As a recent Canary Media article observed, “bad data” has soured the charging experience for EV owners across the US. What the article’s author, Jeff St. John, meant by “bad data” is the critical lack of EV charging standardization, as recent studies show.
That lack has dampened EV owners’ enthusiasm — and, in turn, a downturn in the positive vibes that could drive EV adoption trends. Specifically, evidence has emerged showing a significant gap between what charging software reports show and the actual uptime of the nation’s public charging stations.
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The evidence from these studies revealed that 10% of 4,800 charge points that technicians inspected could not complete a charge — even though the software showed them to be online.
Other data confirm the discrepancy between network software and actual uptime too. Working uptime for non-Tesla fast charging stations stands around 84%, compared to the 92% that the stations’ software reported. That’s an 8% difference.
That 8% needs to close if EV manufacturers and charging companies want to increase EV adoption, as a ChargeLab post notes. It’s time for the nation’s EV manufacturers and charging infrastructure providers to standardize EV charging uptime. Here’s why nationwide standardization is a must for the EV charging industry.
1. EV Charging Software Needs a Failproof Approach
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While there’s no such thing as a completely reliable system, the nation’s EV charging networks, apps, and the software that makes them possible could go a long way toward becoming reliable. All too often, EV drivers experience the frustration of finding an open charging station on their mobile app — only to drive there and find it out of service.
That situation doesn’t exactly turn a driver into an advocate for the EV brand—quite the opposite, especially if the car is about to run out of juice.
If the industry wants more EVs on the road to charge, it needs software and apps that provide real-time, accurate information about its chargers’ availability. Standardizing EV charging uptime reports can go a long way toward accomplishing that goal.
Certainly, standardizing uptime requirements is doable if EV charging infrastructure leaders will work together to arrive at a solution. Aligning industry uptime standards with federal, state, and local laws governing uptime requirements can help create a seamless charging experience across the country.
2. Public Charging Payment Options Need a Standardized Reboot
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As the Canary Media piece points out, payment processing failure is one of the leading causes of EV charging downtime. After all, if a driver’s payment can’t go through, the charger won’t work, and the driver is stuck in a vehicle that might not make it to a functional charging station.
Unlike payment options available for buying merchandise in a store online, EV charging payments also include plug-and-charge systems, chip cards, standard credit card readers, and mobile apps. But what makes it even more challenging to guarantee payment uptime is the mishmash of software that various EV charging brands use.
Unfortunately, different versions of this software make interfacing with payment processing systems a challenge. Thus, payment can be a gamble for every driver who pulls up to a charger. Standardizing payment processing will make for a smoother charging experience and more confidence in EV charging availability across the nation.
3. To Standardize Uptime, Charging Companies Must Share Data in the Same Format
With the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), charging companies are no longer excused from sharing data. The OCPP enables open communications across every step in the charging process using shared data in a single format.
Even more importantly, by using the OCPP, companies have access to the protocol’s powerful diagnostic capability. With more error codes available to pinpoint which parts of charging equipment or payment processors have malfunctioned, as the Canary Media article points out, technicians can quickly repair the problem — giving users more uptime in the process.
With the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) requiring charging stations to demonstrate 97% uptime to receive funding, charging companies will have an added incentive to use the OCPP’s capabilities to solve problems quickly and restore service.
4. Standardization Makes Training for EV Technicians More Reliable
Training EV charging technicians requires coursework that covers not only the equipment itself but also data science, rigorous quality assurance (QA) protocols, and the charging systems themselves—how each part of the process affects the others. Standardizing the software that underlies these systems can streamline the training process.
Standardization is even more crucial when it comes to continuing education. Keeping up with the flurry of technological developments that seem to come at light speed is challenging enough with standardized uptime data and protocols. Without standardization, it could result in chaos.
5. Hardware Standardization Is a Must for Increased EV Adoption
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As the ChargeLab post put it, “even top-tier [hardware] models can experience problems.” Extreme weather, connector failure or incompatibility, and energy transfer issues can all impact a DC fast charger’s performance.
While scientists can’t control extreme weather conditions, they can find ways to protect charging equipment from all but the worst weather. Similarly, with the tidal wave of new technologies, such as quantum charging, that will soon erupt into the EV charging world, energy transfer issues should become a thing of the past.
However, on the connector front, there’s great news, thanks to the SAE’s J3400 NACS standard. Additionally, Tesla has opened up its charging stations to most US electric vehicles using adapters for older EVs.
Compatibility issues should fade once enough adapters become available, and more auto manufacturers make EVs compatible with the Tesla technology. As other charging networks adopt the J3400 NACS standard, charging uptime should grow well beyond the 97% NEVI requirement. When charging dependability equals that of gas pumps, more drivers will choose an EV for their next car.
Discover More Developments in EV Charging Uptime Standardization at the Summit
There’s one place where EV charging infrastructure professionals gather with their peers and the industry’s finest experts: the EV Charging Summit & Expo. With information on the latest developments in EV charging, you’ll leave with all you need to know to take your EV charging business into a more profitable future. Register for our next event today!
