Electric vehicles offer a superior driving experience and the convenience of charging wherever you park. They also require less maintenance and are safer than traditional ICE vehicles.
EV charging stations should be designed to be accessible to people with disabilities. They should feature high-contrast signage and lighting and be easily used with mobile applications.
Safety
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EV charging products have built-in safety features that reduce the likelihood of electric shock. Typically, EV chargers are connected to their power source via a GFCI electrical outlet since these outlets are specifically designed to prevent electrical shock occurrences. EVSEs also come equipped with overload and short circuit protection to guard against electrical issues.
Additionally, most EV chargers have an in-cable control box that relays information between the power plug and vehicle connector of at-home EVSEs. The ICCB is responsible for detecting and responding to various conditions that could pose hazards. These include ground fault circuit interruption, excess current, loss of isolation from the vehicle frame, and more. If a residential EV charger is improperly installed, it can cause the charging power to exceed a home’s capacity. This can trip a circuit breaker, protecting the house from damage. But if the circuit breaker fails to stumble, it can lead to dangerously high levels of electricity and result in fire.
EV chargers can be installed on the premises of commercial businesses, and this can attract new business. In addition, it shows a business’s commitment to social responsibility and supports its brand value. Finally, EV charging points can encourage employees to use their EVs at work, reducing fuel and maintenance costs.
Energy Efficiency
As the EV market grows, innovative workplaces are beginning to see the layered value of providing employees and customers a place to recharge their electric vehicles. For some, this is an opportunity to support their sustainability goals while positioning themselves as industry leaders. For others, it’s just a way to provide an attractive amenity for their workforce. Adding electric vehicle charging products and services to your workplace can also help you save on energy costs. Most EV charging stations are ENERGY STAR certified, and some have a smart grid feature that lets you optimize the time of day you charge your vehicle. This helps you take advantage of special EV charging utility electrical rates and can save your business money and reduce electricity consumption. The kW output of the EV charger you choose for your location will play a big role in how long it takes your vehicle to charge. The size of an EV’s battery — measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) — plays a role as well; the bigger the storm, the more kWhs it can store, and thus, the less power it will use when fully charged.
Using an EV charging station with a CHAdeMO or CCS connector will ensure your EV is charged at the maximum rate it can handle. The EVSE, or charging station, will pass AC power from the power grid and safety earth ground to your vehicle’s onboard charger, which converts it to DC power to charge the batteries.
Environment
EV chargers have positive environmental impacts in that they help to reduce the amount of gasoline consumed, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, they provide clean air by eliminating the need for fuel pumps. EV charging stations also support local businesses by attracting consumers to their locations. In addition, EV charging products can be installed in new buildings during construction to take advantage of tax credits and rebates. This can lead to increased demand for the equipment, leading to further innovation and improvements in EV chargers. Public EV charging stations are everywhere, including parking garages on the street. However, not all locations are equal in their EV charging availability. This can be a challenge for
lower-income communities, who may need access to EV charging infrastructure and could negatively impact their ability to use transit services.
Using the unsupervised machine learning algorithm DBSCAN, this research identified 34 areas of spatially clustered level-1, level-2, and DC fast EV charging stations within metropolitan areas. These areas were selected to include residential and commercial sites that serve various community needs. The accessibility of these sites was then assessed by calculating the distance and time needed to travel between an origin point
and a destination point with available charging, considering an equivalence factor and a time function that discounts opportunities outside of a 15-minute driving radius.
Convenience
The ability to charge your electric vehicle (EV) is a big perk that can make EV ownership more appealing. But it can be challenging if you can’t afford to purchase and install your home charger or your apartment complex or condominium HOA won’t let you drill into the parking lot to add one. Public charging stations offer AC charging with a wall box and, in some cases, DC Fast Charging with an EVSE port. The national grid delivers AC power, but EVs need the more efficient, lower cost, direct current of DC to charge their batteries. EV chargers need to be accessible to people with disabilities who may use mobility devices or have limited upper body strength. This requires a connector plugging into the vehicle inlet with little effort, without tight grasping or pinching. It also means that a connector’s release button is easy to press with just one finger and does not require multiple simultaneous actions or a high force. The EV charger should be visually discernible and have tactile marks, and registration and payment card readers should be tactically understandable and compatible with contactless systems. Bollards that do not obstruct clear floor or ground space and can be easily maneuvered around are helpful to protect the charger from physical damage. Cord retraction systems are another way to alleviate physical damage caused by vehicles hitting or snagging the cords.