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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Installation of the Month (June 2021): Hyatt Place Riverside/Downtown

The ability to travel is something many of us take for granted. Our Interstate Highway System allows us to freely traverse state boundaries – to go wherever we choose whenever we choose – from the snow-capped Colorado Rockies to the soupy Everglade swamplands to the historic lighthouses of coastal New England. However, EV drivers are more acutely aware of their travel limitations because many areas of the country have yet to adopt pro-electric infrastructure policies, often leaving them with few ground-travel options other than ICE vehicles. We knew getting more Americans to embrace the electric revolution would require buy-in from the hospitality industry. As such, much of our focus has gone toward hotels that, by serving as site hosts for charging stations, can help kickstart that ubiquitous access required to convert many EV holdouts.

Wall Street Journal Piece Brings Up Questions… And We Answer

Stephen Wilmot’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Investors Look for an EV Charge,” debates the merits of investing in EV infrastructure, admitting that while chargers likely make for better investments than cars, the sector still holds many potential pitfalls that should be considered before jumping in. While that may be true, many of the examples backing up this assertion cite the business models of the largest EV installers in the country while failing to consider what less visible but faster-growing companies like EVCS are doing to mitigate such risks. Below are a few quotes from the article and our thoughts on them, including how we’re different.

Commentary on EV Industry Profitability Claims

In a recent Driving.ca article titled “EV-Charging Industry is Doing Everything Except Making Money,” author David R. Baker makes a compelling argument that the EV infrastructure sector is a revenue desert, essentially incapable of generating enough cash flow to sustain profitability due to a lack of interest from motorists. “The dilemma boils down to demand,” he states, before adding that “lots of people still driving gasoline-powered cars won’t consider going electric until they see charging stations widely deployed.”

Installation of the Month (May 2021): LADOT Lot 656

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) notes on its website that ICE vehicles are one of the city’s top contributors to air pollution, accounting for 19% of all greenhouse gas emissions, before proclaiming, “We can do better… We’re investing in public transit, testing new technology, and adopting mobility innovations for a cleaner environment and brighter future.” At first, it might just sound like flowery rhetoric, but we can personally attest to that commitment. Starting in 2019, LADOT partnered with us to install DCFCs at 57 city-owned lots, with almost 30% of those installations now completed. This alliance has been integral in promoting our goal of zero-emission mobility in the City of Angels by facilitating greater access to infrastructure.

Addressing Pain Points in Creating EV Infrastructure

A recent GovTech.com article titled “How Biden Plans to Build 500 EV Charging Stations” discusses the President’s goals for creating a nationwide network of 500,000 such installations by 2030. While it does a smart job laying out many of the pain points we face in facilitating EV adoption, the mention of solutions was far less prevalent, and ones that were mentioned seemed speculative or tenuous. However, over the last three years, EVCS has already taken the lead in addressing many of these challenge areas, allowing us to dominate the installation market across the West Coast.