Electric vehicles (EVs) are an important factor in reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. However, EVs need widespread, reliable charging infrastructure to be practical enough to replace gas-powered alternatives. While EV chargers have become more common, many are experiencing frequent issues.
Inside America’s EV Charging Problem
More than 20% of EV drivers have shown up to a charger only to find it doesn’t work in Q1 2023 alone. A more targeted study focusing on the San Francisco Bay Area found that a staggering 27.5% of EV chargers in the region didn’t work properly.
These malfunctions hinder progress in expanding charging infrastructure. Having more chargers available does little to encourage further EV adoption if much of this network can’t recharge a vehicle.
Something needs to change. Transportation emits almost 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., so the solution is not to abandon EVs. Rather, the industry must review the growing charging network to see where these issues come from and how it can solve them.
Connectivity Issues
A recent study from the Electrification Institute sheds some light on the problem. It found that 55% of malfunctioning EV chargers are a matter of station connectivity. Most of these stations use cellular networks to process payments and other information, rendering them unusable amid signal issues. A lack of connectivity can also stop charging networks from getting real-time maintenance alerts, leading to slower fixes for repair issues.
Technical Glitches
Internal faults make up a significant portion of issues, including technical glitches like software bugs, faulty wiring or misaligned cables. While this category is broader, it doesn’t reflect as foundational an issue. These problems are diverse and often smaller in scale.
Miscellaneous Errors
The remaining 7% of EV charging malfunctions are smaller, miscellaneous errors. Connector cable issues are the largest group under this umbrella, but credit card scanner glitches and broken screens are a factor, too.
How Can EV Charging Networks Resolve These Issues?
The first step in addressing these problems is to provide a more reliable communication network for the nation’s charging infrastructure. As 5G networks grow, wireless connectivity will improve, but hardwired connections may be better. These are more expensive to install but suffer far fewer interruptions.
Just as robots provide a positive return on investment by reducing labor costs and damage, wired connections are more cost-effective in the long run. Installing them costs more, but organizations will spend less on resolving issues and experience fewer lost sales from broken chargers.
As connectivity improves, the companies installing this charging infrastructure should also install more maintenance sensors. Real-time data on charger performance would fill a glaring data gap in this industry. More information will reveal the most common issues and their true causes, as well as enable faster responses to minimize downtime.
Electrical contractors installing EV chargers must also take greater care. Many technical glitches are hardware issues stemming from improper installation. A greater emphasis on employee training and more standardized operating procedures will help prevent these mistakes.
Alternative payment methods that don’t rely on a specific technology are also a good idea. Accepting cash and mobile payments will mitigate errors with credit card readers.
Finally, the industry must adopt more specific standards for installation, maintenance and reporting to inform more effective changes in the future. Thankfully, this is already underway. California has rolled out an EV charging reliability reporting system, and other states will likely follow suit as EV charging infrastructure expands.
EV Charging Infrastructure Must Improve
The world needs EVs, which means it also needs more reliable EV charging networks. Reaching that future will be a joint effort between electrical contractors, EV companies, government regulators and communications providers.
While EV charging has improved over recent years, it still has a long way to go. Addressing current reliability issues is the first step in ensuring it keeps improving at a fast enough pace to keep up with needed EV growth.
About the author: Jane works as an environmental and energy writer. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Environment.co.
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 
it is not just EV chargers that all too often malfunction. The U.K. National Audit Office has just revealed that around 1 in 7 so-called “smart “ meters in buildings are now effectively” dumb”, and certainly of little use to consumers seeking to regulate their fuel consumption levels.
That is unbelievable