The Race to Democratize Charging Infrastructure

According to a June 2021 study by the Fuels Institute, the top EV owner demographic in 2019 was white, middle-aged males with six-figure incomes, college degrees and at least one other vehicle in their households. This is because the majority of EVs just three years ago were luxury-focused, with correspondingly higher price points that made ownership by other demographics more of a challenge despite promised fuel cost savings and government-backed incentives. That was then; this is now. And as the old Virginia Slims ad used to say, “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

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In June of 2022, a Consumer Reports article detailed how several major auto manufacturers are electrifying large segments of their vehicle lineups, with a few announcing plans to go fully electric by 2027. This includes economy and mid-range models that eschew the bells and whistles that make luxury models so pricey. “These more affordable models have the potential to sway a significant percentage of the car-buying public toward… an EV with their efficiency, performance, and lower ownership costs,” said Gabe Shenhar, associate director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center.

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The Fuels Institute speculates that EV sales will constitute as much as 40% of all light-duty vehicle sales as affordability normalizes buyer age and balances gender distribution, among other equitable effects on the marketplace. Yet, as this demand for EVs inevitably increases, the need for a proportionately equitable dispersion of charging infrastructure becomes all the more urgent.

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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:

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1) Widespread Charging Access

Chargers need to be installed at a large number of communal properties, whether public, semi-public or private. Moreover, geographic allocation must include varying locales, from outlying rural areas to suburban shopping malls to low-income neighborhoods in populous urban centers. That’s why EVCS has focused on installing DCFCs in diverse and scattered areas across the West Coast as well as varying property types, from gyms and grocery stores to municipal lots and educational institutions to multi-unit dwellings and workplaces.

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2) Affordable and Convenient Pricing Models

Gasoline prices continue to be a major pain point for most ICE vehicle owners. A CNBC study in March of 2022 showed that “even with regional surges in the price of electricity, it’s still quite a bit more expensive to fill your gas tank than it is to charge your EV’s battery.” Jeffries analyst David Kelley calculated total vehicle lifetime savings at about $4,700. And while, yes, charging at home is fairly cheap, EVCS has ensured such savings continue in the public square with low network-wide pay-as-you-go fees and flat monthly subscription rates that are simple to understand and don’t fluctuate based on locale or time of day.

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3) Development of New Technologies

Innovation always drives down costs. In just the last couple years, both private and government-backed investments in the EV space have resulted in numerous innovations that have made the industry more efficient and, as a result, accessible, from cloud-based SaaS networking solutions to faster next-gen battery cells to V2G smart grid technology. EVCS has embraced this trend, with our backend network that creates a seamless and uniform user experience – whether you’re in Fresno, California or Skykomish, Washington – and our investments in faster, more effective, more reliable chargers.

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Ensuring EV adoption is viable everywhere and to everyone is crucial to our ultimate goal of creating widespread environmental benefits, including reduced carbon emissions and improved air quality. Efforts at democratizing infrastructure will go a long way toward this goal.

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Further Reading:

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Installation of the Month (July 2021): LADOT Lot 657

One of our main goals has been to install charging infrastructure in underserved communities, especially urban population centers that are key to our mission of wider EV adoption. Los Angeles is rife with such neighborhoods, where low-income families who wish to participate in the greening of society cry out for cost-effective ways to be part of the solution. Lincoln Heights, one of the oldest sections of the city, is a prime example. The densely populated area boasts numerous Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander groups who have expressed interest in electric mobility, but historically lacked access to the requisite charging stations. Moreover, with a median age of just 24, Lincoln Heights is brimming with younger generation Angelenos who have already embraced the idea of sustainability, but simply need the opportunity to take action.

West Coast Electric Highway to Receive Extensive Upgrade from EVCS

ARCADIA, Calif. (August XX, 2021) – EV Charging Solutions (EVCS), one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) fast charging network operators on the West Coast, today announced that they are approved and funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to upgrade 44 and add three new electric vehicle charging stations on the Oregon portion of the original West Coast Electric Highway (WCEH). Eleven of the 47 stations will be called “superstations” and will include three DC fast chargers and one Level 2 AC charger. In all, more than 100 charging ports will be upgraded or added.

Is Policy Action Alone Enough to Reach Net Zero by 2050?

Recently, BloombergNEF published a telling article titled, “Electric Vehicle Sales Set to Rise Faster Than Ever, but More Policy Action Needed to Get on Track for Net Zero.” The author raises many interesting observations about where we are now in the transition to electric mobility; where we’re projected to be in 10, 20 and even 30 years based on current trajectories; and what we need to do if we’re going to be net zero by 2050.

Auto Trends Magazine: Occhiuzzo Debunks 4 Misconceptions Surrounding EV Fast Charging Stations

Our co-founder and CEO, Gustavo Occhiuzzo, is quickly emerging as a thought leader in the world of electric mobility, becoming someone stakeholders can count on to demystify obscurities and address falsehoods surrounding the installation and application of charging infrastructure. Like any new technology, resistance to adoption is often based on fallacious notions, some of which may be perpetrated by those with a financial interest in competing technologies. Therefore, countering such notions with facts is crucial if both drivers and site hosts are to make an informed decision about EV adoption. Occhiuzzo most recently addressed four of the biggest misconceptions surrounding chargers in the article below for Auto Trends Magazine.

“Who’s Saving the Planet?” Podcast Interviews Gustavo Occhiuzzo

EVCS co-founder and CEO Gustavo Occhiuzzo recently spoke on the “Who’s Saving the Planet?” podcast about the electric mobility revolution and what we as a company are doing to help realize a truly carbon-neutral future. During the conversation with hosts Anthony Noto and Jessica Miles, Occhiuzzo made several critical points that help listeners understand where we are now in that mission, the obstacles we face, what EVCS has done to overcome those obstacles, and what we can do better as a global community. Here are some of the most prescient points: