As more and more electric vehicles take over American roadways, the availability of EV chargers becomes more of a limiting factor. While the number of EV chargers is slowly increasing to meet demand, more chargers are subsequently in need of servicing. Now, it appears as though there simply aren’t enough certified technicians available to fix broken-down chargers.
According to a report from Automotive News, there were nearly 4,000 out-of-service public EV charging stations across the U.S. as of October 5th, 2023. This corresponds to approximately six percent of all chargers across America, leading to increased frustration among electric vehicle drivers.
In an attempt to address this issue, the Biden administration recently announced a $100 million fund dedicated to the repair and replacement of nonoperational charging infrastructure across the United States. Dubbed the EV Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator project, both publicly and privately owned EV charging stations will be covered, while applications are due by November 13th, 2023.
“Public charging is competing for a scarcity of labor with these other demands,” Qmerit Chief Work Force Officer Eric Feinberg stated in a prepared statement. “Improving the public charging infrastructure will require creative ways to find and train electricians.”
Of course, the biggest issue here is the overall lack of electricians to fix and maintain the charging infrastructure. In fact, the aggressive EV adoption plans – which includes General Motors’ goal of fielding 30 EVs worldwide by 2025 – will only serve to further aggravate this widespread problem.
“There is a hunger from communities across the U.S. to be able to participate in this space, to get good paying jobs,” said ChargerHelp! CEO Kameale Terry claimed. “Traditional electrician skills will be necessary, but so will software skills. If someone goes out to change the connector, but doesn’t understand the full breadth of the ecosystem, it’s hard for them to know if changing that connector was good enough.”
Subscribe to GM Authority for more GM business news, GM EV news, GM technology news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
LOL
So what I reading here is there are good paying jobs available for those who want to learn to be an electrician?
Good job Biden !! throw more taxpayer monies at a failed system.
The aging infrastructure needs repair and expansion which President Biden is trying to get done. The problem is with obstructionists in Congress who are unwilling to help strengthen America
Why does the government need to get involved in utility upgrades?
When the government gets involved it costs more and and there is fraud, the government is foolish, they buy $20 hammers for $500.
There are good paying jobs available for people that want to work, not live in their parent’s basement.
Hell–the parents are living in the basement!
Thanks for the good article. To be clear, I am an EV owner and I like them and yet I’ve been clear in my comments that EV is not for everyone. If you don’t like EV, that’s fine. But don’t make those of us who do like EV bad for it. And for those of us who do like EV, don’t make the non-EV people wrong for not liking them. A lot of this will change as the tech improves and the understanding of EV’s gets better. And that brings me to this article.
What a PAIN in the a** when it comes to public charging. I admit 100% that if I had to rely solely on public chargers, I would go back to ICE for now. Luckily I have a level 2 in my garage at home and can charge now and then at work. But when it comes to public chargers, it’s a huge problem. So many are broken and I just can’t figure out how or why. The parts that are most often broken makes me scratch my head. How do people break them? Fact: There’s only one way to plug them in (level 2 or fast chargers) and if used properly there shouldn’t be any way to break them. And yet they do. The total lack of care these drivers have is appalling at best.
Then there’s the issue of finding them. I know of many that are listed on the apps, and yet drivers have zero access to them as they are in a private parking garage or lot. So they need to either remove those from the apps or insist on opening them to all drivers. I could go on, but won’t as this is already too long. Bottom line is that this problem will work itself out over time. This is part of the growing pains and I’m sure gas stations had issues back in the early 1900’s as well. But they need to work on this and fast or it will turn many drivers away from the EV’s that would otherwise be a fantastic way of life.
Dan, you are absolutely right! An EV is a great in town or commuter vehicle, or anywhere within the vehicle’s charge limit. Hybrids are another great answer. Also, cars like the Volt and ELR which are not true hybrids, but an electric with and ICE charger for trips. And a good old 450 horsepower ICE. All have a place and they are just as diverse as their owner bases. There is no one size fits all.
ACZ: You got it. To this day, I say GM f-ed up huge by dropping the Volt and it’s platform. I don’t care how much they say it would have been to update (a lie if I ever saw one). The Volt was the best of every world and it would have been a perfect stepping stone for those timid about going EV while giving GM a huge lead over the others. But no, they decided to go with a Hummer line within GMC that the world needs like another pandemic.
Personally, one reason why I’d like to see EV’s take off more is so that ICE can stick around in some form for a longer time. A good example of this is older classic cars. I have two and would love for them to be driven sparingly for many years. For those who need heavy duty trucks (truly need them, not just drive them for the sake of driving one), they can continue to buy them for many years. But for the majority of the driving and usage, the vast majority of drivers could easily go EV with no problems. It’s not so much the vehicles, but the early teething pains that the charging system must iron out. And they will, just like the gas stations from many years ago. It just takes some time and problem solving.
Figures problems just get worse the more the government gets involved let the free market decide leave us alone I do not need or want an electric vehicle just think about areas that may have natural disasters and how long the power can be down then you can’t get anywhere you are screwed I don’t understand the lack of forethought anymore in our country of any kind unbelievable United States will be gone soon anyway so no more worries
Another amazing thing people are conveniently forgetting is how long it’s going to take to charge each individual vehicle and how large these so-called stations are going to have to be the parking lot’s going to be bigger than Walmart parking lots because there’s thousands of vehicles who would need to be charged therefore you’re going to need so many charging stations it’s going to be unbelievable not to mention people in line waiting getting bent out of shape because they’re having to wait so long getting in fights and guess what lo and behold there’s going to be people running around unplugging other people’s Vehicles plug in theirs in and some people will just walk around town pulling people’s Vehicles out just for the hell of it then the owners will come back with a uncharged vehicle and have paid for it I really can’t believe how moronic our society is it’s in your face pay attention bozos
One solution is gasoline station, by the millions need to start install chargers, if not they’ll lose big time trying to their profitable drinks and food items.
Even if they have a 3 phase service already they will need to upgrade it and cut the concrete and run the conduit. $$$$
You assume everyone is always charging wherever they go which isn’t true. If you have an EV with a 250+ mile range you might only need to charge once a week if you don’t have home charging.
I think the biggest change you’ll see is apartments, hotels, and workplaces with chargers. And those places can have cheap level 2 chargers. DC fast chargers can be along the interstate for people doing long distance traveling.
Don J harden: theflew said it well, but I will add this. Where we are now, the average new EV (in 2023) can go about 275 miles per charge and can charge from about 20 to 80% is about 15 minutes. Even my Bolt (which is one of the slowest charging new EV’s) can go from that 20 to 80% in about 30 minutes. It’s that last 20% that takes a lot longer. But that’s today and using the DC fast charging and/or super chargers.
In about 5 years, the average new EV sold will have closer to 400 miles of range and will be able to charge from 20 to 80% in less than 10 minutes. Ten years from now, that same average new EV will have a 600 mile range and will be able to charge from 20 to 80% in around 10 minutes or less. Remember, that’s with a higher range.
But with my Bolt, none of that really matters. If I’m traveling I will fly or I could easily rent a car for a few days. For the majority of my driving needs (and this stands true for nearly all drivers), I can plug my car in at home and let it charge as needed over night. It’s a great feeling to come out to a full “tank” every morning.
BTW: EV charging apps do have an avenue to only find commercial or free chargers without listing home chargers from my experience. If your current app does not offer that choice option find another app that does.
Good luck.
The public schools push out too many stupid children that will never make it in skilled trades and the too many of the intelligent ones are indoctrinated and have no interest in you using their hands except on a phone or video game controller.
On Mommy’s couch in her basement, eating her food.
I hate to agree with you but that is true.
Why would you hate to agree?
Because I usually don’t agree with you.
The public education system takes ALL comers, regardless of their physical or mental abilities.
When critics say education should be run like a business, they don’t take into account that education has no quality control over its raw material, it has physical control of that material for only 6 or 7 ours per day while having no way to insulate it from outside societal influences. It has “suppliers” for its raw material who truly believe their product is perfect and consistently run down the change manufacturing process because “they know how it should be done” while not even having the basic understanding of it. But they do know that it must be in line with THEIR religious and philosophical beliefs and not that of anyone else who isn’t just like them. Education also has the government, state and federal, demanding how and when part of the process should be done, all the while setting universal one-size-fits/all expectations regarding the quality of the ultimate product without setting any standards by which the product should be measured.
If this looks like the way to run a business, it’s not and that’s why it is not meeting expectations. Expectations are like “standards”. They are great because there are so many of them.
If all the Lemmings hadn’t seen Tesla’s success and quickly rushed to get in on the not-yet-ready-for-prime-time tech, this wouldn’t be an issue.
Maybe , if Americans would stop believing EVs are Satan’s tools , they might stop sabotaging them. Just because oil bought politicians say they are, does not mean it is true!!!!
Right…so getting battery raw materials from China and having China partner with the Big 3 on battery plants INSIDE THE US (looking at you, Ford) is way better than buying oil from the Middle East? Get a clue…
Tim: That’s certainly not the full story and you know it. Those are nothing more than talking points by certain groups and the longer people keep saying stuff like that, the longer people will be misinformed.
I’m not making you wrong for saying some partly true things. Just that there’s a lot more to it than that. What I don’t understand is why so many want to just destroy the move towards electrification. Everyone should embrace that and the continued improvement of ICE to be cleaner and more efficient. Doing those both will guarantee ICE for a much longer time.
Tim: My understanding is that EV raw materials are presently being supplied from Canada to GM EV battery plants in USA. Those plants are still in partnership with Korean company LG Chem (that originally supplied batteries to GM made in Korea. Then the STOP sales order on all Bolts resulted in LG Chem forking over 1.6 Billion $$$$$$$$$ to GM and GM compensated dealerships during the STOP sale debacle) I know outsourcing is a point of concern for many of us. I really observe where products are actually manufactured and sourced. Certainly if the product is manufactured in Canada or E.U vs P.R.C. I feel better because of how PRC treats their workers to say the least. More importantly EV’s are part of the solution for Global Warming/Climate Change, that if not taken seriously will end life as we know it on planet Earth. Our grandchildren deserve us to make every effort to reduce our ‘carbon footprint’.
You must drink a lot of kool-aid? Guess you better kiss your ass goodbye now so you don’t have a nervous breakdown. The boogeyman might get you before all your BS you’re spewing!
Gen Z and X don’t want to get their hands dirty or move from behind their computer screens. If you want that crap you better learn how to fix it. The baby boomers won’t be around forever to hold your hand and fix everything for your generations. Better learn how to handle a weapon too, because the Chinese are going to own your asses!
Thank you Captain America we could use a Marvel hero you speak the truth what a bunch of morons out there
Ha, ha, ha, ha….Captain America, China already owns our asses through purchasing USA Real Estate. Hopefully that is a deterrent to those Chinese investors preventing China from bombing us!
Six percent. Understanding that there are many more public gasoline stations (and pumps), anyone know how many, on an average day, are out of service? Is the 6% rate comparable?
Also, how many non-public gasoline pumps are there? Probably not many unless associated with a larger enterprise or maybe a medium or large farm. Over time, however, there will be many home chargers (level 1 and 2) which is certainly a useful feature most ICE vehicles don’t have.
Bill G: Good points. As for the level 1 and 2 chargers: I personally could use the charger that came with my Bolt and use the level 1. For the most part, if someone buys an EV and has it fully charged, they could use the snail slow level 1 at home each night or a couple times per week. Let it slow charge the EV overnight and they would be good to go. No need to even install the level 2. If you need/want a faster home charge, the least expensive way is to again use the factory cord and have an electrician install the basic 240 outlet near your parking place. Doing either of those is free or cheap and would get the job done for the majority of drivers.
The only reason I’ve been using any public chargers is to use up the EVgo $500 credit I got from Chevy. Once that’s gone, it will be charging at home 99% of the time while I sleep and the rates are way lower.
Why worry about public charges that much? Most EV owners charge at their homes overnight, and some of us do it for free using our home photovoltaic power systems. Most drivers never travel over 200 miles a day which any EV can do. And why worry about range? Does anyone buy a gas car by the size of the gas tank?
Another one with a free home solar charging system. I can’t seem to find those free systems around here.
What about the people who live in condos/apartments and those who live in areas where on street parking is the only option?
That is a good question! I thinking there are governmental centers that offer complimentary EV charging like West Palm Beach, Florida. More importantly some EV manufacturers offer free charging at commercial stations. It is a good talking point when leasing or purchasing a EV to ask what manufacture offers in Charge stations and if it is for only a few years or life of vehicle? I know most Chevrolet dealers has free level 2 charging ports. However, is that strictly for Chevys or may anyone charge there? Also is it accessible 24/7? Hope my comment helps.
No, people don’t buy a gas car by the size of its tank because they know they can refill it quickly and conveniently at many places. The same can’t be said for EVs.
That’s only true because the size of the gas tank reached a threshold size. After that the tank size doesn’t matter. The same will apply for EVs. It might take longer to charge but if I can drive several hundred miles between charges, 30 minutes isn’t a big deal to recharge.
To drive a vehicle like the Lyriq 500 miles adds ~30 minutes to your trip. An ICE car would add at least 10 minutes. So there’s not that big of a difference. And for daily driving the EV adds no additional time if you charge at home.
The big problem as Captain America stated, lack of skills in the vocation fields with hands on training. If it’s not a smart device, many can’t figure things out. This is with all trades, from nurses to auto mechanics, carpenters, plumbers and on and in.
One solution is one standard charger design is all brands should have plug in modules. A smart device to tell the technician which module may be bad and just replace the module. This would not require to have an electricians license. If the problem power components then an electrician can be called.
George it would it might be best to have a licensed electrician that is additionally trained in software. Still no where in subject article does it state salary of certified technicians to perform that job. That may be the reason charging stations are ‘shortage of technicians.’
Plugin hybrids are the future.
They accelerate nice and smoothly like EVs; can use regen braking; can travel short distances on only electricity; can do long distances with just refueling <5min; work during natural disasters when either power is cut off, or gas unavailable, one of the two; never get overcharged (price) by expensive fast chargers with unknown rates; charge in a few hours on a 120-240V socket.
I prefer hybrids anytime.
I’m on your side. Ford, Hyundai/Kia, Toyota, Volvo (China Owned), and a few others offer, ICE, Hybrids, Hybrids plug in’s and EV’s across some of their models. I just checked Hyundai and Kia, hybrids are only sold in about 20 states, not Florida and most southern states for now.
GM decided to go all into EV only. One reason is the Volt, though an excellent and reliable hybrid, it was very expensive to manufacture. An engineer of GM confirmed this on a post about 2 years ago. Another is Tesla is selling quite well and averaging 450,000 vehicles a quarter. GM has to see that as lost customers for a long time, therefore go with the pack or eventually lose out.
Each year GM industry share is going down. What made GM king was those born during the depression era, WWII vets, and the baby boomers. I’m a BB and 74 years old and this customer base is slowly shrinking.
My two boys, age 44 and 40 have a Nissan, Volvo, Honda, and a Porsche. GM was never on their radar?
The problem with hybrids is cost. A real plug-in hybrid has the cost of an ICE vehicle with the additional cost of an EV just with a smaller battery. The ICE has to be sized to move the vehicle appropriately so you don’t save in fuel cost. And many people that own them do not charge them, so the EV portion becomes extra weight and cost.
Instead of hybrid vehicles being the transition from ICE to EV we’ll have a hybrid population. Some will drive ICE and others will drive EVs for a period of time. Some households will have both.
@theflew: I work at a Volvo store and you are correct. So many driving the PHEV’s never charge them. I’ve told people this many times: If you don’t plan to charge them regularly, then don’t spend the extra money to get it.
I had a 2021 Volvo S60 PHEV and really did like it. I charged it all the time and used it in EV mode as much as I could and when I sold it my average MPG was around 92. Being a 2021, it was still the short range (about 24 miles per charge). If I had a 2023 with the long range (about 48 miles per charge), I’d probably average around 120 MPG by charging it. On the flip side, those driving the same cars and not charging them are getting maybe 25 to 30 MPG average. On my Bolt I have now, I’m averaging 4.6 miles per KWH which translates into 184 MPG in gas talk.
You got it wrong. A well designed plugin hybrid is basically a Nissan leaf with a small engine. You only need a 1 liter engine with 40 to 60hp, paired with a 60-80hp electric motor. 20HP output of the engine is all you really need at speeds under 65mph.
With such a setup, you can save $15-20k on a battery pack, because you don’t need 300 mile range packs. 25-50 miles is more than sufficient.
You also save on the engine, as the engine doesn’t need the power to accelerate the car, just coast and charge. You can do that with a twin or triple cylinder engine, saving more on cost.
The electric motor is for acceleration and braking.
Essentially the price of a plugin hybrid should be roughly 20% more than that of an economy vehicle, but the savings in gas over its lifetime are 2x. Meaning, an economy car uses $20k on fuel over its lifetime doing 30mpg. A plugin hybrid with those specs would use anywhere from 50 to 70mpg, roughly halving the cost of fuel.
Current regular hybrids have too big engines (2L) and too small motors (40-60HP). Plugin hybrids often have more beefed up electric motors (80-100hp).
I read article and also briefly scrolled through comments. No where did I observe actual pay and benefits, these EV electricians along with their having software knowledge in addition for license electrician credentials? If any commenters have a link to reliable pay and benefits of this job kindly advise please.
I will stick with ICE.
Sounds like a job for Vic the Fixing Man.