One of the headaches associated with electric vehicle ownership is the mundane and menial task of charging the vehicle.
Instead of stopping at a gas station where you or an attendant fill your tank in a matter of minutes under a well-lit shelter, electric vehicles have to charge at self-service public charging stations near large shopping centers and highway rest stops. . , parking lots or shopping centers.
Here, drivers are exposed to the elements and have to decide what to do during the roughly 20 minutes it takes to charge, while other EV owners wait patiently in line.
Things could be better, and according to a recent survey, EV owners and potential buyers have a wish list for how to improve the charging experience.
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In a recent survey by research firm AutoPacific, electric vehicle owners and potential buyers said they want traditional gas station conveniences at their public charging stations.
Of the amenities, they said they wanted charging stations to have clear, easy-to-read signs marking the charging speed and price of a specific charger, Wi-Fi access, basic car care services like tire inflators, vacuum cleaners and squeegees, as well as charging systems. the stations themselves are in a well-lit and covered place.
Of those surveyed, more than 86% of EV owners and potential buyers said a well-lit, covered charging location with clear signs dictating price and charging speed was important to them.
AutoPacific President and Chief Analyst Ed Kim said the survey results show there is an opportunity for EV charging companies to add these simple conveniences and services on top of traditional charging.
“We were surprised that the numbers were so high,” Kim said. “This is clearly an unmet need in the market.”
The AutoPacific president also emphasized that while filling up a tank of gas at a gas station is a uniformly short experience, electric vehicle charging is more unpredictable, with some chargers being slower, faster, or not working at all.
“Part of the problem for the consumer is that there is no uniform standard for what it takes to charge an electric vehicle at a charging station,” he said.
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A solution?
Electrify America
An EV charging station company understands the concern of EV owners and has come up with a smart solution to make the service wish list of EV owners a reality.
Electrify America's latest project is a modern interpretation of a gas station: a secure indoor charging station with 20 chargers charging up to 350 kW. In addition, drivers have the opportunity to recharge comfortably in one of two driver's lounges with food and beverage sales, bathrooms and free Wi-Fi.
Although this new charging station concept only exists in one location in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, the company says it is planning more in urban areas in the future.
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