research from Plugin America found that 42% of EV drivers were concerned about EV charging stations being too far apart. Range anxiety is real and EV drivers would love to worry less about getting from point A to B without being able to charge. This includes rural areas and areas that are identified as “charging deserts.”
Interestingly enough, more and more EV drivers are looking for EV charging stations at their workplace. Given that, second to our homes, it’s where most of us spend a considerable amount of time, it makes sense that EV owners would want to charge up there. In fact, nearly a quarter of those surveyed by Plugin America report they use workplace charging stations weekly and another quarter report daily use.
And, more than EV charging stations, they want stations that work when they pull up. In fact, reliability is among the top concerns of EV drivers who are experiencing issues with both hardware and EV charging networks. That same aforementioned JD Powers report revealed that 20% of EV drivers experienced hardware malfunctions and other charging failures that left them unable to charge.
According to Plugin’s research, cited above, there are a few other EV charging station changes drivers want and, unsurprisingly, among them is the ability to charge faster. That means more and more retail locations and service stations are getting in on the game. For those considering DC fast chargers on site, understanding power management as well as working with utilities to get necessary upgrades should be factored into site analysis.
And, when it comes to site analysis, drivers are also looking for unobstructed access, dedicated EV charging spots/areas, less expensive charging, and an easier way to pay.
Challenges to Meeting EV Driver Needs
In the grand scheme of things, these are not significant demands, but some do come with challenges. Perhaps the biggest challenge will be the ability to provide more DC fast charging in locations where the grid or on site power is just not prepared to handle that kind of demand. While power management can help, some sites might need additional infrastructure. Working with your EVSE, or EV charging station, provider can help as some can provide valuable advice to avoid over architecting your site.
Again, the EVSE provider you choose matters for other issues as well. Some will sell you just the EV charging station hardware while outsourcing other elements of the project which may result in site issues and the aforementioned over architecting.
Further, depending on the EVSE provider you’ve chosen, there may be other challenges. For example, if you’ve installed non-networked EV chargers, then it can be remarkably difficult to see when those charging stations are experiencing issues. Similarly, maintenance can be both costly and time consuming, which can ultimately impact how frequently that happens which, in turn, impacts functionality.
While payment methods are improving and there’s movement toward open charge point interface (OCPI) which will enable improved payment functionality, some EVSE providers are using proprietary systems that make it difficult for drivers to choose available and open EV charging stations. So many of the challenges drivers face can be resolved by EV charging station owners doing due diligence and research on the EVSE provider options available.
When it comes to charging costs, some expenses are out of a charging station owner’s hands as KwH cost is determined by the electric company, so that may be a challenge as well, but there are, as we’ll discuss in a moment, ways to mitigate costs and adjust fee structures to improve this part of charging for drivers.
How the Right EV Charging Station Provider Can Help
If you’ve read this far then you’ve likely already deduced that the EVSE provider you choose can play a huge role in improving EV infrastructure and, consequently, the driver experience. The better news is that the right EVSE provider also provides significant benefits to station owners and hosts.
Let’s start first with networked chargers. Networked chargers provide station owners and hosts with visibility and transparency into their charging stations allowing for remote management and monitoring of their operational status. Similarly, that same visibility supplies unparalleled control over things like fee structure and power management which can both improve driver experience as well. Plus, you get the added bonus of being able to create customizable reports that allow you to determine demand and need and make data driven decisions, helping to ensure ROI.
For example, an EV charging platform management system (CPMS) which provides remote access to your charging stations can help you set up, establish, and report on fee structures. During peak hours, charging rates can be higher while slower periods can be set to decrease costs. Similarly, you can control fees based on the driver, allowing you to set up and establish a rewards or loyalty program. This may help alleviate some of the pricing concerns drivers have.
Similarly, when it comes to even the ability to pay, drivers are running into obstacles. EV charging station providers who utilize OCPP, open charge point protocol, can help improve driver experience. For the charging stations that utilize OCPP, there’s a greater chance that the charging station and the associated charging app or EV charging network will work for more drivers. In fact, OCPP improves the flexibility and reliability of public charging stations when it comes to the driver experience.
And, that EV charging network also matters. There are few things more frustrating for a driver than being unable to connect to a charging app. Similarly, as a station owner or host, you need to have access and visibility into your charging stations. Your charging network is what helps provide that. Imagine not knowing whether your stations are functioning properly or not? There’s no way to know whether you’ll produce any revenue from the charging stations or drive away potential customers, visitors, or more because the stations don’t work.
Now, imagine you not only get an alert when your EV charging station is experiencing issues, but you also have AI support that can handle tier 1 troubleshooting and predictive maintenance. That’s a huge difference and one that depends on the EVSE provider you choose.
Finally, working with a turnkey solution provider, who can walk you through each step of your EV charging installation and implementation can help ensure your site analysis is complete and thorough, maximizing the space available and providing expert advice on the best use of the space you have as it relates to your charging station needs.
If we’re truly invested in ensuring driver experience improves, then we all have to take an active role in ensuring the EV charging experience we’re providing to drivers is the best we can provide. NovaCHARGE was built on that principle. We believe in improving both reliability and access and helping our customers and clients get the most out of their EV charging goals, whether that be providing public charging opportunities or electrifying one’s fleet.
If you’re to be a part of building ever improving EV infrastructure for your residents, visitors, employees, customers, tenants, and more, get in touch today. We’re already on the road to an EV rEVolution and we’d love to have you along for the ride.