The global shift to electric vehicles is transforming transportation worldwide, but building the necessary EV charging infrastructure quickly enough isn’t easy. With so many variables, it’s hard to know how to stay successful while meeting the global demand for more. While you can only do so much against difficult permitting processes, labor shortages, shipping delays, etc., there is still plenty that remains in your control.
Here are the top six pitfalls to avoid in your EV charging deployments.
- Underestimating Funding Requirements
- The cost of deploying EV charging infrastructure can be substantial, with the average Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) point costing around $100,000 USD. Funding options such as tax credits and grants are available but come with their own challenges. Maximizing available money is critical to success and overall profitability.
- Poor Site Planning
- Effective site planning is crucial for the success of EV charging stations. Doing it wrong can lead to a multitude of issues down the line. Key factors to consider include projected utilization, accessibility, and power availability.
- Inefficient Construction Management
- Construction is a critical phase in deploying EV charging infrastructure. Common pitfalls include delays due to poor planning and resource management or breaking ground far too early.
- Interconnection Delays
- Connecting EV chargers to the electrical grid is a difficult process that requires meticulous planning and coordination with utility partners. With power availability being so critical to successful deployments, failing to work with the utility well and find more power can make or break the success of your project.
- Neglecting Operations and Maintenance
- Ongoing maintenance is essential to ensure the reliability, longevity, and uptime of EV charging stations. Avoiding poor maintenance (and subsequently low uptime) can be the difference between leading the EV charging transition and barely staying afloat.
Good things never come easy. Avoiding these common pitfalls by controlling what you can control is the best path to success for your EV charging deployments. By securing adequate funding, meticulously planning sites, managing construction efficiently, ensuring timely interconnection, and maintaining robust O&M practices, you can better navigate the complexities of EV infrastructure development. What makes all of that easier? The right software tools! The right tools can consolidate all of the activities to overcome these pitfalls, streamline your deployments, and ensure you are successful.
Download the ebook for an expanded view of each pitfall and further details on how to avoid and overcome them.
Sitetracker’s Deployment Operations Management software provides a unified platform to streamline these processes throughout the entire lifecycle of your charging deployments. As the EV market continues to grow alongside demand, overcoming these challenges will be crucial to remain competitive and support the global transition to sustainable transportation.
If you’re interested in learning more about how Sitetracker is supporting leaders in EV charging, request a personalized demo today.