The Ever-Expanding EV Infrastructure

There’s new technology blazing the streets around us. It uses clean energy, makes our lives easier, and some even pilot themselves.

While it sounds like we’re making our way into a society riddled with futuristic robots (which is still, somewhat true), we’re actually talking about the rise in popularity of electric vehicles.

Electric vehicle sales (including both plug-in hybrids and fully electric) more than doubled last year.In fact, more electric vehicles are sold each week than in the entirety of 2012.

With this rising popularity comes an increased demand for the foundational equipment that makes the technology possible - electrical vehicle charging infrastructure is developing rapidly across the world. 

But who determines where this infrastructure will appear next?

It could be your neighborhood.

There are a few options in regards to EV charging infrastructure, which means the process of procuring said infrastructure is a bit multifaceted.

So if you’re thinking of installing EV charging framework in your area, the first step is to consider the members of your community. You’ll need to have an understanding of what their vehicle charging needs would be, and you determine this using: 

• Electric vehicle ownership.
• The type of electric vehicles that will be served at each location.
• The amount of time it takes to charge these vehicle batteries.
• Travel times. 

With this info, you can then establish the type of charging equipment necessary for the project. The California Energy Commission even created a selection guide offering a summary of things to consider when purchasing an EV charger.

Not to mention the EVI-Pro Lite tool that is available for community leaders to figure out how electric vehicle charging will increase the demand for electricity, as well as estimate the quantity and level of charging infrastructure needed to support the adoption of EV’s by region, state, city, or urban area. 

Now we’ve covered planning the procurement and installation of electric vehicle charging equipment, but it’s just as important to consider the costs associated with your required charging needs. 

Let’s get into it. 

When you think about the costs involved with establishing EV charging stations, you have to consider maintenance (including annual charging network fees, demand charges, and of course electricity), installation, equipment, and operation. 

Luckily, the Argonne National Laboratory has produced the EV Charging Calculator, which has proven to be a useful tool in estimating emission impacts of charging infrastructure and energy consumption. 

The actual cost of EV charging equipment can vary depending on several factors such as charging level, location, application, and the type of equipment. 

In regards to installation, these costs also tend to vary but for different reasons. Installation costs can vary depending on the geographic location, labor costs, site location and necessary trenching, and the number and type of charging infrastructure. 

Costs aside, there are still a few other things you’ll need to consider during the process of procuring charging infrastructure, including…

• signage 
• ownership
• safety
• compliance
• permitting

… and more! 

When it comes to electric vehicles, there’s plenty more than meets the eye.

While we’re seeing more and more EV’s in car commercials, car shows, and even on the road, there’s a massive expansion that you may not notice is happening at the same time. EV charging infrastructure is spreading throughout the country at a rapid pace, making the wide-spread adoption of electric vehicles possible.

Here’s an example of what we mean by rapid pace: In 2019, there were a little more than 130,000 charging locations installed around the world, and this number is expected to surpass 230,000 in the next 3 years.

With this rapid growth comes an increased demand for the charging equipment that make these charging locations possible, and that’s where DIRAK comes in.

As a leading innovator in energy distribution and environmental access control technology and hardware, DIRAK offers all state-of-the-art products and plenty of experience supporting these types of installs.

Contact us using the form below to learn more about how DIRAK can support your new or existing EV infrastructure projects.

• What is a station location?
  • Typically a parking garage, mall parking lot, or gas station - a station location is a site that hosts at least one EVSE port.
     
• What is a charging station? 
  • A charging station is a component that provides electrical power for charging plug-in electric vehicles, sometimes referred to as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) or a charge point.
     
• How fast is electric vehicle charging? 
  • The slowest, level 1 equipment can take 40-50 hours to charge a battery electric vehicle battery. Level 2 equipment can accomplish the feat in 4-10 hours. The fastest, direct current fast charging (DCFC), can charge an electric vehicle battery in under an hour.