Today, no existing fast-charging network is making money. ... That means any missed revenue from the customer who drove an EV to a charger only to find it broken is irrelevant. And very few incentives exist to keep stations in working order.
If you make the argument that profitability will arrive when utilization increases [3], it'll be kept out of reach by a combination of demand charges and having to colocate batteries (both of which Tesla and Electrify America do at some stations) to shave the demand curve (demand charges can be significant) from drawing MWs of power constantly most of the day.
Tangentially, gas stations aren't a great fit for fast DC charging (who wants to hang out at a gas station while they charge except perhaps at a full service biz like Wawa or Buc-ee's?), so those stations are instead getting installed at grocery stores, malls, and other places where people will make better use of the dwell time [4]. Most people will charge at home (or work, in some cases) except high daily utilization users (taxi, livery, law enforcement, etc), heavy duty use (towing), or those traveling long distances in a day (road trips).
TLDR It's a utility, not a profitable business.
[1] https://supercharge.info/map
[2] https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-supercharger-v3-factory-comp...
[3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradtempleton/2022/10/26/electr...
[4] https://www.vox.com/recode/23023671/ev-charging-network-gas-...
Each of the networks (other than Tesla) is trying to build customer loyalty via social networking features and monthly memberships, but that's destroying customer loyalty, not building it.
All people care about is the percentage of time the charger works, how long it takes for the session to start / complete, and whether a stall is occupied.
EA and EVGo are failing miserably on reliability and time to initiate charge, and anyone can install + operate a stall. The only network effect here is whether the charge station shows up on the map service vehicle owners use are using.
In theory, they could try locking smaller providers out of being listed on maps, but maps are also a non-differentiated commodity with a pretty low barrier to entry (people can just switch to whatever map service lists all the EV chargers, and not just the unreliable monopoly-owned ones).
Also, as the article points out, Ford has basically no loyalty to the charging networks, and is already weaponizing the on-board maps in their vehicles to force the charge networks to provide higher reliability services. I'm sure other automakers will follow a similar path.
As a business it’s basically a fancy electric plug. Unless someone can make a very nice lounge and charge membership or something I don’t see it being very profitable. I would pay some amount on road trips especially to have access to bathrooms, some drinks and snacks, comfy seats, TVs, etc while I charge a larger chunk
Pull up, plug in my car, it charges. Easier than a gas station.
It’s a standard, but not used enough. When I plug into EA it just bills my Ford account which bills me. Very similar to Tesla. No hassle. EVgo required a small setup, I still have to use their account (stupid), but I don’t have to fiddle with screens or apps anymore.
I think there is/was hesitancy over physical card readers because they can be messed with (skimmer, stuff inserted in EMV slot, weather when not protected by awning). But contactless has been getting more and more common so it’s a good option to have.
But plug and charge should be the preferred choice offered everywhere.
Pull up, give the cashier $20 for "pump" 5, and you get to draw $20 in kilowatt-hours.
Or even just a paper bill acceptor if you don't want to pay a cashier. Common enough at car washes.
If you want something done with gritted teeth, get it done via lawsuit.
And you overstate the mechanical maintenance needs of a modern gasoline car. Yes they need oil changes, which are quick and fairly inexpensive. For the most part they will go 100k miles if not more with little else but brakes and tires (which EVs need also). PCV valves and O2 sensors are stupidly simple devices, especially in comparison to the electronic and computer systems needed to make an EV work.
I bought my Leaf used and paid $350 the first time I took it for battery inspection just to mollify my own anxiety about the unknown condition of fluids in the vehicle. Every damn time I have visited since the service manager walks out with a rag covered in dirty fluid telling me I need to change my reduction gear oil or brake fluid.
I pointed out that they did it previously and cited the maintenance schedule for those fluids. Then asked what the problem was that was causing the rapid degradation of the fluid. They go "talk to the tech" then return and say it was a misunderstanding and I am ready to go.
If ole Musky wasn't such a piece of work, the fact that Tesla doesn't pull this BS would earn my loyalty.
* Tires
* In-cabin air filter
* Windshield wiper blades
* Windshield washer fluid
* Brake fluid. It's hypergolic, after all
* Suspension realignment
* Suspension bushings
* Tie rod ends
* 12V AGM battery for non-powertrain systems
* Brake pads, though regenerative braking heavily reduces wear
* Rainwater drainage channels need to be cleared
* Air conditioner compressor
* Struts
* Wheel bearings
* Battery pack coolant. Eventually it will need replacement
* Battery pack coolant pump. Eventually it will need replacement
* Powertrain battery back
Over long enough timelines...
* Any rubber seals. Door seals, window seals. Frunk/trunk seals. Rubber oxidizes and degrades to UV over time
* Speakers
* Brake caliper rebuild.
* Brake master cylinder rebuild.
* Parking brake related items (modern electric ones just push out a cam against the brake rotor)
* Window regulators
* HVAC blend door actuators
* Soft-close door/trunk actuators
* Power seat motors
* Power mirror motors
* Seat foam and upholstery
* Door hinges. Eventually they won't stay open at a set position anymore.
* Auto-dimming mirrors
* Any backlit display
-- -----
Even eventually an electric motor may need re-balancing or servicing, but the timelines are very long. Powertrain costs are vastly reduced to internal combustion engine cars, but over a long enough timeline, all the other mechanical stuff needs replacing. Thermal cycling, oxidation, UV exposure, compression and friction affects everything eventually.
Some things people vastly underestimate as well. OEM-grade (not cheap aftermarket junk) door and window seals are NOT cheap to replace, and eventually the OEM ones may be entirely unavailable outside of collector grade cars. Even on VERY normal cars like a Toyota Camry you can spend $1500+ replacing door and trunk seals with OEM replacements.
You probably meant "hygroscopic" here. One probably doesn't want to be carrying hypergols in their car!
Hence, why the dealership model dies (typically sustained by service revenue) and the fast charger network runs on razor thin margins or at cost as a quasi utility coop across automakers (with Tesla being the steward).
It’s not like if GM had GM only gas stations their cars had to go to. It’s perfectly possible for a Tesla owner to go years without supercharging if they’re not road-tripping.