Without a shadow of a doubt, the world is shifting to electric vehicles (EVs). An electric vehicle (EV) is defined as a vehicle that can be powered by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery and is capable of being charged from an external source. They are more environmentally friendly and are less expensive to run and maintain as compared to combustion engines that run on fossil-based fuels like gasoline. With states like California stating they will stop selling new internal combustion vehicles within the next 15 years, this trend is here to stay. Of course, electric cars have several benefits, but one looming issue surrounding the electric vehicle industry is the EV parking challenges. Sure, the issue of fair access to EV charging stations continues to be a primary focus, but the challenges continue beyond there.
Limited Electric Vehicle (EV) charging bays
For many, an electric vehicle (EV) is a no-brainer. They have their own EV charger at home, never struggle with range anxiety as they only commute to and from work for the most part, and save money as they no longer have to worry about the price of gasoline. But what happens when you forget to charge the night before and discover you are in the red and need an EV bay as soon as possible? If you are in a populated city, chances are you will find a charging station and be okay. But that may be different for those who live in smaller communities. Sure, some of those new apartment buildings and condos have charging stations in their parking facilities, but how do you access those in dire moments of need?
Software Issues
For those with electric cars, we know you have experienced your fair share of “Out Of Order” charging bays. Like all technology, these charging stations are great until they do not work. Not only are these software issues frustrating for the owners of the stations looking to earn revenue, but for the drivers as well. The familiar feeling of dread seeps into you as you suddenly realize that you might run out of charge before you reach your next charging station. Alternatively, you finally find a working station, yet there is a long line, as many have experienced the same as you with software issues. At that point, what do you do, risk running out of battery and arriving at your meeting on time, or call an audible and wait in that line to charge? And what about the owners of these charging bays with software issues? What are they to do when their charging stations experience errors one after another?
Payment processing errors
Talking about errors, what about all those payment processing errors these charging stations experience? How do the owners or managers of these charging stalls limit such errors? What about the instance where a vehicle has been fully juiced up, yet upon payment, they experience a processing error? Does that driver just figure it is their lucky day and drive away? Or are there means of billing that user after the fact? The installment of these charging bays is costly, so lost revenue such as this must be extra painful.
Revenue limitations
As revenue is always top of mind, it seems outrageous that some of these charging stations still need to adapt to collect revenue. Of course, at the beginning of the EV wave, drivers could charge their vehicles for free at these various charging stations. But, as mentioned above, revenue is vital for everyone. Consequently, most charging stations adapted and have revenue-collecting capabilities, but some still need to. For charging station owners who are not looking to spend more to make more, there has to be an alternative, right?
Improper use of charging stations
Have you ever been in a rush to get to a meeting or an appointment and struggled to find parking? Of course, you have! Who has not? Have you ever been tempted to pull into that open guest, handicapped, or EV parking spot? We strongly suggest otherwise, as that is wrong! But people often misuse resources such as these. How does property management enforce proper parking in these situations? How do they ensure that only electric vehicles use these charging bays?
Overstaying after full-charge
If I were to jump into my car and head downtown to do a little shopping and get a meal with some friends, I would pull into the parking lot, fully intending to keep my car in that spot until I headed home. Unfortunately (for EV charging stations), most people operate under that mindset. So the question is, how do EV charging bay owners handle overstaying after a full charge? They must maximize the number of vehicles plugging in to make the most revenue. So when cars overstay, they again lose revenue. How can these owners enforce parking and ensure they earn all their potential income? This is by far one of the biggest EV charging challenges experienced all across the country!
Overnight charging
For EV owners with their own charging stations in their home garages, they may have the best setup. They go home, plug their car in for the night, unplug it the next day, and go about their lives. But what about electric car owners that live in apartments and condos? Yes, their building has various luxury amenities, including EV charging bays, but only a handful are available. So how do these drivers ensure they can charge their cars before tomorrow? And for property management and ownership, as mentioned above, they want to make sure that people are only using the stalls until they have fully charged. So how do they make sure that there are no overnight charging situations? They, of course, want to make the most revenue off these stalls but also want to ensure fairness amongst their tenants and residents. So how do they differentiate between EV charging spots and EV parking spots?
In no shape or form are we saying that the electric vehicle industry is giving us more issues than benefits. Instead, we are simply pointing out the obvious and logical electric vehicle (EV) parking challenges we have seen nationwide. For EV charging station owners and property managers who face these types of challenges and more, we can help. ParqEx has years of experience dealing with all parking-related challenges, including EV charging! We’re what you call a one-stop-shop parking platform! Book a meeting with our Electric Vehicle (EV) Parking specialist, and we will provide you with a custom parking solution to overcome your electric vehicle (EV) parking challenges.
