There are indeed specific EV charging station brands and networks that have more frequent payment issues according to recent surveys and reports.
Charging Networks with More Payment Issues:
- Shell Recharge: Users reported problems in 48% of their charging sessions on this network, making it the one with the highest reported issues among surveyed drivers. Many of these problems were related to payment or charger functionality failures.
- EVgo: Problems occurred in 43% of charging sessions, which also included payment failures as a significant portion of issues.
- Blink: Users experienced problems during 41% of sessions, again with payment and hardware issues.
By contrast, networks operated by Tesla and Rivian’s Adventure Network had far fewer problems, with only 4% and 5% problem rates, respectively. Tesla Superchargers in particular had just 4% of sessions reporting issues, many fewer than DC fast chargers and Level 2 chargers overall.
Nature of Payment Issues:
- Payment failures are common, with one survey showing that 23% of charging sessions with problems involved payment issues. Problems included partial payment processing, complete failure to charge the card, and situations where payment was accepted but the charger didn’t start, causing users to pay without receiving a charge.
- Payment failures can be due to multiple factors including broken or unresponsive hardware interfaces, network connection issues, app malfunctions, or problems with credit card readers.
- Credit card readers appear more prone to failure compared to other payment methods such as smartphone apps, RFID, or Plug & Charge systems.
Summary:
- Brands/networks like Shell Recharge, EVgo, and Blink experience more frequent payment and charging problems, including failures to process payments and charger malfunctions.
- Tesla and Rivian networks are generally reported to be more reliable with fewer payment issues.
- Payment problems often stem from hardware failures (e.g., card readers), network connectivity, and the complexity of multiple payment options offered at some stations.
Therefore, if payment reliability is a priority, Tesla and Rivian networks have better reputations, while Shell Recharge, EVgo, and Blink have more frequent payment-related issues.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/are-there-any-specific-brands-of-ev-charging-stations-that-have-more-frequent-payment-issues/
