EV Power Pulse Issue #8

Current EVents

EV Industry Updates

Tesla’s Growing Grip on the EV Charging Landscape

When Tesla renamed their proprietary charging connectors the North American Charging Standard (NACS) in November 2022, it felt to many a bit presumptuous, considering Tesla was the only automaker using the connector. However, one year later, the move resembles Babe Ruth’s “called shot” moment in the 1932 World Series. Since May 2023, 13 automakers and 6 charging networks have adopted Tesla’s NACS.

Currently, the only major holdouts among automakers are Volkswagen and Stellantis, though just last week VW acknowledged they’re assessing the NACS connectors for their North American market. 

While most EV drivers will do the majority of their charging at home, they will still need accessible charge points when they’re on the road. At this point, no other charging network can compete with Tesla’s charge point quantity and reliability. 

The leading charging networks understand this as well. Just last week BP’s EV charging subsidiary, bp pulse, committed $100M to the implementation of Tesla chargers into their network, and ChargePoint is looking to install NACS connectors at their stations as soon as this month. Although ChargePoint will continue to offer CCS chargers, we wonder how long that will last should VW and Stellantis make the leap to NACS. 

Tesla’s march toward North American EV charging ubiquity has occurred faster than most people anticipated. Each NACS adoption announcement pushes the US one step closer to the EV charging standardization pushed for by Joint Office Executive Director Gabe Klein back in September.

–Steve

Power and Policy

FHWA Announces Round 7 Alternative Fuel Corridor Designations

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently announced the Round 7 Alternative Fuel Corridor (AFC) designations. The addition of these new corridors will extend connections to previously designated highways, broadening the coverage of alternative fuels nationwide.

In this latest round of designations, the FHWA has designated EV Charging corridors in 11 states and several U.S. territories, including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico. California, Puerto Rico, and Alabama received the largest number of designations among the group. 

Why is this important? These designations play a pivotal role in the funding provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as they determine eligibility for programs that support the growth of EV infrastructure. Specifically, the NEVI Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program hinge on the AFC designations, making it easier for communities to access resources that support the development of EV charging networks.

By strategically locating EV charging stations along major national highways, the transportation system is evolving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the mobility of both passenger and commercial vehicles that rely on electric power.

–Rob

EV Workforce Insights

 Addressing the Technician Shortage in EV Charging Infrastructure

Despite the promising advancements in EV charging technology, an unfortunate reality persists: charging networks continue to prove unreliable, and the US lacks the charging technician workforce required to ensure proper maintenance of our current infrastructure, let alone the anticipated growth in the years ahead. 

In October, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that nearly 4,000 public charging stations with more than 7,000 ports were out of service, resulting in an outage rate of more than 6%. Real-time data from connected chargers, obtained by Here Technologies, suggests the actual number of inoperable charging points might be even higher.

Limited access to charging stations, combined with the unpredictable reliability of chargers, has been a significant frustration for EV drivers and a well-documented obstacle to broader adoption

The Biden Administration wants 500,000 fast chargers installed across the US by 2030, and they’ve allocated $100M in federal funding to repair and replace non-operational charging infrastructure to support their goal. 

However, there remains a shortage of certified EV charging technicians, which presents a significant hurdle as EV adoption accelerates and more EV charging stations are installed across the country. Meanwhile, the number of electricians is projected to decline by 14% from 2023 to 2030, and many of these existing electricians are not trained and certified to install and repair EV chargers.

To combat this, ChargerHelp! and SAE International are working to develop training certifications for EV charger technicians to provide the skills and expertise necessary to close the technician gap. We discussed other efforts underway to address the gap in this September issue. 

Significant investments are being made to expand the US’s EV charging infrastructure, but equal attention and effort need to be focused on the EV charging workforce of the future.

–Steve and Rob

How to further connect with us

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Until next time, stay charged!
- Steve and Rob