Tomorrow's EV adoption depends on today's charging standards

Tomorrow’s EV adoption depends on today’s charging standards

EV chargers in the U.S. have no comprehensive standards for the installation, operation, or maintenance ... for now.

In the past, we’ve looked at just how many EV chargers the U.S. is going to need to meet its lofty zero-emissions goals – the answer to that, by the way, is that an estimated total of 2.13 million Level 2 and 172,000 DC fast chargers will be needed publicly by 2030 (you can watch the full video here).

But, there’s a problem with EV charging, right? Think about this: If you pull up to just about any gas station in America, the experience is identical. You put your card in, you pick your octane, you pull the nozzle out, you stick it in your tank and you pull the dang trigger.

With EV chargers, there are no comprehensive standards for the installation, operation, or maintenance, no universal standards in connector types, payment methods, data privacy, speed and power of chargers or, most importantly, reliability.

Want more EV Impact Show? Click here.

Well, the feds seem to recognize this and, lo and behold, recently debuted a set of standards that must be adhered to for public chargers that are federally funded. Now that last part is important, as, at least up until now, these standards will presumably only be applicable to the half-million EV chargers that the Biden Administration is paying to roll out as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – everyone else is still fair game. Just keep that in mind.

So, as the majority of these federal charging stations will be installed along highway corridors, The Federal Highway Administration was appropriately the one to announce the new standards. They say the goal is to direct federal dollars to build out a national EV charging network that is user-friendly, reliable, and accessible so that charging is as easy as filling up at a gas station – no matter what car you drive or which state you charge in.

Here are the standards highlights:

  • There must be consistent plug types, power levels, and a minimum number of chargers capable of supporting drivers’ fast-charging needs;
  • Chargers need to work when drivers need them to, with a required 97% uptime reliability;
  • Drivers need to be able to easily find a charger when they need to. Publicly accessible data on locations, price, availability, and accessibility through mapping applications are required;
  • There will be a requirement that a single method of identification works across all chargers, so drivers do not have to use multiple apps and accounts to charge;
  • And, chargers need to have a degree of being future-proof, so compatibility with forward-looking capabilities like Plug and Charge will be required. Plug and Charge is a way of automating payment for EV charging, meaning all drivers will need to do is connect their EV’s charging cable to the charge point, and the vehicle immediately starts to charge.

Having a standard experience when drivers stop for a charge is going to be an important factor for rising EV adoption in the coming years. The EV industry may be young… but it’s learning.

You May Also Like

Connecting to future automotive technology: The Road to AAPEX S2E7

As Joe Keene connects with the Lincoln Highway’s history, The Buzz Editor David Sickels glimpses into the future of automotive technology.

RTA S02 E07

Rolling through Nebraska, Babcox Media’s Joe Keene meets kindred spirits as he drives the rare Lincoln Blackwood he refurbished for his journey to AAPEX. Along the way, he meets a family traveling the Lincoln Highway section by section, taking in sights such as the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument and the Classic Car Collection, both in Kearney, Neb., and the Golden Spike Tower in North Platte, Neb.

Is it time to get excited about V2X EV charging?

Using V2X (bi-directional) charging, fleets could sell energy from their own fleet back to the grid when needed.

Impact-Show-V2x-InCharge-Energy
Is Ford’s EV plan working?

One of Ford’s biggest opportunities for growth and value creation lands in EV sales.

Impact-Featured-Image-EP71-Ford
This is the No. 1 challenge facing EV adoption

Despite EV adoption rates growing, there’s still a lot to learn. Are the top consumer concerns warranted?

Impact-Featured-Image-1400x700-Adoption
The EV battery materials sourcing problem

What innovations could help lessen the detrimental impacts stemming from EV battery manufacturing?

Impact-Featured-Image-1400x700-Sourcing

Other Posts

The hidden cost of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) fleets

When companies neglect employee charging, they hurt the environment and their bottom line.

Prius-Prime-2022-hybrid-1400
What you don’t know about EV service can hurt your business

Busting these myths can help shops decide if they’re ready for EVs.

CAPTION-7-1400
Paving the way for automotive innovation: The Road to AAPEX S2E8

Watch to see how far automotive innovation has brought us to get to where we are today, and where it might take us tomorrow.

RTA S02 E08
At the crossroads of automotive’s past and future: The Road to AAPEX S2E5

While Joe Keene continues down the highway in the refurbished Lincoln, The Buzz Editor David Sickels sets off to visit Proterra.

RTA S02 E05