Electrify America – Putting Chargers Where People Shop, Dine, & Bank: Well, Duh
By Edward A. Sanchez — May 27, 2022
This week, Level 3 charging juggernaut Electrify America announced an initiative to put EV chargers in places where Americans “Shop, dine, bank and more.” Wow – what an epiphany. I don’t mean to come across as overly cynical, but issuing a release on a self-apparent truism is hardly a breakthrough.
Yes. This decision makes perfect sense. Congratulations.
At the risk of sounding like a Tesla fanboy (an accusation that has been leveled against me more than once), this is a strategy that has been broadly followed by Tesla with its Supercharger network. The number one EV company (regardless of what Mary Barra or President Biden proclaims) has typically located its Supercharger locations close to amenities such as dining, shopping convenience stores, etc., almost since its inception.
I have beaten the dead horse of “Infrastructure is the most important issue with EVs” to a bloody pulp repeatedly, and will continue to circle back to this theme until EV charging is as ubiquitous and convenient as filling an ICE vehicle, because if we’re going to be honest, that’s what it’s going to take for mass EV adoption, even in the era of $5-per-gallon gas (or more) in many parts of the country.
To paraphrase the late, great infomercial and kitchen gadget guru Ron Popeil, people want “set it, and forget it” convenience. You go to the mall – there are 50-plus L2 or L3 chargers available. They should be labeled as “Spending 2-plus hours here? Charge here” for L2 chargers, “In and out in less than an hour? Charge here” for L3 DCFC.
It’s no revelation to say that when it comes to EV chargers, it makes sense to install them near points of interest.
I don’t mean to dumb things down and appeal to the lowest common denominator, but when people are preoccupied with their holiday gift returns, changing the diapers on their 2-year-old, or avoiding a department store meltdown with kids in tow, the last thing they want to do is psychoanalyze the charging needs for their vehicle at that particular moment. Being the EV geek that I am, I’ve usually already made that calculation before I leave the house. But I’m admittedly not most people. (How many people keep a borderline-obsessive EV adapter collection permanently stored in their frunk? I rest my case.)
Of course, the future is a funny thing. If we were to believe the 1950s future of the 21st century, we’d all be riding around in autonomous cars (a goal that remains perpetually elusive) or flying cars (something that has only been rudimentarily realized). Meanwhile, researchers at a South Korean university recently claimed that a hypothetical EV fast charge could be achieved in as little as three minutes, putting charging at fueling time parity with gasoline or diesel.
If and when that claim comes to reality, any charging station locations based on the premise of “dwell time” will be rendered obsolete. Perhaps they will still remain as a budget offering for those who will be parked for an extended period, but they could also just as easily become stranded assets.
So kudos to EA for embracing a self-evident truth, and pursuing a strategy based on it. But it’s always important to stay a step ahead. If I were EA, I’d get in touch with that Korean university and keep a close eye on the developments of that charging technology.
(Images courtesy Electrify America)
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