The most common hardware issues reported with non-Tesla electric vehicle (EV) charging stations include the following:
1. Hardware Malfunctions:
- Power Supply Issues: Problems such as improper installation, power loss, or damage due to vandalism or weather can disrupt power supply, causing interruptions or failed charging sessions.
- Faulty DC Contactors: These critical components may fail due to internal faults or wear and tear, preventing the charger from delivering power to the vehicle.
- Component Failures: Circuit boards and connectors inside chargers are vulnerable to damage from environmental factors like humidity and dust. Such internal faults account for a significant portion of failed charging sessions (about 38%).
2. Charger Interface Issues:
- Broken or Unresponsive Screens and Displays: Over three-quarters (76%) of charger-related hardware problems involve screens that are broken, unresponsive, or display error messages. This affects user interaction and charging control.
- System Crashes: Software glitches can cause the charger to freeze or crash, sometimes visibly showing error codes or even Windows error screens. These crashes contribute to hardware malfunction perceptions though they originate in software.
3. Connectivity Problems Affecting Hardware Functionality:
- Most charging failures stem from the station losing connection to the network, which impacts authentication and payment processing. Since many non-Tesla stations rely on cellular networks, connectivity issues are common and indirectly cause hardware failures like chargers not starting.
- Best practice to mitigate this includes fallback to free charging when connectivity is lost, though this is not universally implemented.
4. Payment Hardware Failures:
- Problems with credit card readers or payment systems are frequent, sometimes causing the charger not to activate even after payment is accepted. These issues are hardware-related as well as software-related, frustrating users who pay but receive no service.
In summary, the predominant hardware issues with non-Tesla charging stations are power supply failures, faulty internal components (contactors, circuit boards, connectors), unresponsive or broken user interface screens, and payment hardware problems. Connectivity loss further exacerbates these problems by preventing authentication and charger activation. Tesla’s charging stations demonstrate significantly fewer such issues, highlighting differences in network quality and hardware reliability.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-are-the-most-common-hardware-issues-reported-with-non-tesla-charging-stations/
