Establishing a uniform and accessible electric vehicle charging network is still an ongoing endeavor. According to the Energy Department, Tesla's supercharging network is currently the most predominant domestic charging network, accounting for about 60% of all the fast chargers in the U.S. However, Tesla drivers' usage alone will burn out the charging network capabilities.
For widespread EV adoption to take root, there must be increased compatibility between charger networks and vehicles, and improved accessibility of charging locations for drivers. This means the market and infrastructure must expand to support drivers beyond the Tesla audience.
Charge anxiety and hurdles to widespread adoption
“Range anxiety” (also commonly referred to as “charge anxiety”) is the fear that an electric vehicle battery will run out of power before the destination or a suitable charging point is reached, leaving its occupants stranded. Charge anxiety remains a top hurdle for wider adoption as it drives EV owners to feel confined to their city limits due to restricted access to reliable high-speed chargers. However, long-distance travel and EV road trips are possible with the right vehicle and network in consumer-convenient locations.
The NEVI plan's aspirations to ease range anxiety in these “charging deserts” via a national EV roadway system is a start. However, the program lacks significant consideration toward the necessary infrastructure solutions and management involved to create a successful system, as much of the focus is on simply increasing the number of chargers available without including safeguards to ensure drivers have positive charger experiences.
On the other hand, there needs to be more of an emphasis on EVs' long-term future, concentrating on EV solutions built for the North American grid infrastructure to address the issues that EV companies say are holding them back. Currently, EV companies provide solutions designed for the European grid, which is then modified to operate within the North American grid. The process needs to be improved since North American grids are older and have lower voltages compared to European grids. Furthermore, modifying the European chargers in the U.S. is time-consuming and expensive.
This future mindset requires looking beyond just short-term improvement in energy potential. Instead, directly designing chargers according to the nation's grid creates stability for the longevity of EV chargers in the U.S.
Location matters
Currently, charger installations occur in affluent, highly populated locations, limiting EVs' acceptance and viability — as shown in the graphic below. Accessibility must be the focal point of a successful EV roadway system to relieve drivers’ charge anxiety, which in turn will advance EV adoption and EV travel opportunities.
Additionally, typical charger stations are deployed in gas stations or inaccessible parking lots of shopping centers — and apart from cheap gas station food and a close walk into a mall, most current EV locations are unsuitable for drivers to recharge along with their vehicles.
While EV charging accessibility has significantly grown in the last few years, finding access to Level-3 chargers is challenging, with most public-facing chargers being lower-voltage Level-2 chargers. Unfortunately, Level-2 chargers remarkably increase charging idle time by upwards of hours for a full charge compared to the 25-35 minutes that a Level-3 charger is capable of. This presents the opportunity to install Level-3 chargers in consumer-friendly locations to support accessibility in areas people already gravitate towards. Moreover, this creates mutual benefits to both consumers and businesses, particularly independent businesses, who can profit financially from innovative EV charger installations.
The biggest challenge to introducing DC Fast Charging solutions, especially in areas where they’re most needed, is cost prohibition. However, this investment has an attributable ROI for businesses deploying an innovative and intelligent EV solution — within four years if they’re truly using solutions designed for the North American grid. Notably, chargers are already available in fast food locations, with 6,500 of the 47,000+ charges currently available in these locations, according to the Department of Energy.
If the battle for EV adoption is going to be won, it won’t solely happen because of federal dollars or national gas station chains. It will happen because EV charging stations are easily accessible at convenience stores, community centers, diners, churches, and other local buildings already seen as an asset and resource to their community.
Partnering with local utility providers
Through partnerships with local utility providers, EV charging companies can build superior infrastructure for national highways to increase EV chargers' accessibility. Increasing adequately installed and maintained public charging stations benefit a broader set of EV drivers. This allows individuals who cannot invest in home charging equipment, as well as rural residents living in communities with only immediate reach to gas stations, to utilize a greener transportation solution.
Without proper support from utility providers onsite, it becomes difficult to sustain a national EV roadway system for the long term. However, a notable example of a city investing in enhanced public resources is the state of Oregon, which approved a project earlier this year focused on allowing vehicle charging companies and utilities to install public chargers in areas throughout the city that currently lack the proper infrastructure.
To develop a superior EV infrastructure, an effective charger network requires specific standards, including universal payment, identification methods, installation, and maintenance standards created by EV companies and utility providers; otherwise, it creates unreliable experiences for drivers at each charging station.
EV long-distance travel
Currently, long-distance travel in an EV is possible — if you have a Tesla. EV charger networks need to also account for EV drivers traveling long distances. Many EV charging locations require distant drives from highways, which can be inconvenient when trying to stay on a dedicated route, and even further increases a driver’s range anxiety. Long-distance EV travel is feasible, but it won’t come without challenges, such as the need to map out charging pit stops in advance or having a ‘Plan B’ in the event the charger you planned to use is out of order.
There’s an easy solution here, though. Many hotels are conveniently located near highway exits, which makes them the perfect location for EV travelers on the go. In fact, charger deployments at hotels benefit both the business and the consumer, as it drives more traffic since it is a more convenient and safer place to stop than a gas station. Moreover, there are many resources available to find hotels with EV charging access, which is as easy as looking up a hotel that’s pet-friendly or offers continental breakfast. EV charging infrastructure is necessary for travelers on the go, which makes businesses, such as hotels or fast-food restaurants, the perfect new fuel stations of the future.
Current biggest influences on EV charging accessibility
In early July, Tritium secured an order from Hawaii to provide high-speed chargers — which is expected to be one of the first sets of chargers funded and deployed under the NEVI program. Throughout 2023, it is expected that most states will provide access to NEVI funding. According to the U.S. Office of Transportation, the program will result in EV chargers having a presence across more than 75,000 miles of U.S. highways.
Additionally, Ford announcing its intention to adopt Tesla supercharger networks seems like a slam-dunk case to open EV adoption to a wider audience through more reliable charging. However, some cautionary observations need to be made here.
For starters, this places a burden on charger OEMs, many of whom were not intending to adopt Tesla standards. Tesla chargers do not have a point of sale (POS) or card reader, meaning drivers would need to download an app, which is not viable for all drivers; for example, rental drivers. This diminishes the goals of NEVI in providing open access to everyone and seems to run against NEVI requirements, which require CCS1 and CHAdeMO, as opposed to Tesla’s NCAS. The implementation would be years down the line and require large installations of transformers and other equipment.
On another hand, Kentucky’s mandates for Tesla’s NACS charging standard (with Texas and Washington right behind) firmly puts Tesla in the driver’s seat for EV adoption going forward. State mandates will give significant favor to Tesla in policy and presence, but it’s important to note that this is based off Tesla’s reliability with its own cars and networks — they’re playing with their own deck of cards. Tesla is generally ahead of the curve and likely already testing other solutions. This will likely lead to CHAdeMO being scrubbed out of federal requirements. Generally, the mandates are looking for optionality, and NACS and CCS1 appear to be the standards at play in the future.
Additionally, big automakers, including BMW, General Motors, Stellantis, and others, plan to collectively invest at least $1 billion in a joint-venture company that will build out charging stations, targeting the addition of around 30,000 fast chargers in urban and highway areas over the next several years. These automakers reported a switch to Tesla-style charging hardware on their EVs, which further places Tesla’s hardware as the industry standard.
EV travel and adoption continue to rise year-over-year but establishing a uniform and accessible charging network is still a work in progress. Global, widespread EV adoption requires increased compatibility between charger networks and vehicles, as well as increased accessibility of charging locations for drivers.