In the global EV charging industry, charging station reliability is an area with a lot of room for improvement. According to a study by JD Power, a global leader in consumer insights, customer satisfaction with public EV charging stations has experienced a drop in recent years. The study claims that despite an increase in number of EV charging stations, customer satisfaction has gone down.
When searching for a reliable EV charging station, there are a few points to look out for, such as the station’s operational status, compatibility with your EV, types of chargers at the station, expected waiting time & payment options.
EV Charging Hardware & Operational Status:
Many EV users often complain about EV charging stations being non-functional with no power supply or with broken displays. For an EV charging station to be considered reliable, its hardware (including ports, cables & guns/connectors) should be in working order and ready to deliver a charge. So, before driving to any charging station, check on Google or the EV charging app you are using, whether the charging station is operational or not.
EV Charging Compatibility/Connector Issues:
A lot of EV charging stations (especially in Delhi), feature GB/T connectors (which are called Bharat DC001 in India) & CHAdeMO connectors which are hardly used these days. All electric car manufacturers use the CCS2 standard, and as a result the above mentioned charging guns are never used. There is a need for replacing the charging guns which aren’t being used at car charging stations. Do check on Google or the charging app you are using, whether the charging station features the gun which is compatible with your EV or not.
Check EV charging hardware (charging guns on offer) on the EV charging app. Below are some screenshots of Kazam’s EV charging app which shows what charging guns are available at the EV charger:
Internet/Network Connectivity Issues:
EV charging stations located along highways are very important for reducing range anxiety among long distance EV drivers. However, internet networks on highways can be poor/intermittent. Many EV users prefer initiating the EV charging process at charging stations via EV charging apps. But this can create a lot of hassle in case internet connectivity is poor or absent.
RFID:
A convenient way to initiate charging during such times is through an RFID card. An RFID card allows transfer of information between the card & RFID reader at the charging station even without internet connectivity.
A key takeaway from this point is the fact that RFID card scanning is a convenient way of initiating the charging process, and customers & companies both should stress on deploying it as the preferred mode since it does not require internet connectivity. Your Internet network on highways can be poor and the charging app may be offline and unable to initiate the charging process.
Bluetooth:
Kazam EV chargers come with bluetooth-enabled smart charging. In the absence of internet connectivity, you can initiate charging via bluetooth on your phone and the charger.
Plug & Charge:
Apart from RFID, Plug & Charge technology is another way to initiate EV charging. In an EV charging station that supports Plug & Charge technology, as soon as the driver connects their EV's charging cable to the charger, the charging process begins without the need of any other action. Check whether your present or potential EV charging service provider deploys this tech or not.
Payment:
All EV charging apps allow customers to pay for charging sessions via net banking, credit/debit card or UPI. Some charging companies offer prepaid RFID cards, which can be used for payment at EV charging stations. EV users can ‘pre-load’ money onto the card and it automatically pays once the charging process is done.
EV owners can also link a digital wallet (Amazon Pay, PhonePe, Google Pay, etc) to the EV charging app and pre-authorize it to make EV charging payments a breeze.
OCPI:
OCPI or Open Charge Point Interface, is a protocol that ensures automated roaming for EV users between multiple EV charging networks. OCPI-integrated EV charging networks coordinate communication between different EV charging networks. This helps in streamlining the process of locating charging stations, providing real-time charging status updates & online payment processing. This benefits EV users to charge at any charging station of any network without stressing about multiple charging apps.
UEI:
Inspired by the success of UPI (Unified Payments Interface), multiple EV charging companies came together to make EV charging more convenient by facilitating seamless payment & transaction interoperability across multiple charging networks. This is called UEI (Unified Energy Interface). Kazam is a part of this alliance which allows EV users to discover, utilize & pay at EV charging stations, irrespective of the charging network.
Amenities/Facilities:
Also, check what amenities are provided by the charging service provider at the EV charging station, or are available nearby. For example, in the screenshot below, EV drivers can spend time at food court, retail store, garden or even pick up medicines at a nearby chemist shop situated near the Tata Power EV charging station located at an Indian Oil petrol pump in Virender Nagar (near Janakpuri) in Delhi.
Conclusion:
To sum it all up, a reliable EV charging station mainly requires it being operational, feature EV charging hardware in working order and offer more than one way of initiating the charging process & payment. An EV charging station’s hardware as well as the charging app can have a significant impact on its reliability. EV charging companies must ensure that their apps provide dependable real-time charger status to reduce EV owners’ range anxiety. On the other hand, customers too should invest some time researching about reliable EV charging service providers (like Tata Power EZ Charge, Zeon, GLIDA, Kazam, etc). Focus on known brands with extensive networks and good reviews for a comfortable EV charging experience.
For complete EV charging solutions, explore the Kazam website.
