It’s A Broken (Often) Charging Station Infrastructure Out There

I’m an EV proponent. The extra EVs on the highway the higher. There’s a hitch, although. The extra EVs that hit the highway, the more severe the charging infrastructure reliability appears to get.

Electrify America had an incredible buildout however unhealthy follow-through

I’ve been driving an EV for the reason that daybreak of business electrical automobiles. That’s truly not a very long time. Somewhat greater than 10 years. Nevertheless it’s loads of time to turn into an professional on the charging infrastructure in a metropolis (and state) with excessive EV adoption. That may be Los Angeles.

Electrify America has been constructing out its charging community throughout California and Los Angeles at a livid tempo. It’s now the general public Degree 3 fast-charging station of alternative for almost all of non-Tesla EV house owners in Los Angeles. And I presume the U.S. as an entire.

For instance, as of early 2023, in Santa Clarita (a Los Angeles suburb) there are three separate Electrify America areas (gas-car analogy: assume three gasoline stations). Just a few years in the past there have been none.

That’s the excellent news.

The unhealthy information is that more often than not — based mostly* on my expertise — a minimum of half of the chargers are down. It’s a crap shoot each time you attempt to “refill.”

Think about if each time you went to the gasoline station, it was a 50-50 proposition that the pump would work. And picture that typically (not so hardly ever) not one of the pumps labored.

Take final evening…

The next is an all-too-typical instance. Final evening (as of the time I wrote this), I went to an Electrify America Walmart location in Santa Clarita with 6 chargers.

A lot of the chargers gave the impression to be working. I hooked as much as a brand new “Hyper-Quick” charger (not too long ago put in) and prayed. To little avail. I used to be getting a cost however at a fee barely above Degree 2 charging charges. Which means I must sit there for hours for a full cost.

So, I known as Electrify America assist and defined the issue. The assist particular person acknowledged that Degree 2 charging charges on a Hyper-Quick 350 kW charger was an issue. She rebooted the charger and I attempted once more. Similar factor.

So, I made a decision to go to a different Electrify America location in Stevenson Ranch (one other a part of Santa Clarita).

Out of 4 chargers, just one was working. I received a cost at Degree 3 charges however when one other buyer confirmed up, I watched him strive all three of the opposite “out there” chargers and strike out. So, he needed to look forward to me to complete my cost.

I might go on and on however I feel you get the image….this isn’t the exception however the rule.

(In one other latest instance over the Christmas vacation, I attempted to cost at an Electrify America charging location in Century Metropolis Los Angeles: all 4 chargers had been down.)

It’s not solely unhealthy information

I’ve to provide Electrify America credit score the place credit score is due. There may be an Electrify America charging station within the tiny city of Mojave, Calif. (within the Mojave Desert) that at all times appears to work (a minimum of once I go there).

That’s actually essential as a result of once I go there (most not too long ago, two weeks in the past) it’s do or die, cost or perish: if I can’t get a cost, I must seek for an out there wall socket at a neighborhood constructing.

So, it’s not all unhealthy information and there are days when the entire chargers at a given Electrify America charging location seem like working however that’s fairly uncommon as of late.

I reached out to Electrify America (weeks in the past) for remark however have but to obtain a response. That mentioned, I’ve spoken to assist folks at Electrify America pretty typically and so they’ve at all times been well mannered and useful. However that doesn’t repair the issue.

——

*I exploit Electrify America chargers ceaselessly in Los Angeles. In the previous couple of months, 3-4 instances per week.