\nSeven things every EV fast-charging network needs<\/br>
\n2023-07-09 21:37:03<\/br><\/p>\n
From more chargers to improved reliability and apps, consider this a bill of rights for EV drivers who need to fast charge<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ev-bill-of-rights.jpg?w=1140&ssl=1\")
\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\nPeople love their<\/span> electric vehicles. In survey<\/a> after survey<\/a>, the vast majority of EV owners say that their next car will also be electric. EVs score top marks nearly across the board except one: fast charging.<\/p>\nWhile most people do almost all of their charging at home, fast charging is still a critical piece of EV ownership. For some people, it enables them to buy an EV even if they don\u2019t have access to a charger at home. For others, it\u2019s what makes road trips possible.<\/p>\n
Unless you own a Tesla, the fast-charging experience has always been something of a mixed bag. That\u2019s certainly been my experience. In the past, I\u2019ve had reasonable success in finding working chargers that deliver good speeds. But over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend, things weren\u2019t just bad, they were terrible.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t leave me optimistic about the future of fast charging. I\u2019ve owned an EV since 2015<\/a> and can remember when 50 kW was considered \u201cfast\u201d charging. While most of my charging is done at home, I\u2019ve used half a dozen major networks and countless random Level 2 chargers. Last fall, I rented a Tesla<\/a> in part to experience the Supercharger network. You could say that I\u2019m well versed in the EV experience.<\/p>\nThat\u2019s why this past weekend left me appalled with the state of non-Tesla fast charging. Over just 350 miles of round-trip driving, I encountered a laundry list of EV charging snafus.<\/p>\n
Before we even started the trip, I ruled out several locations because they were only partially operational. Once on the road, the first charger I tried broke shortly after plugging in. The next one, a slower one, wouldn\u2019t start because it thought I was still charging on the broken one. Yet another location appeared to have two operational plugs, though one of them trickled electrons slower than my at-home equipment.<\/p>\n
I called customer service no fewer than three times. They were helpful on one occasion. I had painful experiences at both Electrify America and ChargePoint, two of the country\u2019s \u201cleading\u201d non-Tesla charging networks. Though based on surveys, it probably wouldn\u2019t have been different had I tried to use any of the others.<\/p>\n
If the U.S. is going to be prepared for the tidal wave of EVs that\u2019s coming, it had better get its charging infrastructure in order, fast. EV drivers deserve better than what they have today. Here are seven things \u2014 a bill of rights, if you will \u2014 outlining what\u2019s needed to make fast charging a practical reality for the road-going public.<\/p>\n
Article I: Working chargers<\/h2>\n
You\u2019d think this would be the bare minimum required to operate a charging network, yet here we are. A study of San Francisco Bay Area Combined Charging System<\/a> (CCS) equipment last year showed that more than a quarter were broken. That figure more or less jibes with a recent survey<\/a> of EV drivers that showed over a third had encountered broken hardware.<\/p>\nGiven my experience over the weekend, I\u2019d wager that those figures are conservative. As more people buy EVs, public charging equipment is getting more use, which adds to wear and tear. Given that maintenance was already abysmal, it\u2019s likely that conditions are worsening. They\u2019re probably at rock bottom along heavily trafficked corridors on holiday weekends, exactly the time the driving public has the least patience for problems.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/br><\/br><\/br><\/p>\n
\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nPeople love their<\/span> electric vehicles. In survey<\/a> after survey<\/a>, the vast majority of EV owners say that their next car will also be electric. EVs score top marks nearly across the board except one: fast charging.<\/p>\n While most people do almost all of their charging at home, fast charging is still a critical piece of EV ownership. For some people, it enables them to buy an EV even if they don\u2019t have access to a charger at home. For others, it\u2019s what makes road trips possible.<\/p>\n Unless you own a Tesla, the fast-charging experience has always been something of a mixed bag. That\u2019s certainly been my experience. In the past, I\u2019ve had reasonable success in finding working chargers that deliver good speeds. But over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend, things weren\u2019t just bad, they were terrible.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t leave me optimistic about the future of fast charging. I\u2019ve owned an EV since 2015<\/a> and can remember when 50 kW was considered \u201cfast\u201d charging. While most of my charging is done at home, I\u2019ve used half a dozen major networks and countless random Level 2 chargers. Last fall, I rented a Tesla<\/a> in part to experience the Supercharger network. You could say that I\u2019m well versed in the EV experience.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why this past weekend left me appalled with the state of non-Tesla fast charging. Over just 350 miles of round-trip driving, I encountered a laundry list of EV charging snafus.<\/p>\n Before we even started the trip, I ruled out several locations because they were only partially operational. Once on the road, the first charger I tried broke shortly after plugging in. The next one, a slower one, wouldn\u2019t start because it thought I was still charging on the broken one. Yet another location appeared to have two operational plugs, though one of them trickled electrons slower than my at-home equipment.<\/p>\n I called customer service no fewer than three times. They were helpful on one occasion. I had painful experiences at both Electrify America and ChargePoint, two of the country\u2019s \u201cleading\u201d non-Tesla charging networks. Though based on surveys, it probably wouldn\u2019t have been different had I tried to use any of the others.<\/p>\n If the U.S. is going to be prepared for the tidal wave of EVs that\u2019s coming, it had better get its charging infrastructure in order, fast. EV drivers deserve better than what they have today. Here are seven things \u2014 a bill of rights, if you will \u2014 outlining what\u2019s needed to make fast charging a practical reality for the road-going public.<\/p>\n You\u2019d think this would be the bare minimum required to operate a charging network, yet here we are. A study of San Francisco Bay Area Combined Charging System<\/a> (CCS) equipment last year showed that more than a quarter were broken. That figure more or less jibes with a recent survey<\/a> of EV drivers that showed over a third had encountered broken hardware.<\/p>\n Given my experience over the weekend, I\u2019d wager that those figures are conservative. As more people buy EVs, public charging equipment is getting more use, which adds to wear and tear. Given that maintenance was already abysmal, it\u2019s likely that conditions are worsening. They\u2019re probably at rock bottom along heavily trafficked corridors on holiday weekends, exactly the time the driving public has the least patience for problems.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/br><\/br><\/br><\/p>\nArticle I: Working chargers<\/h2>\n