By Justin @Adobe Stock
“The Big Problem” Could Kill a Road Trip …
Joanna Stern in the WSJ went on a fact-finding road trip. Her goal? To investigate the Big Problem. That is, why are EV charging stations so unreliable?
Ms. Stern decided to start her research in La-La Land. It was a good place to start since Los Angeles County has more public DC fast chargers than any other in the country (according to the Atlas Public Policy research group).
- Problem #: Out of Order: A Trip to Nowhere
From the beach in Santa Monica to parking garages under Rodeo Drive, Joanna’s video producer Adam Falk, and she visited 30 different non-Tesla DC fast-charger stations in a Rivian R1T pickup.
(Ms. Stern) ran into problems at 13 of them—that’s over 40%. Oof is right.
The Power of Prayer
The easy answer, a little tongue in cheek, is to charge at home, something the WSJ’s senior technology analyst promises to tackle in a future column.
Tesla owners would suggest buying a Tesla because its charging network is large and reliable. But for people like Ms. Stern, who drives a different EV, the only choice is often to pull into a public charging station and pray.
Level #2’s Inefficient Fill-Ups
Level 2 are common chargers and just too slow for quick fill-ups.
During Mr. Stern’s testing expedition, she encountered three problem categories. (Ms. Stern) pressed the companies on why they happen, and what can be done to fix them.)
And while it’s good that Tesla will start accepting non-Teslas in 2024, that might not put an end to the issues (Stern) encountered.
Each of the companies told Ms. Stern their network operators monitor the chargers 24/7.
When a problem pops up, they deploy technicians to assess and fix the issue. So what was wrong with these particular machines? It could be one of many things—a broken part, a power issue, a defective connector.
Joanna Stern encountered three major companies running fast chargers in Los Angeles.
EVgo, Electrify America, and EVCS operate stalls at various stations.
You might find these at shopping malls, in parks, or even right next to the old gas pump.
Anthony Lambkin, vice president of Electrify America’s operations, blamed power issues on why a charger is off.: Operators also sometimes make chargers unavailable when they have repeated problems.
Network operators, Ms. Stein was told, monitor the chargers 24/7, but when a problem pops up, the companies deploy technicians to assess and fix the issue. So what was wrong with these particular machines? It could be one of many things—a broken part, a power issue, or a defective connector.
In another example, power issues can be the reason a charger is off. Operators also sometimes make chargers unavailable when they have repeated problems.
During her testing journey, Ms. Stein met with people from ChargerHelp, an independent company that provides repair services for charging stations.
To get one charger back online, technician Sergio Alonso pulled the old turn-it-off-and-on-again trick: In the electrical room, he flicked the switch that controlled a bum charger. Other fixes aren’t that easy, he explained, and require replacing parts.
Solution: $100 Million for New Gear
Cars and chargers are in rapid evolution. The Biden administration recently opened up $100 million in federal funding to repair and replace existing electric-vehicle charging infrastructure.
Electrify America only rolled out five years ago, and it’s already replacing most of its original fast chargers. At the Chinatown Bank of America parking lot, it was like coming down the stairs on Christmas morning, three new chargers, still in plastic wrap!
EVgo is in the process of either upgrading, decommissioning or replacing stalls that are legacy equipment and that no longer meet standards for reliability and customer experience,” Sara Rafalson, a senior vice president at EVgo, told Ms. Stein.
Midnight in the Oasis
As Ms. Stein’s trip was coming to an end, she found a few “brand-spankin’ new,” fully functioning EVgo stations in Santa Monica. It was an energy oasis for my electric camel.
- Problem #2: Rejected Payment
Ms. Stein did have a favorite stop: No. 18 (EVgo) in Culver City.
After repeatedly trying the credit card reader with several different cards, the system demanded: “CASH ONLY.”
As if this was some hot-dog stand in the park—except there’s no money slot!
Cash Only?
After repeatedly trying the credit-card reader with several different cards, the system demanded: “CASH ONLY.” As if this was some hot-dog stand in the park—except there’s no money slot!
Nearly 10% of the working stalls visited had payment issues. Swipe. Error. Chip reader. Error. Try another card. Error.
State-mandated chip readers are also a problem. The newest standards require more dependable contactless card readers.
Solution: Upgrades and Apps
You’ll be surprised at what those dreamy new EVgo chargers in Santa Monica had: Contactless tap-to-pay card capabilities!
With informative screen prompts! And Apple Pay!
The Solution? Use the charging station’s apps.
When you register certain EV models with EVgo and Electrify America, you can even get automatic payment upon plug-in.
You’re wondering, how much Ms. Stein paid to power the Rivian? Was it any cheaper than gas?
According to our intrepid traveler, “fast-charger pricing is complicated. It’s a topic for another column—or 1,000-page book.”
- Problem #3: Failed Handshakes
Finally, Ms. Stein found a stall that worked, beat payment Pac-Man but then …
… the car and the charger don’t want to connect. Ms. Stein experienced this so-called “handshake” problem at a handful of stations.
The charger and the car are both computers, and they use industry standards to communicate how much power to transfer. The Combined Charging System (aka CCS)—the technology integrated in most fast-charging non-Tesla EVs including the Rivian—requires a quick handshake. If there’s a timeout before things align, you have to unplug and start over.
Ms. Stern does not blame the Rivian. She had been warned about handshake problems from many drivers of different EVs.
Yet even a car receiving a firmware update could upset this delicate balance, according to EVCS.
This is a safety measure, part of the design to avoid a dangerous power overload. “Unless the charger is absolutely certain that it can deliver electrons in a safe way, it’s not going to deliver those electrons,” according to EVCS.
Solution: Software and Standards
Newer chargers appear to be better at this. The latest EVgo chargers provided more helpful on-screen information, too.
Meanwhile, people who drive Teslas typically report positive experiences at the car maker’s extensive nationwide network.
In 2024, when Tesla starts allowing Rivian, Ford, GM and other car models to charge, there may be some relief. The company has begun adding credit-card readers and support for CCS charging. In other locations, drivers will need a CCS-to-NACS adapter.
Owners of Teslas would suggest buying a Tesla: its charging network is large and reliable. But for people like Ms. Stern who drive a different EV, her only choice is often to pull into a public charging station and pray.
(Note: Ms. Stern ignored the more common chargers known as Level 2 because they’re just too slow for quick fill-ups.)
The Bottom Line
During her testing expedition, Ms. Stern encountered three problem categories.
Newer chargers appear to be better at this. The latest EVgo chargers provided more helpful on-screen information, too.
It’s good that Tesla will start accepting non-Teslas in 2024, writes Ms. Stern, but that might not put an end to the issues Joanna Stern encountered on the road.
