How EVCS is Helping Change America’s EV Charging Experience

As most of us know, Congress recently approved $7.5 billion in spending for new EV charging installations as part of the larger infrastructure bill, which we expect will help facilitate a speedier transition away from fossil fuels. Even with EV sales increasing in recent years, reports suggest that 25 percent of all carbon emissions still come from the tailpipe, so anything the government can do to kick things up a notch is surely welcome. However, even with such a sizable investment, many challenges still exist that network operators like EVCS will have to help overcome. In a recent article on TheVerge.com, several prescient examples were cited of core areas to focus on if we want to make mass EV adoption a reality. Below are a few such areas and how EVCS is addressing them.

$5 billion will have to be made available to states “to create a network of EV charging stations along designated ‘Alternative Fuel Corridors’, particularly along the Interstate Highway System.”

Many consumers have cited range anxiety as a major concern when considering the transition to electric. A charger at home and perhaps one at the local coffee shop is fine, but long-range travel requires a network of chargers along major arteries that connect cities and states. Ever since our purchase of the West Coast Electric Highway, one of the original “Alternative Fuel Corridors,” we have been focused on installing more chargers near highway on- and off-ramps as well as key tourist destinations to help incentivize long-range travel and alleviate range anxiety.

“The charging experience in the US is intensely fragmented, especially for people who don’t own a Tesla. While Tesla’s Supercharger network has been praised for its seamless user experience and fast charging ability, the opposite appears to be true for pretty much everyone else.”

A major goal at EVCS is both the defragmentation and democratization of the American charging experience for all drivers, not just those with Teslas. This endeavor not only includes us building a more ubiquitous network of chargers outside populated urban centers, but making sure they are fast, easily accessible (i.e., not locked away inside a gated parking garage) and employ a user-friendly interface with simple search functionality, subscription payment options and top-notch customer service. We want to offer VIP-level service regardless of what you drive.

“Not only will it simply take a while to build out [thousands of new] chargers, but the majority of what gets built will likely be of the ‘Level 2’ variety.”

The new infrastructure bill does indeed permit funding to go toward DC fast chargers; however, more funds are likely to go toward cheaper and slower Level 2 chargers because installers can put many more in the ground for the same amount of money. We understand that slower charging times may dissuade some drivers from switching to EVs, which is why we’re using our resources to install or upgrade as many chargers in our network to DCFCs as possible. One of our fast chargers can juice a standard EV battery to 80% in the time it takes to do a typical grocery shopping.

In addition to the $615 million earmarked this year for Alternative Fuel Corridors, a “grant program designed to further increase EV charging access in locations throughout the country, including rural and underserved communities, will be announced later this year.”

Here is yet another area where EVCS has been ahead of the curve. Almost since our inception, we have focused on installing chargers in underserved areas, as we believe democratizing the EV charging experience means greater accessibility in all locations, not just the most affluent. Many drivers in lower-income communities are eager to participate in the greening of society, and we aim to make that possible. Any additional grant programs from the government may simply allow us to accelerate such endeavors.

The Verge article sums things up nicely when it says, “A more dependable charging network will likely help juice EV sales in the US over the next decade.” We agree, but for now, we’re content to let our actions speak louder than our words.

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New EV Tax Incentives Will Drive Infrastructure Growth

Rarely has the progress of a fledgling new industry been so predicated upon passage of legislation as was the clean energy transportation sector with the $1.2 trillion once-in-a-lifetime infrastructure bill that Joe Biden signed into law on Monday. In addition to money for roads, bridges, ports, public transit – you know, all the usual stuff – the Build Back Better bill provides bold new incentives for drivers to go electric, including a $7,500 tax credit for EV buyers through 2026. Cars costing $50,000 or less and trucks, vans and SUVs costing $80,000 or less will qualify.

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Los Angeles continues to be the epicenter for America’s green transportation “EV-olution,” and EVCS continues to lead the charge there, having installed over half the city’s publicly accessible non-Tesla charging stations for two years running. According to industry group Veloz, nearly one in 10 new vehicle sales in California are plug-in vehicles – which accounts for 45% of all plug-in vehicle sales nationwide – and that trend is only growing. In our research, many Angelenos cite the increased prevalence of DCFCs as a key reason why owning an EV has become practical, reducing their range anxiety and offering lightning-fast charging options while they shop, eat and play. This further reinforces the idea that greater access to modern charging infrastructure leads to more EVs on the road, especially in underserved areas that are sorely in need of outside economic investment to spur growth.

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Every now and then, if you’re lucky, you have the good fortune to engage with a strategic partner who shares your goals, values and vision. With acres of common ground, you effortlessly work hand in hand to advance causes that truly matter to the both of you. For EVCS, Barlow Respiratory Hospital is such a partner – one of those rare facilities that fully embodies our commitment to making the planet a safer, healthier, happier place, one person at a time.

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The electrical vehicle industry keeps growing and more drivers are making the switch. This is why governments around the world are working to provide EV users with more and more places to recharge their cars. At EVCS, we’ve created an app that you can use when wondering “Hey, where can I find electric car charging stations near me.”

Top 10 Reasons Why Mass EV Adoption is Inevitable

According to evadoption.com, EV sales are expected to grow from 3.4% of all new auto sales in 2021 to 29.5% in 2030. In fact, they cite several models that forecast explosive growth in EV ownership across the US over the next decade. See the full sales forecasts here complete with bar charts and supporting data: https://evadoption.com/ev-sales/ev-sales-forecasts/. While skeptics might pooh-pooh these projections as overly optimistic, we believe they may actually fall short of the eventual reality. Of course, only time will tell, but below are our top 10 reasons why we believe EVs will be as commonplace as microwaves come 2030.