A recent study analyzed America’s relationship with adopting electric vehicles and an accessible EV charging infrastructure. Legislation and pricing have made this process arduous and volatile, but access to electronics throughout the supply chain is another industry hurdle. What do these analytics reveal about the current state of EV charger development?
Summary of the study
Mixed press over the success of charging infrastructure expansions requires researchers to clarify the facts and validity of stakeholder progress. Has the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and related efforts built EV potential as promised?
These questions led to J.D. Power publishing its 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study in August 2024. This was in collaboration with app maker PlugShare, and the survey sought to understand consumers’ feelings about chargers.
The findings reveal why Americans should remain optimistic about the future of the EV charging infrastructure and the role electronics play in enabling widespread expansion. Many stats improved from 2023 based on 9,605 respondents who owned a mixture of battery EVs and plug-in hybrids.
The implications of the study
The study’s results describe a change in public attitudes, which should inform EV charging infrastructure experts about which design choices matter most to consumers.
Fast chargers versus level 2
The first statistic of note is the variances in customer satisfaction based on the kind of charger people use. Contentment increased with available fast models. J.D. Power determined direct current fast chargers scored 664 on a 1,000-point scale — an increase from 2023.
However, Level 2 chargers declined compared to the previous year, even though they have become more available and robust. Compared to the 24-48-hour charge time of a Level 1 charger, Level 2 chargers take between 4-14 hours to reach a full battery.
The numbers were an average of 10 categories, in which most elements saw positive change, such as accessibility even though opinions about charging speed vary. Another factor was having a nearby activity to stay occupied while the car charged.
Brand-agnostic charging stations
The most apparent shift will be how organizations buy and sell chargers and their stations. The study showed how important it was for Tesla to democratize their chargers, making them available to non-Tesla vehicles. Tesla achieved this by obtaining federal funding from expansion projects, such as the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.
According to its fund allowances, DC fast chargers could have permanent non-proprietary connectors, such as North American Charging Standard (NACS) versions. This alongside a requirement for a combined charging system connector diversified charging electronics. Brand standardization applies to the plug-in as well. Non-Tesla owners might need adapters to leverage its vast network, while brand drivers have a simple plug-and-play charging and payment experience.
There is more resistance from other customers, which creates a disparity in EV charging contentment. In the future, manufacturers will need to prioritize infrastructure expansion over proprietary technologies, even if it causes dissatisfaction among Tesla owners as other brand loyalists flock to the Supercharger network.
The attitude will alter strategies for many suppliers because there will be a greater focus on standardization and compatibility between electronics instead of diverse proprietary chargers. However, there could still be a concern, as NEVI funds permit the purchase of proprietary stations.
Non-charging visits
Additionally, the data affirms why infrastructure has been consistently effective but potentially unavailable to drivers, despite high installation rates. Around 19 percent of EV drivers claimed they visited a charger in 2023 and discovered they could not use it. Why was this a problem with the expansion of Tesla’s network?
Many chargers were out of service or otherwise faulty. Gasoline pumps are out of order sometimes, but it is not as often as EV plugs. It accounted for 61 percent of failed visits, signaling an industrywide neglect toward continued maintenance — the number increases by including non-charging visits related to damaged connectors. Others left the station without charging because of wait times.
The facts show supply chains how critical it is to have quality B2B relationships with the sector’s most reliable electronics providers. Otherwise, a company’s reputation suffers because of several malfunctioning cables. Chargers rely on numerous components, including connectors, circuit boards and software, which may be sourced from unique suppliers for each part. Developing checks and balances to maintain quality control across B2B clients is demanding when performance expectations are constantly changing.
The pervasiveness of electronics in the EV and charging infrastructure are considerable, according to PwC:
- The number of charge points in the U.S. is poised to grow from about 4 million today to an estimated 35 million in 2030.
- The electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) market could grow from $7 billion today to $100 billion by 2040 at a 15 percent compound annual growth rate.
- The number of EVs in the U.S. is estimated to hit 27 million by 2030 and 92 million by 2040, according to PwC’s analysis.
- The at-work and on-the-go EV charging are potentially among the fastest-growing segments through 2030.
Supply chain strategies
Analytics will also change how electronics supply chains operate with green energy generators and EV manufacturers for the foreseeable future. Joint development strategies will be critical to promise integrability with tech like solar panels on charging stations, expanding the types of electronics needed to make a sustainable charger. When some renewable energy materials are in scarce supply, such as lithium and cobalt, charger makers will be encouraged to prioritize supplier diversity to ensure adequate procurement timelines.
Corporations must consider several findings from this study, including payment method preferences. The stats will influence the electronic peripherals supply chains incorporate into chargers moving forward. Internal combustion engine (ICE) drivers have paid using credit and debit cards for years, but EV drivers want a more fluid experience. Once drivers plug in, they want the payment to process automatically without an additional step. Drivers of the future expect a streamlined process, especially if they are sacrificing more time to the charger than they would if they drove an ICE.
This connects to the comprehensiveness of its cybersecurity. The car and charging station must have a reliable authentication system that prevents theft and fraud. Ease of payment and charging boost when considering these details. Electronics makers will have to pay closer attention to cybersecurity frameworks to design everything from printed circuit boards to cloud connectivity in safe ways.
This is primarily true as more drivers want connectivity to mobile apps for greater visibility over the car’s performance, charge and discharge cycles, and payment history. Third-party app support will require supply chains to work more alongside software developers and engineers to ensure their products meld seamlessly with integrations and networks.
Additionally, supply chains will need to work more closely with retailers installing chargers on their properties. Chains like IKEA and Target may have chargers, but who oversees their upkeep and communicates concerns to the manufacturer? Enhanced communication will deliver better experiences to shoppers. More robust communications electronics will facilitate these discussions, such as:
- Open charge point protocol to remotely connect to management hubs
- Microcontrollers to execute commands based on communications data
- Intuitive user interfaces on touchscreen displays for usability and accessibility
- Point-of-sale terminals for streamlined payments
- Cybersecure authentication systems for encryption and safety
Research like this is pivotal in changing consumer buy-in for EVs. The U.S. will only electrify if trustworthy infrastructure exists, and overcoming the most prominent pain points informs supply chains and manufacturers of their priorities for the following year. Consumer-focused development is the only way to encourage more EV sales, and it starts with making fuel stations higher quality, dispersed and maintained.
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