CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURES THREATENED BY A SHORTAGE OF SPECIALIZED ELECTRICIANS

By Isabelle Havasy

While the deployment of EV charging infrastructures is booming in the U.S. and Canada, a major challenge is looming on the horizon.

On October 5, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that more than 4,000 public charging stations, with over 7,000 ports, were out of service, according to Automotive News. This figure, which represents a failure rate of over 6%, could turn out to be much higher. Here Technologies, a specialist company that collects real-time data on connected chargers, counted 4,673 inoperable terminals at that time, but other “unconnected” charging points could inflate the data.

Despite the U.S. government’s commitment to provide $100 million in funding to repair and replace non-functioning infrastructure, a labour shortage is likely to slow the process. “Finding a high-level electrician, called a journeyman, especially one trained in EV chargers, is a significant challenge,” said Matt Trout, president of Trout Electric, which services and installs chargers and other electrical equipment in Southern California.”

With the private sector also investing in charging infrastructure, the demand for specialized technicians will only increase further. Because beyond installing charging stations, it’s essential to keep them in working order to prevent the situation from slowing down the adoption of electric vehicles.