Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 28

PLUG

DRUDGE

Charge providers want to make juicing up an EV faster, more pleasant
BY JACK KEEBLER

C

harging an electric vehicle can take several hours,
depending on the charger, level of discharge, battery
size and the vehicle's capability to accept a jolt of 240or 480-volt DC juice.
But charging is as dull as watching paint dry. So if your EV
needs a charge while you're driving across town or across country, what can you do instead of staring at the state-of-charge
display? How about shopping, seeing a movie, catching a meal
or hitting the Internet?
Charge providers are crafting shorter and more pleasant experiences. That starts with strategically placing powerful chargers,
from 50 to 350 kilowatt-hours, at locations that are well lit and
feel safe, such as retail businesses that are open 24/7,
restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues - places
with Wi-Fi and clean bathrooms and where you can get
waited on while you wait.
Automakers are investing
billions to meet emissions
requirements and create
multisegment EV portfolios.
Buyers want greater range,
better affordability and more
charge points. Focus groups
confirm that easier, quicker
charging positively affects
EV-purchase consideration.
Electrify America, a subsidiary of VW Group of
America, is managing the
company's investments in
EV education and in growing the nation's charging
infrastructure. It was established as part of the settlement
with the EPA and the California Air Resources Board for VW's
excess diesel emissions. Its management expects that by
December 2021, the company will install or have under development about 800 stations with a total of 3,500 chargers in
its network.
28

shift * november 2019

Other large charging networks include EVgo and ChargePoint.
"The charging site should be easy to see and should be positioned close to the entrance to the retail amenities, whether it's
a shopping mall, a grocery store, a restaurant or the National
Corvette Museum," says Wayne Killen, director of infrastructure
planning and business development at Electrify America. "It's
easy to get inside, as opposed to around the back of the parking
lot or around on the side in a place where you don't think it's a
premium experience."
Killen points out that with apps from carmakers, such as
FordPass, and charge providers, owners can check charge-station availability, pay digitally and roam a shopping center while
keeping up on charging progress and finish time.
Charging speed is getting
better. Killen says charges
take 30 to 90 minutes or
even less. For example,
the Porsche Taycan EV can
accept a 270-kWh charge at
a 350-kWh Electrify America
station, going from 5 percent
to 80 percent charged in a
bit more than 22 minutes.
Barely enough time to stroll
away for a leisurely cup of
coffee, sip some soup or
pick out some cool socks.
Each Electrify America
facility has four to 12
charging stations. Chances
are there won't be a line for a
quick-charge spot.
Killen says choosing charger locations also depended
on convenience to major highways, visibility, security and even
how environmentally friendly the local utility was in terms of
power generation.
Even considering emissions from power plants, driving an EV
is equivalent to cruising in a 51-mpg internal combustion engine
vehicle. Green, clean - and getting more convenient. n



Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019

Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - Intro
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - Cover1
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - Cover2
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 3
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 4
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 5
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 6
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 7
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 8
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 9
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 10
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 11
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 12
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 13
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 14
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 15
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 16
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 17
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 18
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 19
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 20
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 21
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 22
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 23
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 24
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 25
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 26
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 27
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 28
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 29
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 30
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - Cover3
Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_20191125
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_20191007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_20190722
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_20190603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_20190325
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/ShiftNovember2018AdvertiserBookletFaurecia
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/ShiftNovember2018AdvertiserBookletZF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/ShiftJuly2018AdvertiserBooklet
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/shift_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/ShiftMay2018AdvertiserBooklet
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com