Are you an electrical contractor who wants to take advantage of the growing EV charging market? Discover how to prepare yourself and your employees.
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EV Sales Are Growing, and So Is the Need for Electrical Contractors
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It’s no myth: EV sales rocketed to a new high in 2023. So, all those new EVs on the road will need knowledgeable electrical contractors to build and service the infrastructure to fuel them.
What volume of EV charging infrastructure are we talking about here? According to the US Department of Energy, American drivers will need at least 28 million charging ports to support the estimated 33 million EVs that will be rolling along the nation’s roads by 2030.
With only 183,000 public charging ports and approximately 2,442,270 home chargers available to EV drivers today, the US has a long way to go to reach the number of commercial and residential chargers drivers will need by 2030. Not to mention the infrastructure the chargers will need to get up and running.
That’s where electricians and the electrical contractors that employ them come into play. To go from the 2,625,270 charging stations currently available to the 28 million ports EV owners will need in only six years, the nation’s cadre of electrical professionals will need to expand to deliver the required equipment and maintenance services.
As the electrification experts at Qmerit point out, the industry will need at least 80,000 new electricians every year to drive this growth. That’s not all. Current electrical contractors and their teams will need to “update their skills to support these newer technologies.”
Meeting the Needs of Residential EV Owners
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As with any rapidly expanding technology, electricians who want to enter the EV charging space will need to maintain a rigorous program of continuing education to keep up with industry developments. Although installing and maintaining residential Level 1 EV chargers doesn’t take much EV expertise, it’s a whole new world when your electricians work on Level 2 chargers.
To install and service a Level 2 charger, electrical contractors must meet specific qualifications to wire the charge point to the panel or install a specialized outlet – a NEMA 14-50 – plus a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to ensure safety for both installer and customer. In some cases, customers will need greater load capacity and, thus, a panel upgrade.
Equipping new electricians with the skills to install and service these chargers will be essential in the coming years. Level 2 home chargers will likely grow in popularity among customers who can afford them since these charging stations can charge an EV overnight.
Meeting the Needs of Commercial EV Charging Stations
As the Qmerit article points out, installing and servicing commercial EV charging stations opens up even more layers of complexity. Commercial stations involve more than one charge point to assure customer safety, manage the stations’ power load, and integrate their operations with the local electrical grid.
If an electrical contractor’s customer wants to move up to DC fast chargers – and most commercial charging operations do – EV charging-specific expertise is even more critical. Getting the 80,000 new electricians the nation needs up to speed on the skills they must have to meet future fast-charging demand is essential – and time-sensitive, given that only six years remain to achieve that goal.
Recruit and Train New Electricians
At the very least, this new crop of electricians must possess a valid electrician’s license to qualify for upskilling to EV-specific skills. Electrical contractors might consider providing scholarships to promising trade school students on the electrician licensure track in exchange for a promise to work for the contractor for a given number of years.
If you can’t find enough students to meet your staffing needs, consider recruiting from people recently discharged from the military or recent high school graduates. Also, some programs for unhoused persons, such as Washington DC’s Coalition for the Homeless, provide job skills training, including tracks that lead to licensure as an electrician. Recruiting from their ranks could also prove fruitful in sourcing new, motivated electricians for your EV teams.
Once You Onboard Electricians, Upskill Them (and Yourself) with EV Charging Expertise
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While you wait for a new crop of electricians to grow your EV charging teams, consider upskilling yourself and your current team. A wealth of certification and licensure options has sprung up in the wake of the EV wave. Here are some of our favorites:
The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program
The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) is a comprehensive program that trains licensed electricians for all aspects of EV charging, including commercial, residential, non-profit public, and fleet applications. After training ends, students must pass a rigorous examination before they receive certification as an EV charging infrastructure specialist.
As a Trades.org post shows, EVITP certification covers a broad range of topics, including customer relations. Even better, it only costs $275 – a small sum compared to the knowledge you and your teams will gain. The curriculum covers the following areas:
- EV carmakers’ specific charging performance requirements
- Utilities’ EV charging requirements and policies
- Providing customers with stellar customer experiences
- Types of EV batteries and charging specifics
- Installing and servicing energy storage devices, such as on-site batteries
- Brand- and model-specific installation guidelines for all charging station levels
- Assessing charging point servicing needs
- Upgrading equipment
- Evaluating and addressing fire and other safety hazards
- Troubleshooting and repairing EV charging stations
- Latest developments in EV charging technology
- Networking charging stations using the Internet Protocol (IP)
- Standards and requirements for the National Electrical Code (NEC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and EV-specific National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS)
ChargePoint’s EV Charging Certification Program
As one of the nation’s most popular EV charging equipment providers, ChargePoint has a vested interest in developing the next generation of EV charging electricians. If ChargePoint EV charging stations are prevalent in your service area, enrolling yourself and your teams in their free courses would be an excellent option.
Not only are their courses free, but they are also available to people who haven’t yet received their electrician license. That means that your recently recruited prospects can enroll in a ChargePoint course before they graduate from a trade school.
ChargePoint’s EV charging certifications are model-specific, covering all of the infrastructure maker’s home and public charging options. Each course comes in easily digestible modules, allowing people to complete them in their free time, as the Trades.org post notes.
Tesla’s Certified Installer Program
Given the brand’s popularity nationwide, it’s well worth the effort to enroll in Tesla’s Certified Installer course. That goes double if a large share of the EV owners in your area drive Teslas. Additionally, Tesla places graduates who earn their certifications on a searchable list of certified installers in your area, giving your electrical contractor business an instant boost.
Unlike ChargePoint’s courses, Tesla does require that enrollees have already earned their electrician licensure and are working as either an employee in an electrical contractor’s business or an independent contractor. However, its certification course includes instruction in installing and servicing all its energy products, including solar roofs and panels.
Electricians must fill out an online application. If Tesla approves you as a student, its staff will send you information about onboarding, including course fees.
EV Certification Courses at ABB Electrification
With a broad range of courses that treat various topics in EV charging, ABB Electrification is an excellent source of certification options for electricians who want to get up to speed on EV charging and related fields. Students can choose from in-person or online instruction.
According to the green job search platform for independent contractors Greenlancer.com, ABB coursework includes charging station installation and maintenance, safety protocols, preventative maintenance, diagnosing and troubleshooting software and hardware problems, and software integration.
After certification, installers have access to ABB’s support network, firmware updates, and current technical resources, keeping graduates informed and up to date on industry developments.
State and Local EV Certification Options
Although the EVITP course is the gold standard for EV charging certification, some states and local institutions have created alternative courses to boost the number of EV charging-certified electricians in their states and communities. Pennsylvania, California, and one North Carolina community college have such programs, according to an Electrification Coalition factsheet. Illinois, too, has begun a robust EV charging certification initiative as part of its EV readiness plan, with programs available through several of the state’s community colleges and universities.
Learn More About Preparing for the Coming EV Revolution at the EV Charging Summit
Certification is only the beginning. Keeping up with all the latest developments in the EV charging space is critical in preparing your electrical services business to take advantage of the growing number of Americans choosing to drive EVs.
At the EV Charging Summit, you’ll hear from experienced electrical contractors in the EV charging space at one of our Shop Talks. Even better, you can network with fellow electricians to share information, garner valuable advice, and hear from some of the foremost experts in the EV charging world.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Reserve your seat at the table today!
