5 ways to make EV charging even easier

Electric vehicles are becoming more popular every day. So much so, that we often forget that the entire infrastructure supporting EVs is less than a decade old. In many ways, best practices for electric vehicles are still being defined and honed. But, in order to create a better EV driving experience, we first need to get some input from those driving EVs today.

That's why, at the 2019 REVOLUTION conference in Amsterdam, we leapt at the opportunity to pulse survey the audience of dedicated EV advocates and pick their brains about how we as an industry could make driving EVs a simpler, and more accessible choice. In a brainstorming session co-hosted by ChargePoint, two of the top EVSE manufacturers sat back and listened to what EV drivers had to say.

Here's a list of the top five ideas:

5 innovative ways we can make charging your EV as easy as charging your phone

1. Reserve a charging station

Reservations are not a new concept. We reserve tables at restaurants, seats at movie theaters, rooms at a hotel—so why not do that with EV charging?

Yes, it’s great to have an app that tells you where all the nearby charging stations are located, but who’s to say they'll still be available by the time you arrive? One popular idea was adding the ability to reserve a charging spot prior to arrival, thereby ensuring that you’ll be able to charge when you get there. 

While this idea exists in a limited capacity within certain networks, there is no overarching reservation system that allows you to safeguard your ability to charge at any networked charging station. However, through interoperability and participation within the industry, this is certainly achievable.

2. Universal payment system

There are a number of different EV charging providers right now, and each one has its own app. This can become a bit of a headache for drivers, who often need to have upwards of 5 different apps just to feel confident that they can charge up anywhere they go.

Instead, drivers would prefer the ability to select a single app and know that, no matter where they choose to charge, they can access the station using their app—like using an ATM. This type of “roaming” system is already possible and starting to gain a lot of momentum. In fact, EVBox and ChargePoint have recently signed a roaming agreement, allowing interoperability between our stations and applications.

Pretty cool, right?

3. Five star rating system for locations

Today we have a five-star rating system for basically everything. Restaurants, hotels, movies, apps, products—everything. But not for EV charging stations. Another thing drivers want is the ability to give the charging stations they visit a ranking, and also see the ratings of every charging station they use. This would help drivers ensure that, when they do pull into a spot to charge, the site has been verified by other drivers as clean, safe, and reliable. What’s more, this could also incentivize locations to keep their charging spots presentable.

4. App / EV syncing

Many EV apps let you create a user profile where you can include the make/model of your car. This way, the app will only show you the stations that are compatible with your car (i.e., no Tesla stations if you’re driving a Nissan).

But what if the app paired with your car instead? Not only would the app know what type of station best suits your needs, it would also know exactly how much range you have remaining on your battery at any given moment.

With that kind of info, your app could pinpoint the stations that are within range, and determine how long it would take you to charge back up at a given location. It could even plan entire road trips, helping you select locations along your route in advance and plot a worry-free trip. With these kinds of insights, it would become much easier for EV drivers to hit the road with confidence.

5. Real-time updates (available power at site, price comparison)

Most EV charging apps display the kW output of the stations on their app—but that number is typically static. However, when a number of cars are charging simultaneously, the actual kW output decreases to accommodate every active session, which means longer charging times. If the app showed the actual station output in real time, as opposed to just the maximum, this would help drivers get a more accurate understanding of how long it will take them to charge their EV.

On top of that, drivers would also appreciate flexible pricing options at stations where the output varies. This would mean a pricing model based off both time and kW. So, a car charging at 3.7 kW would be paying less per minute than a car charging at 7.4 kW. And while at many locations, variable pricing is already available, there still isn't a visible change in the app showing what those disparate rates are.

These were the top five most popular ideas from the REVOLUTION brainstorming session. Some pretty good ideas, too!

What do you think? Got any great ideas that you think would help make driving an EV a little bit easier? 

Take this quick survey and help shape the future of eMobility!