When charging a Rivian R1S at an Electrify America station in Los Angeles, I experienced frustratingly slow … [+]
Credit: Brooke Crothers
Are you familiar with this problem: you adore your electric vehicle (EV) but despise the slow charging process on the go.
This is an especially exasperating predicament for non-Tesla owners. And it presents a formidable challenge for Electrify America, the largest non-Tesla EV charging network in the United States.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Anthony Lampkin, VP of Operations at Electrify America, about the causes and challenges surrounding this issue.
As a prelude — and as I explained to Mr. Lampkin — I have been driving EVs for a decade and have been utilizing Electrify America’s charging stations near me in Los Angeles since early 2020.
The Cause: Components
The most persistent and annoying problem arises from chargers that do not function properly — either they are completely non-operational or they do not provide the charge efficiently enough.
Lampkin stated that it is commonly believed that a lack of technicians is the root cause, but in reality, it is usually a component issue.
“There are numerous components within the system that facilitate the safe delivery of power,” explained Lampkin.
“Weather conditions impact the components. Whether it is a hot or cold day, software must navigate between the vehicle’s requirements and the charging capabilities in a safe manner,” he said.
“The power and delivery pathway involve various elements. Unfortunately, things do not always go smoothly.”
Electrify America now employs its fourth-generation chargers, yet the older chargers — which many charging sites still possess — cannot withstand heavy user demand, according to Lampkin.
For instance, as Lampkin informed me, the charger problem I encountered at an Electrify America station in Valencia, California, was due to a faulty component.
In that particular case, I was experiencing slow charging speeds (around 30kW peak), well below the maximum capability of my Chevy Bolt (around 50kW) when the battery capacity is low.
Interestingly, I faced the same issue at the same charging station with a Rivian R1S I drove a few weeks earlier. Instead of achieving the typical charging speeds of 100kW or higher with the Rivian, I was only able to reach 40kW.
Lampkin attributed this problem to a defective component in the power cabinet. It was impeding the system from delivering optimal charging speeds, requiring Electrify America to dispatch a technician to the site and replace the faulty component.
This type of problem can occur at numerous Electrify America charging sites across the United States on a daily basis. This issue is especially pronounced as newer EVs, such as Rivian vehicles and the Porsche Taycan, demand significantly higher charging rates compared to EVs that were on the market just a few years ago.
(It should be noted that EV owners — especially those who are using an EV for the first time — sometimes attribute problems to Electrify America that are actually caused by issues on their end or due to a lack of understanding about how EV charging works. For example, a Chevy Bolt owner may complain to Electrify America that they are using a “Hyper-Fast” 350kW charger and only receiving 50kW. In reality, the Bolt cannot charge at rates higher than approximately 50kW. This applies to other EVs as well that have upper limits on charging rates.)
The Challenge: Surge in Demand
“We have experienced tremendous increases in utilization,” Lampkin shared with me. “Last year, we had 5.2 million charging sessions, up from 1.4 million in 2021.”
“Utilization rates are exceptionally high, particularly in locations like California. Various factors, such as heat, contribute to premature equipment failures,” he stated.
Obtaining the necessary parts is both the challenge and the cause of these issues, as explained earlier.
“We…need the parts. If you examine the history of scaling up this new technology in the market, you must first gain access to the equipment. You must acquire as much equipment as possible as quickly as possible and ensure its certification. You must scale up the infrastructure. You must ensure that technicians are available and adequately trained,” Lampkin elaborated.
“Now, we have reached the stage where we need to ensure that there are sufficient parts available. These parts must be thoroughly tested, certified, and dispatched in ample quantities to maintain the equipment at its optimal level,” he concluded.
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