Electrify America has introduced plans to improve 600 chargers throughout 130 cities in California, as per its newest “Cycle 4” regional funding plan. The community’s fame is not actually exemplary relating to charging expertise – it ranked beneath the Tesla Supercharger, Cost Level, and EVgo in JD Energy’s 2023 Buyer Satisfaction Index, and has acknowledged the necessity for enchancment in its newest announcement.
EV charging stations, like several machines or units, require substitute and upkeep for a couple of easy causes like degradation from common use, security issues, doable environmental harm after they’re positioned outdoor, and extra importantly, to maintain up with technological developments.
Electrify America put in the primary tranche of its charging stations again in 2018, throughout what the corporate calls Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 of its enlargement plans. These chargers have now approached the top of their helpful life in 2023. Electrify America talked about “put on and tear” on the {hardware}, which negatively impacted charger reliability and charging expertise for EV homeowners.
JD Energy’s 2023 Public Charging Research places Electrify America behind rivals by way of high quality of charging expertise. Infographic: JD Energy
Electrify America will proceed addressing this challenge because it has prior to now by investing roughly $172 million in charging infrastructure in California. $80M has been allotted for the upgrades and upkeep of present websites, and $92M for enlargement. Earlier than changing the chargers, it would study components such because the age of the charger, utilization charges, uptime efficiency, quantity and sort of labor orders, buyer sentiment, location on key journey routes, components availability, and serviceability.
It additionally talked about a “customized redesign” of Electrify America’s Gen 4 chargers with an improved human-machine interface (HMI) display screen, 18-foot cables, and enhanced distant diagnostic talents. The corporate didn’t point out the completion timeline for the substitute of the older chargers, and it’s unclear if all replacements will entail Gen 4 {hardware}. It’s additionally unclear what the roadmap is for changing chargers throughout the US. InsideEVs has reached out to Electrify America for extra particulars.
Gen 4 chargers have an improved consumer interface. Infographic: Electrify America.
After finishing the Cycle 4 upgrades, Electrify America could have invested $800 million in California over 10 years. As for its nationwide community, the corporate had 800 stations in 2022, which disbursed 173 gigawatt hours of electrical energy. It claims to have saved over 21.5 million gallons of gasoline.