What is the future of EV charging stations?

DETROIT (AP) — The announcement Wednesday that seven major automakers are joining to build a large North American electric vehicle charging network should pull people off the sidelines to at least consider shifting away from gas-powered vehicles.

That’s how auto industry analysts see the move by General Motors, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes and Stellantis to build a network of fast-chargers that will rival Tesla’s and will nearly double the number of quick-charging plugs in the U.S. and Canada.

“Anything that gets more — and especially more reliable chargers — out there will be a benefit to anybody considering EVs,” said Sam Abuelsamid, an e-mobility analyst for Guidehouse Insights. “It should help sway some people who were on the fence about buying an EV.”

The companies said they will share in a multibillion-dollar investment to build “high power” charging stations with at least 30,000 plugs in urban areas and along travel corridors by 2030.

The dramatic move is intended to allay fears that chargers won’t be available for long-distance travel.

The companies wouldn’t disclose the exact number of charging stations or financial details of the joint venture they’re forming to put the network in place. They said the first of the U.S. chargers will be ready by next summer.

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The automakers said in a joint statement Wednesday that they want to build the “leading network” of reliable high-powered charging stations in North America.

“The parties have agreed not to disclose specific investment numbers at this time, but the seven founding automakers intend to work as equals to ensure the success of the joint venture,” the companies said in a written statement answering questions from The Associated Press.

There are currently just under 8,700 direct-current fast-charging stations in the U.S. and Canada with nearly 36,000 charging plugs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Even with 30,000 more plugs, the U.S. will need far more chargers. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that 182,000 fast chargers will be needed by 2030.

Fast chargers can get a battery to 80% of its capacity in 20 minutes to one hour, making them optimal for travel corridors and in some cases comparable to the time it takes to fill a car with gasoline. They’re much quicker than 240-volt “Level 2” chargers that can take hours to get a battery to a full charge.

The new network is expected to have 10 to 20 charging plugs per station, meaning there would be a minimum of 1,500 stations and a maximum of about 3,000.

Tesla’s network, with the largest number of fast chargers in North America, has 2,050 stations and more than 22,000 plugs in the U.S. and Canada, the DOE says.

The network formed by the automakers would be public and open to all electric vehicle owners. It will have connectors for both Tesla’s North American Charging Standard plugs as well as the Combined Charging System plugs used by other automakers.

The network will speed up electric vehicle sales in North America by getting people who now are reading stories about holes in the charging network that prevent long-distance travel, said Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with S&P Global Mobility.

“It’s stopping them even from exploring what EV life is like,” Brinley said. The announcement of the network “is giving them confidence that this is going to work out.”

The automakers said they would use renewable energy as much as possible to power the chargers, and they will be in convenient locations with canopies and amenities such as restrooms, food service and stores nearby.

Brinley said a good charging experience is key to earning the trust of potential EV buyers. “The reality is consumers want to feel comfortable when they charge,” she said.

The current charging network, being built by a hodgepodge of companies, is growing but is often unreliable or in poor locations. This has prompted Ford, General Motors and others to sign agreements with Tesla to give their EVs access to its much larger network of fast chargers. Automakers also have announced they’re building their own networks, but Brinley said the moves weren’t enough.

Multiple polls show that the lack of available chargers is among the top reasons why people won’t consider EVs.

The automakers will seek to use U.S. government funds from the bipartisan infrastructure law to help pay for the network.

The administration of President Joe Biden attributed the announcement to his policies aimed at creating a U.S. electric vehicle manufacturing base and tax credits to increase sales in an effort to fight climate change.

“We are seeing tremendous momentum as private companies, cities, states, and utilities join forces behind our shared goal of convenient, reliable charging that reaches every pocket of America,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

In the U.S., electric vehicle sales continued to rise during the first half of the year to more than 557,000 vehicles, or 7.2% of all new vehicle sales. The EV share of the market last year was 5.8% with just over 807,000 sales. Industry analysts predict continued growth in EV sales for the next decade or more.

But in June, EV inventories began to grow as factories started cranking out new models. Not including Tesla and Rivian, dealers had enough EV supply on hand for 103 days of sales, according to Cox Automotive. But there was only a 53 day supply of all vehicles, indicating much lower inventories of combustion engine vehicles.

Still, Cox is forecasting that EV sales will grow to over 1 million for the first time this year. The consulting firm LMC Automotive predicts that EVs will hit 14.4% of the market in 2025, and be close to 40% by 2030.

Tomorrow's dedicated EV charging stations will have solar canopies and awnings, posh customer ... [+] lounges, and dedicated shopping and dining opportunities.

Electrify America

As it now stands, most electric-vehicle public charging stations tend to be spartan affairs, with one or two lonely units situated at the distant corners of retail parking lots or enclosed garages that make shopping while topping off the battery less convenient than necessary. Some stores, like the Amazon Fresh grocery that’s just about to open near where we live, put them right up front, but as we’ve seen elsewhere they’re often blocked by squatters in internal combustion vehicles (also uninformed hybrid car owners who think “For Electric Vehicles Only” applies to them).

Unfortunately, most public chargers are still 220-volt Level 2 units that can, at best, add a few miles to an EV’s battery pack within many parking lots’ two-hour limits. And that’s if a given charger is operational at all or can accept a payment method and/or connect to a given vehicle in the first place, but that’s reserved for another screed at a later date.

Though home charging is the key to conveniently and cost-effectively charge an electric vehicle, as EVs become more prevalent there will become a greater need for public Level 3 DC quick charging stations, whether to keep longer-range models running on extended road trips, or for any time the state-of-charge meter starts running uncomfortably low. Level 3 stations can bring some of the latest EVs up to an 80 percent charge in as little as 20-30 minutes.

Experts project there will be 35 million EVs will be on the road by 2030, and even with most only requiring an occasional hookup, the need for public chargers in the coming years will swell exponentially. To that end the Biden administration hopes to add a half million charging outlets to the nation’s current infrastructure, provided it can ever pass all or part of the now-dormant infrastructure bill.

One solution might be to give a greater number of stores, restaurants, and hotels, as well as exiting gas stations incentives to install on-site chargers for their customers, but even with some cash back from the Fed, they’ll still be out of the financial reach of many businesses (the hardware is said to cost upwards of $50,000).

Instead, the Volkswagen subsidiary Electrify America envisions a series of public charging locations that would take the familiar fill-up to new levels of convenience for EV owners. The company says they’ll be “customer-focused stations created with designs inspired by the surrounding communities” to exist as accommodating environments that employ “spatial, behavioral and emotional layers focused on enhancing the human experience.” In other words, they’ll be really nice. They’ll also give tomorrow’s EVs an away-from-home infusion of kilowatts via as many as 20 of the latest DC Fast Charge units per location.

The company says these brightly lit and security camera-equipped flagship stations will incorporate design and comfort elements like solar canopies and awnings, posh customer lounges, and dedicated event space. Charging stations located at select shopping locations could offer valet charging and curbside delivery options for added convenience. Some locations may also offer shopping and dining opportunities that would put the average gas stations’ snack-food fare to shame.

Electrify America already operates location-specific next-gen flagship stations in Baker and Santa Clara, California, with plans to open similar spots in Santa Barbara, San Francisco, San Diego and Beverly Hills, California and in New York within Manhattan and Brooklyn during 2022 and 2023. If successful, we’d imagine there would be more standalone EV-charging locations to come, both from EA and other companies.

"Electrify America will be reinventing the look and feel at many of our charging stations to meet and exceed the expectations of customers moving from a gas-powered vehicle to an electric lifestyle," said Giovanni Palazzo, president and CEO of Electrify America. "Our customer research shows the need to transition to a more inviting charging experience that accommodates the human experience with waiting areas and other conveniences.”

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