Charging reliability and availability still a problem for electric vehicle owners
There are two concerns that always come to the top of any survey of electric vehicle (EV) owners and those considering a future purchase.
The most persistent anxiety people have around owning or potentially owning an electric vehicle is range anxiety. In a J.D. Power survey in 2024, 68% of Canadians reported they were anxious about running out of EV battery charge while on the road. In a survey conducted by CAA the same year, this concern was also top of mind, followed by issues around finding public charging stations and waiting in line for access.
And once the owner finally pulls up to the charger, the greater concern now is: Does it work?
A recent survey by J.D. Power on the use of public charging points found that one in five drivers were unable to charge their vehicles at public charging stations. “In the fourth quarter of 2024, 20% of EV drivers who visited public charging stations were unable to charge their vehicles due to a range of issues from station outages and equipment malfunctions to long wait times and payment failures,” the report states. “The charge failure rate is up from 19% in Q3 2024 and 18% in Q4 2023.”
When asked what they found most frustrating about public EV chargers, users told J.D. Power the most common reasons were: chargers being “out of service” (62%); “no charger available/too long to wait” (18%): “charger would not accept payment” (11%); “cable/connector damaged” (9%); and “chargers were blocked by non-charging vehicles” (7%).
For the growing number of Canadian c-gas retailers installing (or planning to install) EV charging stations, reliability will be key to building customer loyalty. Without dependable, accessible chargers and short wait times, retailers risk losing customers to competitors who can offer better service.
I spoke with Andy Bennett, CEO of Driivz, about this challenge when the J.D. Power survey was released. He said gas retailers need to deploy solutions that give them a better understanding of charger status and energy usage to optimize charging operations— not just at individual locations, but across networks of sites.
This understanding must start from the moment a customer pulls up and plugs in, says Bennett. That first experience will influence their future loyalty and behaviour.
For example, did the charger begin working immediately? Did the customer need to unplug and try again? Was it easy to track charging progress and complete payment? Was the experience consistent across visits and locations—or did the customer find a more reliable competitor?
Bennett says EV charging presents opportunities for gas retailers to encourage customers to use other on-site services while waiting— car washes, foodservice or the c-store itself. But that only works if the charging experience is consistently positive across all sites.
That’s why systems must be in place to monitor chargers in real time: Are they operating? Are they delivering power? Are customers having a positive experience?
Disruptions—power loss, equipment failure, payment issues—must be identified and resolved immediately.
According to Bennett, retailers who can deliver a reliable, consistent charging experience have a real opportunity to build loyalty and strengthen their brand.
