Meghana KandraTesla partners with electric vehicle charging reliability platform ChargerHelp to set up charging stations. This will add to the company’s Destination Charger Network. ChargerHelp! is an app-based dispatch and deployment system. It helps resolve issues with downed or inoperable electric vehicle charging stations.
Image credits- Electrek
The app-based app offers on-demand repairs and maintenance support from local workforces, which can come and service a malfunctioning EV charger in Tesla’s Destination Charger Network. Tesla’s Destination Charging Network consists of over 35,000 wall connectors at Destination Charging Sites, which include hotels, restaurants, and resorts. They are not as powerful as the Tesla Superchargers as they only offer 22 kW of power. Tesla’s high-powered V3 Supercharger offers 250 kW for comparison.
With this partnership ChargerHelp! said Tesla will start in California as the platform will survey Destination stations to provide critical data points and insights pertaining to the station’s overall performance. Perhaps the biggest issue facing EV adoption is charger reliability. The issue pushed California Governor Gavin Newsom to write the “EV Charging Reliability Transparency Act,” a bill supported by ChargerHelp!, which could help solve most of the issues with EV charging maintenance. A study from the University of California Berkley found that only 72.5% of chargers in the Bay Area were operable, despite having lofty plans to eliminate ICE car sales by 2035.
Fixing issues
ChargerHelp! co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Kameale C.Terry said, “Trusting that a charging station will work and knowing that if there is an issue it will be fixed in a timely manner is essential to EV drivers and paramount to the success of the industry,” Electric vehicle chargers are widely available and companies are working to expand their presence of piles that can support a variety of cars. Additionally, the United States has funneled billions to expanding the electric vehicle charging infrastructure, looking to build at least 500,000 additional EV chargers in the U.S., thanks to $7.5 billion in funding.
The White House has also announced over $700 million in private sector commitments for EV charging infrastructure. Toyota announced an additional $2.5 billion investment in a Greensboro, North Carolina manufacturing facility. Honda and LG Energy Solution announced a $4.4 billion joint venture in a to-be-announced location in the U.S. Ford Motor Company announced it will invest $3.7 billion in assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri and create 6200 jobs. Panasonic announced a $4 billion plant in De Soto, Kansas that will create 4,000 jobs. Panasonic is also reportedly evaluating a similar investment in an additional new battery factory.