How EVCS is Addressing the Surging Demand for EVs

The EV world has much to celebrate this year. It seems we’ve reached a turning point. While the overall number of new vehicles sold in America between Q2 2021 and Q2 2022 slumped by 20%, EV sales during that same period jumped over 66%, according to figures released by Cox Automotive. This comes on the heels of a larger global trend, with worldwide EV shipments up 79% year over year.

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Total sales of all-electric vehicles in the US have steadily risen through 2022, even in the face of economic headwinds caused by inflation, chip shortages and other supply chain issues. Almost 159,000 BEVs were registered in Q1 2022, followed by almost 197,000 in Q2, per data from Experian and Kelley Blue Book. Experts expect to see this pattern continue when Q3 numbers are released.

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According to Senior Research Analyst Soumen Mandal, “The EV market is witnessing a boom. [Moreover], shipments would have been higher if the automotive supply chain was not affected by the Ukraine crisis and fresh COVID-19 waves in China.” He cites fierce competition by both new and existing players in the manufacturing world, leading to cutting-edge tech that has improved battery life, driving range and ADAS. As a result, Automotive News notes that Hyundai, Ford, Nissan and Volkswagen all had vehicles among the top 10 best-selling EVs as they ratchet up operations in a quest to rival Tesla’s dominance.

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The sales surge is likely due to a confluence of factors: the extended number of offerings from automakers, government subsidies, new legislation that phases out ICEs, high gas prices and the steady expansion of charging infrastructure. Whatever the ultimate causes though, Americans have begun embracing electric as an efficient, cost-effective alternative to environmentally harmful fossil fuels, particularly in the mobility space, resulting in a BEV market share of 4.6% nationwide – a new record.

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The writing is on the wall: America needs fast, convenient, reliable infrastructure to power the rapidly growing BEV segment. Fortunately, EVCS has been shoring up its network for the coming onslaught as we plan to more than double our network by the end of 2023. We recently raised almost $69 million to further our expansion into over 60 new West Coast cities while simultaneously increasing charger density in cities where we have existing infrastructure.

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We currently have 672 total chargers (241 of which are DCFCs) at 149 locations from Orange County, California to Custer, Washington near the Canadian border. In addition, these stations have been strategically positioned along prime travel routes and at key points of interest to accommodate cars and drivers of all types, from rural residents to urban dwellers; from Teslas to Bolts to Mustang Mach-Es; suitable for a quick jaunt to the grocery store or an interstate vacation. And our network only keeps growing as we continue to lead the West Coast in new installations.

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Our easy-to-use mobile app and industry-disrupting subscription model have also made it simpler for EV owners to power up while saving them hundreds or even thousands of dollars over pay-per-charge and gas alternatives. Our user interface features a cost comparison calculator that lets consumers quickly gauge the potential savings of a subscription; a find-a-charger function searchable by street, city or zip; and access to round-the-clock customer support to ensure a seamless charging experience.

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What’s more, as the number of EVs on the road increases, so will the number of drivers with varying schedules, budgets and other needs. That’s why we recently expanded our subscription options to include the following: 1) the Standard Anytime plan for $49.99 per month, providing up to 200 kWh of DC fast charging and a low flat rate of $.29/kWh after the cap is exceeded; 2) the Unlimited Off-Peak Pro plan for $99.99 a month, which offers unlimited fast charging between 10pm and 6am with a flat rate of $.29/kWh at all other times; and 3) the Unlimited Anytime Pro plan for $199.99 a month, with access to unlimited fast charging 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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Bottom line – investment, innovation and persistence of vision is not only necessary in driving the manufacturing of new electric vehicles that appeal to the public, but also the infrastructure that powers them, and that is where EVCS is leading the way.

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The Race to Democratize Charging Infrastructure

According to McKinsey & Company, “As the number of EVs on the road increases, annual demand for electricity to charge them would surge from 11 billion kWh now to 230 billion kWh in 2030… Modeling indicates that nearly 30 million chargers would be needed to deliver so much electricity in that year. While most of these chargers would be installed at residences, 1.2 million would [need to] be public chargers.” More importantly, these public chargers must be targeted to drivers of all ages, genders, races, cultures, income levels and geographic segments. As such, EVCS has identified three primary areas necessary to increasing the democratization of charging infrastructure:

Navigating California’s New EV Mandate

California’s going all in on electric. On August 25th, Governor Gavin Newsom made a very important announcement concerning the future of transportation in the Golden State: “We can solve this climate crisis if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to cut pollution. California now has a groundbreaking, world-leading plan to achieve 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035.” Big and bold, indeed. And while highly encouraging, it brings up a number of questions moving forward.

How EVCS is Repairing Reliability Concerns

One of the biggest concerns among EV drivers today is the reliability of public chargers. One recent survey from the Department of Bioengineering at UC Berkeley claims as many as 23% of public chargers in the Bay Area alone are, as Wired sums up, “nonfunctioning at any given time, stymied by broken screens, shoddy credit card or payment systems, network connection failures, or damaged plugs.” And that’s in a locale prioritizing the conversion to electric. Testimony from motorists seems to corroborate these findings. A CEC survey of 1,290 EV drivers found that fully 60% had experienced damaged or inoperable chargers, while almost half needed assistance from customer service. We find this wholly unacceptable and have taken measures to ensure that chargers in the EVCS network rise to the standard of operability our customers expect. Here are a few ways we’re doing that:

Installation of the Month (July 2022): Kenwood Inn & Spa

A key focus for us over the last several years has been the installation of additional chargers at holiday hot spots, tourist destinations, and other key points of interest. Not only will it help dispel long-range travel anxiety among many new EV drivers, but it will also lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions otherwise generated by gas-guzzlers during peak vacation seasons. Moreover, our egalitarian approach to site selection means we’re just as likely to install a charger at a McDonald’s as we are at a Morton’s since we understand the value in catering to a broad clientele. However, higher net worth individuals continue to drive EV sales in the US (a June 2021 Fuels Institute study specifies middle-aged males with household incomes over $100,000), so catering to venues that offer a luxury experience will encourage even greater participation by this group while serving as a bellwether for lower-income drivers who are attracted to the idea of electric mobility as a symbol of status.