Convenience, reliability and good experience are key value propositions EV owners are looking for with their EV charger installations.
While on one hand, low carbon policies are gaining momentum resulting in a rise in EV adoption; on the other hand, we do not see a similar push towards developing a strong EV charging network by the authorities and market leaders.
With the lack of EV charging infrastructure, the ball is now in the court of businesses and individuals that want to leverage on the opportunity presented by the growing number of EV owners.
However, this journey is dotted with its own bumps and dips. It’s now time to buckle up as we take you on the ride to address some of the most pressing challenges in EV charger installation and delve deeper into the opportunities each of these present.
Pinch Point No. 1: Bump ahead
The bumpy road to EV charging point installation
More specifically, first time EV owners state that while the installation process is an hour or two job, once they have bought the ride of their dreams, they find it extremely difficult to:
- Identify who to turn to when it comes to EV charger installation.
- Find a complaint and manufacturer approved supplier to install an EV charging station at their home.
- Obtain a reasonable quote or compare multiple quotes from multiple suppliers.
- Communicate installation details and track progress of the work being done.
- Receive invoice and make payment for their EV charger installation.
Opportunity: Providing EV buyers with an end-to-end solution
EV manufacturers need to connect their buyers to the right EV charger installers as soon as the purchase completes.
This means integrating their websites to a Field Service Management platform, such as i4T Business, used by their approved EV charger installer. This will ensure that the buyer’s journey does not end with the EV purchase, but continues through the installation of their EV charging stations and beyond, effectively removing the road bumps with an end-to-end solution.
Pinch Point No. 2: Under construction
Charging station performance and downtime
With an inadequate infrastructure of EV charging stations, the last thing an EV owner wants is being stuck with a charging point that is out of order.
This goes for both public (along roadsides and metro areas) and private (within condos and facilities).
Amid shortage of charging stations, range anxiety becomes very real.
Reliability of an EV charger is the only factor that may console an EV owner who has driven a long way to get the vehicle charged.
Opportunity: Proactive Scheduled and Preventive maintenance is the future
Regular maintenance of EV chargers plays a vital role in increasing its uptime, reducing repair costs and enhancing reliability for its users.
This could start by facility managers, appointed by government or private, to assign proactive inspection and maintenance of all charging points on a regular basis by manufacturer approved technicians.
With the rising demand of EV charging in private and public, commercial and residential buildings, i4T Maintenance plays an important role in helping building managers:
- Connect with the certified, skilled suppliers
- Meeting SLAs to install, repair and maintain charging points
- Schedule EV charger maintenance work orders
- Keep track of progress as it moves from one stage to the next, and
- Maintain record of completed maintenance tasks for compliance purposes.
Pinch Point No. 3: Wrong turn
Inadequate knowledge about home charging and its economic benefits
While the EV charging adoption is accelerating impressively, having a charger installed at home is still viewed more as a sustainable lifestyle option, replacing the gas-guzzling cars. For others, it is merely the next trendy thing and they like to follow suit.
Few people are aware of the economic benefits associated with a home EV charger installation, thereby increasing their reliance on public chargers.
Opportunity: Selling home EV chargers as a property add-on
This opens more doors for property managers seeking to attract EV owners to occupy homes or condos and focus on adding economic benefits of buying EV charger installed homes as a lucrative investment that will pay off in several ways.
Some of the economic benefits that could be communicated to potential home buyers include:
- Having a home charger can prolong your EV battery’s life: The problem with public chargers is not just that you have to keep waiting for your turn, but frequently doing rapid charging, which is generally the case with public chargers, can affect battery’s life and hence cost you more in battery replacements over the long run.
- It will cost you less: Not all public places offer EV charging as a complementary service, so you end up paying for charging your EV, if it’s not already charged at home.
- It will save you time and time is money: Time spent on public EV charging stations could be spent on something productive instead. If you have a home EV charging point installed, your car can be plugged in for overnight charging, and ready for use during the day
Pinch point No. 4: Dead end
Soft costs resulting in EV charger installation delays
According to one survey, soft costs pertaining to EV charger installation is 3 times higher than the actual cost of the EV chargers themselves.
Some of the most common soft costs hindering EV charger installation quoted by building managers include:
- Permit delays
- Complex utility interconnection process
- Regulation compliance
- Re-engineering projects due to incorrect information.
Such costs can add weeks, months or even years of project delays and can sometimes lead to project abandonment even after major infrastructure costs have been incurred.
Opportunity: Addressing these issues during building construction
Installing charging capacity in commercial and high-rise residential buildings during the time of construction is the most efficient way to tackle soft costs later on. With an increasing trend in renters towards sustainability and a preference for EVs compared to traditional fuel-run vehicles, this has to be the way forward.
Ensuring EV capabilities to meet the growing market needs is the joint responsibility of building authorities, energy and utilities industry, automotive industry and energy conservation groups.
Charging for the next mile
The electric vehicle revolution is already here!
The industry has reached its tipping point with meaningful strides happening in almost all facets:
- Power and utilities are focusing on increasing capacity to help fuel the transition.
- Efforts are being made to understand consumer needs for charging infrastructure.
- New developments are done in rapid charging technologies.
- EV prices are slowly coming down to facilitate widespread adoption.
It is now time for further innovation and collaboration between all stakeholders to provide a seamless user experience to power up the residential and commercial EV charging game.
i4T Business, to simplify EV charger installations for suppliers, together with i4T Maintenance, helping building managers seeking to add charging capabilities to the properties, is undoubtedly the future!
Hot off the press!
With our cutting-edge technology and in-depth knowledge of how the Field Service Management sector operates, the i4TGlobal Team loves to share industry insights to help streamline your business processes and generate new leads. We are driven by innovation and are passionate about delivering solutions that are transparent, compliant, efficient and safe for all stakeholders and across all touch points.
