Electric vehicle (EV) parking is poised to be the next infrastructure battleground. The Biden administration would like half of all vehicles sold by 2030 to be electrified and the Inflation Reduction Act has allocated billions of dollars to go toward EV tax incentives and charging network infrastructure.
Though 80 percent of EV owners charge at home, many analysts agree more expansive charging infrastructure must precede widespread EV adoption. Since one in three households in the United States does not have a private garage, publicly and privately owned parking spaces that have charging capability will be at a premium.
As more shoppers buy EVs, parking areas across the U.S. will need to adapt to their needs. Consulting firm McKinsey & Company says that in a scenario in which half of all vehicles sold are zero-emission vehicles, it estimates that America would require 1.2 million public EV chargers (along with 28 million private EV chargers) by that year. There are currently just over 130,000.
Current EV parking and recharging has a foe beyond availability, uptime and charger location. The phenomenon of 'ICE-ing' sees internal combustion engine (ICE) drivers purposely parking in EV-only parking spots, blocking chargers and mocking EV drivers.
In most cities and countries, there are no laws against 'ICE-ing' and many ICE vehicle drivers who take part in the practice proudly post their photos to social media. New South Wales, Australia, recently passed a law fining gasoline-engine drivers 2,200 Australian dollars ($1,293) for parking in an EV spot.
It's not just individual parking spaces. Parking garages are a place where EV charging infrastructure can be installed for users to take advantage of while they're shopping, sleeping, traveling or commuting via ferry or train. Many airports across the country offer lower-powered chargers that allow customers to charge while they're off jet-setting.
James Di Filippo, an analyst with Atlas Public Policy, told Newsweek that in an efficient garage, with a managed system of rotating spots, a Level 2 charger could be shared with eight to 10 people. Some drivers would have to charge on weekends, others overnight. Sharing would save billions of dollars in electric-charging infrastructure.
ParkWhiz and Beam Global are trying to improve parking for EV drivers using digital technology solutions. The ParkWhiz app allows consumers to seamlessly search, book/reserve and pay for parking and EV charging via smartphone. San Diego-based Beam Global produces a 100 percent solar-powered, off-grid energy EV charging solution that can be transported and redeployed easily by truck.
ParkWhizz's parent company, Flash, is taking what it has learned about parking and customer behavior and applying that to EV charging. It intends to make EV charging stations reservable, with the promise of accessibility, availability and functionality (the charger isn't blocked, occupied or broken). Mercedes-Benz is offering something similar with its new charging infrastructure.
"I think the biggest barrier [to installing EV chargers in parking lots and garages] has been consumer behavior and how we have all approached 'fueling' our vehicles to this point. For anything but an EV, you typically have to bring the car to the fuel because that is how the fuel has been distributed. With EVs, we have the 'fuel' already distributed to almost everywhere we go, especially in urban and suburban settings, by electric utilities," Matt McCaffree, vice president of utility market development at Flash told Newsweek.
Parking facilities without access to power or lots that don't want a complete redesign (and are open to the sky) can contract with solar-powered charger company Beam Global, who can help them make charging accessible to their parkers.
The company's EV ARC 2020 charging rig can be deployed anywhere the sun shines and works with any brand of charger. It takes 120 minutes to install can be relocated, either by the owner or by Beam, as charging patterns change. It fits into the size of a standard parking space and takes no construction and no electrical work making it ideal for everything from corporate campuses and parking lots to remote military bases.
"Our chargers are about 5.8 kilowatts, which is Level 2 charging. They can put any Level 2 charger on the system including Electrify America, ChargePoint, etc. It's very rare that someone is charging from zero to 100 percent. Something like 95 percent of a vehicle's life is not being used, so that's a lot of charging time," Beam Global told Newsweek, explaining why it built ARC with a Level 2 charger instead of a DC fast charger (Level 3).
"The most reliable power source is actually the sun, especially when we can store the energy too. No grid reliance is a huge advantage especially with natural disasters/etc."
Beam Global's customer roster includes Google, New York City, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, City of Los Angeles and the U.S. Department of Energy. It also services places where drivers can just in run like Costco or McDonalds.
Beam now has hundreds of sites with EV ARCs across 38 states and Puerto Rico, and in four international locations. In the second quarter of this year it deployed a record number of systems, increasing 589 percent year-over-year. Beam says it will continue to expand output in its current San Diego facility, and it is also working on an acquisition to expand output into Europe.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is the Managing Editor for the Autos team at Newsweek. He has previously worked for Autoweek, The Detroit ... Read more
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