7 Major Carmakers Launch New EV Charging Network In North America!

[GDN]

That is great for the tech savvy, but what about people that don't have smart phones and can't use apps. What about simpler / cheaper cars that don't have more advanced UIs to handle that?

Finally how do you serve people who don't have credit cards or bank accounts? Today with an ICE you can pay cash and fuel up. What is the equivalent for an EV in you ur scenario?

So far we don't have simpler EV's with no UI and won't have, it's just part of the deal.

Also - there is No EV charger now that takes cash. You must have a smartphone or CC today to use one. If you don't you won't be adopting an EV anyway.

Time to quit holding the technology back and adding expense. If you want an EV and want to publicly charge there will just be a few requirements.

The screens, the CC readers, it all add a huge amount of overhead. It's just not needed. Adapt.

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[Lytning]

That is great for the tech savvy, but what about people that don't have smart phones and can't use apps. What about simpler / cheaper cars that don't have more advanced UIs to handle that?

Finally how do you serve people who don't have credit cards or bank accounts? Today with an ICE you can pay cash and fuel up. What is the equivalent for an EV in you ur scenario?

If a person does not have a smart phone and use apps, or have a credit card and bank account, they are definitely not ready to own or operate an EV.

Even if a cash-operated charger were available, how would a person ever find it if they did not have a smart phone, know how to conduct an online search, and navigate to it?

There comes a time when one has to get onboard with current technology, or choose to get left behind. There will be plenty of ICE vehicles during our lifetimes for people who do not want to accept the changes in EV technology. But, life will get progressively more challenging as they fall further behind. They are likely to need a smart phone to find a gas station 20 years from now.

 

[Solar_EE]

Seems like a golden opportunity for someone or some software company to develop a consumer facing single app that could front all the major charging companies to provide a single activation and billing solution.

That already exists- a charge card! Ridiculous to have dozens of apps on your phone- and what if the phone is not working? Much easier to have a credit card- my Ford Pass bills to the credit card anyway.

 

[The Weatherman]

That already exists- a charge card! Ridiculous to have dozens of apps on your phone- and what if the phone is not working? Much easier to have a credit card- my Ford Pass bills to the credit card anyway.

A credit card is fine as a payment mechanism , I’m looking for a common and standard piece of software that will provide access to any and all chargers regardless of provider.

I’m not an expert on this subject, but I believe I’ve seen where it requires the use of a provider specific app to access most (if not all) chargers. I also believe I’ve seen where some of these machines do not have a card reader attached.

 

[Solar_EE]

A credit card is fine as a payment mechanism , I’m looking for a common and standard piece of software that will provide access to any and all chargers regardless of provider.

I’m not an expert on this subject, but I believe I’ve seen where it requires the use of a provider specific app to access most (if not all) chargers. I also believe I’ve seen where some of these machines do not have a card reader attached.

Yes, some of them do not have a card reader, others have the NFC type proximity reader. Since most credit cards include the chip that seems like a good option going forward- weatherproof and a smooth surface. You just need to hold your card over the target area. The card includes a small integrated circuit (the chip) and an antenna. The power is provided by the radio frequency field- 13.56 MHz for the NFC standard.

 

[hturnerfamily]

We are so accustommed to 'gas stations' and how we've learned how they operate over all these years, that we hardly question that type of 'fueling up'... but, it's true, that every station operates slightly different than the next:
- some are really easy and quick and swiping or inserting your card is not any issue
- some seem to take 'forever' to read your card and activate the 'machine'...
- some are down right aggravating, and want you to 'answer questions' before you can pump...crazy!

yes, we have some differences in 'how' we pay and activate Charge Stations, but the one thing that should be COMMON between all, which is the FUEL HANDLE that you shove into ANY gas vehicle - they are ALL the same size, and ALL fit, no matter what 'brand' station you stop at. DC Fast Charging is not there yet. But, soon we may be.

TESLA, though, has the charging 'situation' in hand: they manufacture the vehicle, they connect the vehicle to their charging network, they provide a payment app, they simply READ who you are when you connect the cord. Easy. Simple. Intuitive. It should be the standard.

 

[ivan256]

Please, please adopt the Tesla charging model: park, plug, and charging starts. No cards, no menus, no start buttons to push, no key ring fobs, nothing. One time you register your car with the charging network, then you plug in and your car does the communication, starts the charge, and bills your account. It can be done, it should be done. Touch screens, menus, card tapping, etc. are all so yesterday, and do nothing to increase convenience and reliability - quite the contrary.

I disagree with the last bit there. Having to sign up and pay through a particular network harms convenience. It adds friction if you want to stop at a different network than your usual, and a lack of point of use payment options adds friction for new entrants in the market. These things are harming you even if you don’t realize it. Reliability is questionable as well, as a manufacturer might focus on making their favorite network reliable rather than focusing on broad interoperability. If you plug into a charger and it doesn’t work, is it because the network sucks? Or did your vehicle’s manufacturer make it work better on their network to influence your choice to their profit?

And that’s before you even get to the privacy concerns.

Subsidies should be contingent on point of use payment and ability to use the facility without a login or identification.

To be clear, the existence of branded networks is fine. But they should be optional and we shouldn’t use tax dollars to help businesses build monopolies for a profit.

 

[ivan256]

Even if a cash-operated charger were available, how would a person ever find it if they did not have a smart phone, know how to conduct an online search, and navigate to it?

There comes a time when one has to get onboard with current technology, or choose to get left behind.

The same way people found anything else without a smart phone should work just fine.

There is no technical reason for EVs to have complicated interfaces. They are way less complicated than ICE vehicles. Most of that stuff is to make expensive EVs more upmarket so they can justify charging the prices they need to. Once things are commoditized you should expect simpler interfaces where the screens are just to reduce the number of expensive wires and switches, and to sell you extra services you don’t need at a high margin.

An EV can be as uncomplicated as a golf cart with a fancy battery and extra safety features.

More people should have an aversion to the technical tendrils that companies embed in our private lives and our wallets. Those people shouldn’t be scolded or dismissed.

 

[ctuan13]

Please, please adopt the Tesla charging model: park, plug, and charging starts. No cards, no menus, no start buttons to push, no key ring fobs, nothing. One time you register your car with the charging network, then you plug in and your car does the communication, starts the charge, and bills your account. It can be done, it should be done. Touch screens, menus, card tapping, etc. are all so yesterday, and do nothing to increase convenience and reliability - quite the contrary.

Plug and charge is great, but chargers should also have the ability to accept card payments without any need for app connectivity. Gas pumps have card readers and don't require some alternate network connectivity to function. We should hope for more functionality and more options not fewer!

 

[RickLightning]

Seems that many people should read the IRA act on EV chargers, or perhaps their state's plan. All this stuff has been addressed...

https://driveelectric.gov/state-plans/

 

[hturnerfamily]

I don't mind any Fast Charger to have an alternative way to activate, pay, etc., but with every vehicle in this country having a different and Unique VIN number, there is no reason that the interface cannot simply READ the VIN number, connect to the proper system/channels, and activate and facilitate your favorite default payment method, yes, just like Tesla does.

While these interfaces and system 'connections' may not yet be as easy as we might make it out, I suspect that if the Charging industry develops their 'own' way of bringing this 'common ground' to fruition, then the competition can be determined by other means: Location, Parking convenience and maneuvering room, SPEED, Reliability, Brand awareness, NUMBER of locations, APPs that provide information about availability, 'next in line' updates, etc.

I can see in the future that what we have now will no longer be acceptable by the public: uncovered Fast Charger locations, inconvenient locations far away from bathrooms and conveniences we have come to expect when we stop, etc. I see that we will have similar locations as we do now for gas fueling: Convenience store, bathroom options, places to sit and be comfortable INSIDE an air conditioned 'waiting room', with wifi, coffee while-you-wait, etc. The competition will flesh out these 'new' Fast Charging options as we progress.

I appreciate Walmart and others for hosting spots in their parking lots for Fast Charging, and I appreciate any who plan correctly and put these locations at the far sections of the lot, out of the 'main lanes' of traffic, but, on the other hand, when you have to then walk 200 or 300 hundred yards to get into the Walmart, weather, traffic, and other conditions can make for a labor-intensive effort. I can see in the future that Walmart and others will build similar 'outbuilding' Convenience store Fast Charger locations, even if they are at the far edges of the parking lot, like the Murphy stations are now. While I can appreciate it if every DOLLAR GENERAL had a Fast Charger, that may not be their client base, and their parking lots can be tight and generally are only a single in-out driveway, which makes for placing a Fast Charger unit in a 'good' placement much more difficult.

But, yes, we need to remove the inconvenience and confusion surrounding the simple concern of 'how' to start your Charge, no matter the location.

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