Summer is around the corner and the use of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure is expected to intensify at the same pace as temperatures are increasing. The sunniest and busiest time of the year requires some preparation from business owners to ensure that chargers are always available and in safe conditions for customer use, especially on the road’s hot spots.
In this article, we share some tips to prepare your EV charging infrastructure for the warm months to come.
The impact of summer on charging infrastructure
The weather, in general, influences the state of EV charging infrastructure, which is mostly located in the open air. In the warm part of the year, the heat can be an extra factor in increasing the temperature of charging boxes and may lead to overheating, damaging the physical and electrical parts of the charger.
The regular use of chargers already makes their internal temperature rise to 40 – 60°C, activating the ventilation system to cool down the equipment. With prolonged sun exposure, the cooling units’ work is doubled to ensure that temperatures do not get too high, damaging the chargers and making it impossible for customers to recharge their vehicles and continue their journeys.
How to prevent charging infrastructure from failing?
Maintenance is a proactive preparation, and Charge Point Operators (CPOs) are expected to perform a complete maintenance check one to three months before the higher temperatures arrive. This preventative work is divided into two inspections:
- One at the site, to ensure that the hardware is completely available, with all parts working properly: from cables and converters to transformers.
- The other at the back office, to understand if there are no alarms and if the payment system with cards is available.
The local tests should be carried out with an EV car in a real charging situation – therefore allowing the verification of all elements that must work during customers’ stop-by. The back-office check can secure other aspects such as alarms.
Finally, communication is a crucial part of the preparation, and aligning needs and possibilities with maintainers is the key to a successful operation, especially during summer.
What components are crucial in the inspection?
The charging hub check-up prior to the warmest months requires the verification of several components. All chargers, as obvious as it may seem to say, need to be functioning properly – and inspecting their conditions involves a series of elements.
In your preventive maintenance checklist, consider the following elements for a well-done inspection:
Cables are one of the most susceptible components to present damage, not only because of misuse and wrongly positioning in the socket, but also due to natural wear and tear. Before summer arrives, cables and cable management need to be in full working conditions with no sign of malfunction – otherwise, they should be replaced before the influx of customers begins.
The housing of the chargers should also be verified in search of cracks or dirt. While cleaning the equipment is an essential regular activity, which must be often performed, it should be specially done on chargers’ screens, so customers can have full access to recharging information.
Apart from that, the whole environment around the EV charger should be as clean as possible to prevent dust, debris, and objects from blocking air ducts, thus jeopardising ventilation.
Inside the charge box, converters and points of connection need to be revised, and cables must be well-fixed to their spots. The regular use of chargers already creates cable dilatation due to the electricity running through them, which might create mechanical issues and reduce the contact between the cable and the busbar. That is why all elements should always go through regular torque checks.
Moreover, CPOs need to guarantee they have the latest software installed and running in their EV chargers. The software should include the most updated features for smart charging and should be completely compatible with all new EV cars released.
Along with checking the electrical parts, some mechanical and fluids must be fully verified. During summer, the cooling units will be used more often, and they must be tested one by one to allow the exchange of air within the unit. Regarding this aspect, all filters must be clean, or changed according to manufacturer guidelines to guarantee that the cooling process will run efficiently.
Finally, all sensors, such as electrical and heat ones, must be revised prior to extensive customer use. They are crucial for a safe operation and protect the equipment, the hub, and most importantly, the end-customer.
Prepare for emergencies: safety measures and pre-agreed conditions
While distinct aspects might threaten a good charging experience, proper planning for corrective or reactive maintenance can mitigate failure impacts. The success of the charging hub operation will also depend on business owners predicting and preparing for eventual issues.
CPOs should anticipate issues with the station by stocking, directly or through their maintenance partner, extra components and spare parts for all the pieces that might need replacement, and having at least two items of the same product in case something happens and it needs to be substituted. It also helps to have the stocks placed near the stations, for easy reach in emergency situations.
Furthermore, communication with the maintenance team is extremely important to predict the expectations of CPOs on the number of customers and the use of equipment before the high season starts. Aligning the availability of technicians, including on weekends or overnight, and highlighting which hubs are a priority are fundamental steps in the organisation for the busy weeks to come. The processes and escalation plans should be discussed and agreed upon before any incidents happen.
Properly trained technicians guarantee safety, quality, and ultimately, manufacturer warranty
As seen above, a multiple set of elements needs to be considered to guarantee proper maintenance of EV charging infrastructure. This is why it is essential to make sure that only technicians completely trained by hardware manufacturers perform maintenance tasks on-site. Using properly trained technicians, certified by manufacturers, is the best way to ensure that the hardware works smoothly during peak periods and that, in case of any issues, the manufacturer warranty is applied in its extension.
TSG is your e-mobility partner for maintenance during summer and throughout the year
TSG is the European leader in technical services for responsible mobility solutions and works on the maintenance of charging hubs for the main CPOs all across Europe. Our teams are fully trained at our hardware partner premises, namely Alpitronic, Kempower, ABB, and EVBox. Our certified technicians perform preventative and curative maintenance and advise on a strategic plan to make sure your charging infrastructure is safely available for use during all times of the year. Our Charge experts’ mission is to provide a reliable recharging experience to your customers throughout the summer.
Contact us to learn more about our services.
