Electrify America has unveiled a redesign of its charging stations to make them more consumer-. The changes include labels that clearly indicate charge levels, a new “balanced charging” system that offers the maximum possible charge to each vehicle , and clearer payment options. The updates were made after research from EV drivers and are designed to create a more familiar, “gas station-like” experience, the company said.
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One of the biggest problems with charging stations is that consumers often don't know the charging speeds of their electric vehicles. For that reason, Electrify America will keep CHAdeMo for low-level (charging up to 50 kW), but will use new labels for higher: Ultra-Fast (up to 150 kW) and Hyper-Fast (up to 350 kW). It also displays one, two or three lightning bolts for the charging levels, the type of plug, and the CHAdeMO or CCS on top.
“We want to make the transition to EV charging easier by translating kilowatt ratings into simple names like Hyper-Fast and Ultra-Fast with corresponding colors to help them make a charger,” said Robert Barrosa of Electrify America.
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Additionally, Electrify America is introducing something called “balanced charging” for each pair of chargers in a single power cabinet, to ensure your EV gets the maximum kilowatts possible. For example, for a vehicle that can handle a 150 kW charge, the charger will detect its capacity and deliver a maximum of 150 kW. If another with a 280 kW capacity is charged at the same machine, it will automatically deliver 200 kW to the second vehicle until the first one requests less than 150 kW. Any charger that supports this system will be clearly marked as “Balanced.”
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Finally, it will make it easier to pay. You can charge at a station as a member (via NFC) or as a guest (credit/debit card terminal), but many users were confused about which one to use. To that end, Electrify America has created new labels that indicate the NFC target area is where members should use their phones. readers are also more clearly marked, so it’s easier for guests to understand where to place their card. The company has also made it easier to access support in case of problems, by making the phone number more prominent and adding a QR code.
