Building out of the charging network across the country needs to be top priority if EV’s ever want to be mainstream. Seeing how EV are going to make a huge impact of helping the environment, companies need to take into consideration the kind of charging station that consumers want to go to as the begin the process of building out the network.
In a very interesting study published by the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy on the attitudes of EV drivers. The data shows that people have very little confidence in the reliability of the present charging network. The study shows that nearly half of drivers who use mobility applications have had negative experiences at EV charging stations, a problem that needs to be fixed as the market for EVs expands. The study also found potential problems with charging stations in larger cities, with multiple complaints about the lack of accessibility and signage.
Of course, Fee-based charging tends to get more poor reviews than free charging stations. But stations in dense urban centers are the stations that seem to draw the most complaints. This could mean a broad range of service quality issues, including things like malfunctioning equipment and an insufficient number of chargers.
All of this data collected points out many challenges that companies will need to consider in order to create a better charging system that meets all drivers’ needs. The team led by Omar Isaac Asensio found that contrary to most predictions, stations at private charging locations do not outperform public charging locations. With this conclusion, one can assume that it is not the amount of stations in the network but the amenities surrounding the stations. “Based on evidence from consumer data, we argue that it is not enough to just invest money into increasing the quantity of stations, it is also important to invest in the quality of the charging experience,” Asensio wrote.
According to this study, the highest rated stations are often located at hotels, restaurants, and convenience stores. This finding supports the idea that chargers are installed to draw customers. For example, if you plug in your car at a restaurant, you could get a discount on a meal if you eat at the restaurant while you’re charging you car. Allowing customers to go about their daily routines and charge their cars without sacrificing one or the other.
This study will help pave the way for building out the EV charging network by offering evidence-based data on what consumers really want as well as their charging habits. This data will help companies like Greencore Services provide a better and more efficient charging experience.
