<!–*/ */ /*–>*/
| J.D. Power: EV charger reliability worsens |
The reliability of the electric vehicle charging network is getting worse with at least 1 in 5 charging attempts by drivers failing last year, according to a new J.D. Power study.
Widespread problems are occurring as EV adoption grows at twice the rate of charger installation and the industry and government plan to invest billions of dollars into charging infrastructure.
Many charging stations are aging, lack routine maintenance and face software hiccups.
The number of failed charging attempts climbed steadily from 15 percent in the first quarter of 2021 to 20 percent in the first quarter of 2022 and rose to more than 21 percent by the third quarter, according to J.D. Power’s Electric Vehicle Experience Public Charging Study released Wednesday.
Satisfaction with Level 2 chargers and Level 3 chargers hit its lowest point in the third quarter since J.D. Power began its EV public charging study in 2021. A Level 2 charger powers an EV in five to six hours. Level 2 chargers are often installed at home, work or public shopping centers, where vehicles are parked for a significant amount of time. Level 3 chargers require a much larger grid connection and take 15 to 20 minutes to refill most of an EV’s charge.
— Hannah Lutz
What you need to know
Toyota supplier portal breached by white hat hacker: The hacker gained read-and-write access to 14,000 corporate Toyota email accounts and related confidential documents.
Range anxiety, grid problems hampering EV adoption, report shows: Reasons are piling up for EVs not catching on with American drivers in the coming years, UP.Partners’ mobility division said.
Bank of America offers to bundle EV chargers with auto loans: The banking giant is anticipating demand for the products will increase as buyers turn away from gasoline-powered cars.
Roundup
General Motors competes for stake in Vale’s base metals unit, underscoring the automaker’s desire for more EV battery materials.
Spinning parts still slow lidar’s route to viability throughout the auto industry.
Shyft Group adds capacity to Blue Arc electric van plant, enabling production of 3,000 EVs per year.
EV battery inspection startup Liminal raises $17.5 million, with Sweden’s Northvolt and Canada’s ArcTern Ventures part of funding round.
StoreDot and Circulor partner to increase transparency, sustainability in EV battery supply chain.
Startup Spartan Radar raised $17M from 8VC, Microsoft and others for software that improves driver-assist resolution and range.
On the move
Waymo named Amar Mehta as its chief legal officer Wednesday. Mehta has worked at Waymo for the past six years overseeing a portfolio of legal teams. He replaces Kevin Vosen, who will transition to an advisory role with the self-driving tech company. …
Lidar company AEye appointed Matt Fisch as the company’s new CEO. Fisch arrives after spending nearly three years as chief technology officer at Gentherm. Previously he worked at Harman, Intel and Verifone. He arrives at AEye as the company looks to sell its lidar across a variety of new markets. …
Electrify America has tapped Robert Barrosa, who leads the charging company’s infrastructure development and product planning, as its next president and CEO. Current president and CEO Giovanni Palazzo will become chairman of Electrify America’s board and global senior vice president of charging and energy for parent company Volkswagen Group.
Brain food
One incentive for buying an electric vehicle is the potential to make money by charging or discharging at certain times. This seemingly simple task for EV owners could create a more resilient grid and reduce the need for additional power plants as U.S. roads see more EVs.
Last mile
President Joe Biden highlights legislative wins to boost U.S. production of microchips, EVs, in State of the Union address.