Electrify America wants electric vehicle chargers to be as easy to use as gas pumps | gadget

Electrify America has unveiled a redesign of its charging stations designed to make them more consumer friendly. Changes include labels that clearly indicate charge levels, a new “balanced charge” system that delivers the maximum possible charge to each vehicle, and clearer payment options. The updates were made after surveys of EV drivers and are designed to create a more familiar experience, similar to that of a “gas station,” the company said.

They found that one of the biggest problems with charging stations is that consumers often don’t know the charging speeds of their own electric vehicles, so the current labeling (CCS and CHAdeMO) may not make sense. To that end, Electrify America will keep the CHAdeMo for low-level charging (up to 50kW charging), but will use new labels above that: Ultra-Fast (up to 150kW and Hyper-Fast (up to 350kW), similar to Charging Options). grade and premium gas It also shows one, two, or three lightning bolts for charge levels, plug type, and CHAdeMO or CCS labeling across the top.

“We want to help make the transition to electric vehicle charging easier by translating kilowatt ratings into simple names like Hyper-Fast and Ultra-Fast with corresponding colors to help them make a selection on the charger,” said Robert Barrosa. from Electrify America.

On top of that, the company is introducing something called “Balanced Charging” for each pair of chargers in a single power cabinet, to ensure your EV gets the maximum number of kilowatts possible. For example, if a vehicle that can handle a 150kW charge arrives at a station, the charger will detect its capacity and deliver the maximum 150kW. If another with a capacity of 280kW arrives, it will automatically deliver 200kW to the second vehicle until the first one requests less than 150kW. Each charger compatible with that system will be clearly marked “Balanced”.

Finally, it will also make paying easier. You can charge at a station as a member (via NFC) or guest (credit/debit card terminal), but many users didn’t know which one to use. To that end, the company has created new tags to indicate that the NFC target area is where members should touch their phones. Credit card readers are also clearly labeled, so guests can more easily understand where to insert their card. The company also made it easier to access support in case of problems, highlighting the phone number and adding a QR code.

Electrify America previously announced that it will expand to 1,800 fast-charging stations and 10,000 individual chargers in North America by 2026. Many of those chargers will fit the latest electric vehicles, like the Porsche Taycan, which can handle a charge of up to 270 kW. It also recently unveiled its charging station of the future, complete with customer lounges, solar canopies and more. The company will replace speed, contact and payment tags at all charging stations and said “any new stations will feature balanced charging functionality.”