In August 2021, the US government set an audacious target: 50% of all vehicles sold in the US will be net-zero emitters of greenhouse gases by 2030.
This will require solving consumer “range anxiety” – the fear that the car will run out of charge because a working charging station could not be found en route.
The solution is to rapidly build EV charging stations. Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) each of which allocated billions to support charging station growth.
They Have to be Fast-Charging
Building fast chargers will be critical to hitting the 50% target.
In early 2023 there were ~56,000 EV charging stations with ~148,000 charging ports in the US. The U.S. Department of Energy says that, in July 2023, there were 32,000 US publicly available fast charging ports used by 2.3 million electric vehicles – 72 vehicles per charge port.
The NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) estimates that 182,000 fast chargers will be needed to support the 30-42 million EV plug-ins expected to be on the road by 2030.
Government Commitment Beyond 2030
According to the Federal Highway Administration, the US Government has set a commitment (here) to build out a national network of 500,000 charging ports by 2050. At least $15 billion has been made available to states to develop the EV charging station infrastructure.
To put this in context, the US will have to install ~50,000 public charging ports per year for 8 years to achieve this. A significant increase from the annual average of 18,700 public charging ports installed 2020-22.
Comparison to Gasoline
The American Petroleum Institute estimates there are 145,000 gas stations in the US and if they have an average of 8 pumps that is the equivalent to 1,160,000 charge ports. The Federal Highway Administration says there are 275,913,237 personal and commercial vehicles registered to drivers in the United States. That is one pump (charge port) per 238 vehicles. If we achieve 42 million EVs and the 180,000 target by 2030 there will be one port per 233 cars- on a par with gas stations.
Meanwhile, the investment -and competition- in EV charging networks are expanding rapidly.
– July 2023, 7 leading automakers formed a joint venture to create ~30,000 high-power charge points in N. America.
– February 2023, non-Tesla electric vehicles can charge at some Tesla Supercharger stations using adapters.
– Early 2024 Ford & GM EVs will have access to over 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in N America.
Building Charge Points – Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment/System (EVSE)
Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) provides for the safe energy transfer between the electric supply and the EV. It includes EV charge cords, charge stands/enclosures, attachment plugs, vehicle connectors, and the appropriate protection.
The charging enclosure is the largest component. It is critical to fast efficient & reliable charging. Inside these simple-looking enclosures are a mix of components that all require wiring. Plus superchargers are the key as they most closely mimic the gas station experience where you pump and go…and these tend to have even more wiring.
These enclosures need wiring, enclosure, and cable management protection.
Wiring Protection – Grommet Edging
Wherever wiring travels through enclosures the sharp edges of the metal chassis can cause wire abrasion which can lead to data loss, malfunctions, arcing, sparking, and fire.
Spring-Fast® Grommet edging offers the best solution as it offers:
• Superior performance: encapsulated spring steel core outperforms nylon grommets.
• Snap-on installation with just finger pressure -49% savings vs. glued-in grommets
• Edge retention without glue tested -and proven- to aerospace standards
• Improves efficiency 9.5x – due to fewer steps in the workflow.
• Nylon-clad metal substrate assures high performance whatever the environment
• Flame retardant per UL94V-0 / Vibration compliant to Telcordia GR63-CORE
• US Made
Find out more at the Spring-Fast product page
Free samples can be ordered here
Enclosure Protection
The charging enclosure is outdoors and exposed to the elements. If water were to get inside, this could cause it to malfunction. So the edges must be securely sealed to prevent this from happening.
Seal-Fast™ seals offer the best solution as it offers:
• Environmental protection from water and other contaminants.
• Metal mesh reinforced for strong edge retention
• Snaps on easily.
• 100’s of options available in EPDM, Silicone & PVC/EPDM
• DTi’s one-piece or custom seals can offer even higher protection.
• US Made
Find out more at the Seal-Fast product page
Free samples can be ordered here
Wiring Management Protection
Wiring proliferates inside the charging units, so effective wire management is key for efficient maintenance & troubleshooting.
Protect-Fast™ sleeving and wrap offer the best solution as they offer:
• Medium to high abrasion resistance
• Easy management & troubleshooting of wire harnesses
• Sleeving expands 150%. Wraps have a 25% overlap
• Easy cutting and application
• High corrosion and chemical resistance
• Wide operating temperature range
• US Made
Find out more at the Protect-Fast product page
Free samples can be ordered here
For reference
https://www.transportation.gov/testimony/american-jobs-plan-infrastructure-climate-change-and-investing-our-nations-future
https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_infrastructure.html
