I need to admit up front that I’m not the best person to talk about this. I own and Tesla and haven’t even been to a supercharger yet. That said, there are any number of articles and YouTube videos out there that discuss the issues a non-Tesla EV owners might experience when attempting to charge their EVs at a Level 2 superchargers provided by Electrify America, EVgo, EVCS and ChargePoint. Some complaints include:
- Unreliable Chargers: A common complaint is that chargers are frequently out of service due to malfunctions. This can be caused by broken screens, faulty payment systems, or issues delivering the advertised charging speed.
- Inconvenient App and Payment Systems: Many networks require app downloads and account creation for payment. These apps can be buggy and frustrating to use, while some stations lack alternative payment methods like credit cards.
- Inaccurate Information: Real-time data on app or station displays might not be accurate. This can lead to wasted time driving to a station that’s unavailable or has a slower charging speed than advertised.
- Short Charging Cables: Some stations have cables that are too short to reach all charging ports on certain EVs, creating an additional inconvenience.
- Limited Availability of High-Powered Chargers: While these networks are expanding, the number of high-powered charging stations (essential for long trips) is still lower compared to Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Here are some recent articles on the subject:
I Visited Over 120 EV Chargers: Three Reasons Why So Many Were Broken
- Problem 1: Out of Order
- Problem 2: Payment Rejected
- Problem 3: Handshake Failed
Electrify America Explains Cause Of Those Vexing EV Charging Problems
- The Cause: Components
- The Challenge: Surge In Demand
Problems noted:
- out-of-order signs
- dead screens
- error messages that said “charger unavailable” or “out of service
- power issues
- charging stations needing parts replaced
- payment rejection
- handshake failures between the charger and her vehicle
The Solution
This is what I think: unlike the Tesla supercharger network that was put in place to help promote and support the Tesla brand, non-Tesla superchargers have no such incentive. They are for profit businesses, often assisted by government subsidies to get started. But the incentive to provide a high-level of service, or to continually innovate as Tesla does with its charging network, appears to be lacking.
For long-term viability and address predicted EV growth, there needs to be a clear incentive to build out infrastructure in all parts of the country, and oversight that guarantees a high level of reliability and consistent levels of service across each supercharger vendor’s network. This is absolutely NOT happening today, and if I owned an EV other than a Tesla, AND I need to charge my EV using the nation’s supercharger network, I would be VERY discouraged and probably would decide that owning an EV was just not worth the hassle right now.
Well, I do own a Tesla. I know there’s an extensive charging network available to me today and growing, and it’s reliable. My choice was intentional, and was partially based on this fact. We, as a country, can do a lot better and must! Moving all EV manufaturers to the NACS (aka J3400) charging standard is a good first step. Adding a lot more superchargers to the network in places where they’re most needed (and hopefully near other services such as shopping and food) is next. Then treating the whole BEV ecosystem as an intentional program rather than a haphazard set of decisions made by commercial interests and government entities whose priorities change with each administration is essential.
Today, there’s a complete imbalance between government incentive programs, EV development investment, and EV charging infrastructure investment. These all need to be brought back into sync with reasonable targets set by green/sustainability initiatives. In the meantime, we’ll have large legacy manufacturers holding off large scale EV investment, startup EV companies going bankrupt due to high development costs and low market share, and then there’s Tesla…