Summary
– Casey’s General Store has decided to hold off on installing EV charging stations due to low demand in their 17-state footprint
– The company wants to understand the consumer dynamic around EV charging before investing in the technology
– There are abandoned charging stations from the past due to changing standards and technology, which may make investing in current charging technology risky
– The EV charging industry has matured and coalesced around standards, making it safer to invest in current charging technology
– The argument for waiting for better hardware and standards in EV charging is not valid, as the technology has already improved and is sufficient for current needs.
Article
Casey’s General Store, a chain of convenience stores across seventeen U.S. states, has decided to hold off on installing EV charging stations due to low demand. President and CEO Darren Rebelez explained that the company is taking a measured approach to understand the consumer dynamic around the charging experience. Presently, they have some EV charging stations operated by third parties like Tesla, but the data shows that there are only 13 EV charging sessions per day compared to 330 gasoline transactions. According to Rebelez, the current charging technology takes too long to charge to 80%, which is not a convenient experience for consumers. Therefore, they prefer to wait for technology to evolve before investing in charging infrastructure.
The decision by Casey’s General Store to wait on installing EV charging stations is justified by the fact that many charging stations from the early 2010s have become obsolete or have failed due to changing standards and technology. Some stations that were only compatible with the CHAdeMO standard have been abandoned, as this standard is being phased out in favor of the NACS standard, based on Tesla’s connector. Additionally, there have been hardware failures at some stations that were not maintained or repaired, leading to their abandonment. Given this context, investing in charging infrastructure now may lead to wasted resources if the technology becomes outdated or incompatible in the near future.
However, the argument for waiting on EV charging infrastructure is not as valid today as it was in the past. Since the early 2010s, EV charging standards have matured and coalesced around the NACS standard, making it a safe bet to invest in charging stations that support this standard. Many hardware providers offer modular charging solutions that can accommodate multiple standards, allowing for easy upgrades as technology evolves. Station reliability has also improved, with better companies in the market and a track record of successful installations. Charging times have also significantly decreased, with the best EVs able to charge from 10-80% in under 20 minutes at 250-350 kW stations.
Overall, the argument for waiting on EV charging infrastructure no longer holds as the industry has evolved and matured. Charging standards have become standardized, hardware providers offer modular solutions, and charging times have significantly improved. Therefore, companies like Casey’s General Store may want to reconsider their decision and invest in EV charging infrastructure to cater to the evolving market demand. With the transition to cleaner transportation options, it is essential for businesses to stay ahead of the curve and provide necessary infrastructure to support electric vehicles.
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