VW’s Electrify America unveils new ‘human-centered’ EV charging stations

Electrify America

The electric vehicle charging company, which is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, plans to install new charging stations in California and New York with solar panels and a lounge. The company is trying to improve the customer experience by rolling out a slimmer, redesigned EV charging station.

Santa Barbara, San Francisco, San Diego, and Beverly Hills are just a few of the places where the new multi-charger stations will be installed.

It's not as easy to charge an electric car as it is to refill a gas tank. Depending on the power source and vehicle type, charging times can vary. Charging times will eventually shrink to around 10 minutes, but not for a long time.

The goal of Electrify America is to make charging as easy as possible. The company's new stations are organized around comfort, security, and amenities, with a nod to the time it takes to charge an EV. The goal is to create a more inviting transition to an electric vehicle lifestyle from a gas station.

The new designs will help elevate the charging experience for our customers, building on the foundation of our ultra-fast and reliable coast-to-coast network, said Giovanni Palazzo, president and CEO of Electrify America.

The inclusion of solar panel awnings, which provide shade for customers from the sun and provide power for the station, is the most notable change for the current design. The company says it is in the process of adding solar awnings to 400-500 individual chargers at 100 charging stations across the country. The charging stations in Baker and Santa Clara, California have solar canopies.

Dedicated event spaces will be found in the customer lounges at the new charging stations. The cameras and additional lighting will give the EV owners a sense of security. valet charging and curbside delivery options may be offered by those stations built near shopping locations.

The company has begun to roll out a new EV charging station with a slimmer profile and simpler controls. The ultra-fast chargers with up to 150 and 350 kilowatts of charging power stand nearly 8 feet tall, with screens to help reduce sunlight glare.

In order to help manage the energy load on the grid and capture excess solar energy where possible, Electrify America will deploy on-site battery storage systems to 150 charging stations.

The charging experience in the US is very fragmented for people who don't own a car. The Supercharger network has been praised for its seamless user experience and fast charging ability, but the opposite appears to be true for everyone else. There are more than 100,000 public charging stations in the United States.

The Biden administration recently announced a five-year, $5 billion plan to shore up the nation's electric vehicle charging network, using funds that were approved as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law signed last year.

The money authorized for a nationwide network of EV chargers would have a measurable impact on Americans' car-buying choices, according to experts in urban policy. EV sales in the US will likely increase over the next decade because of a more reliable charging network.

Other companies are trying to build more lounge-style EV charging stations, but it has been slow. In a nod to Musk's dream of building a 1950s-themed charging station, the city of Santa Monica granted a permit for aTesla restaurant and supercharger station.