EVgo, one of the largest electric vehicle fast-charging networks in the US, announced significant progress in network enhancements made through EVgo ReNew – including a comprehensive maintenance program meant to bolster reliability and elevate the customer experience.
The EVgo ReNew program consists of six main elements – Resilience, Prevention, Diagnostics, Rapid Response, Analysis, and Continuous Customer Service.
An infographic showcasing different aspects of EVgo’s ReNew program.
During the first two quarters of 2023, the Resilience pillar upgraded, replaced, or decommissioned legacy equipment at more than 120 stalls (over 350 cumulatively since the start of 2022). It also provided higher power output, with up to 350 kilowatts at nearly all new sites. Finally, it prioritized the installation of larger sites in general, with 95% already having 4+ stalls and over 40% of sites under construction will have six or more stalls.
Resilience
- ReNewed Equipment: In the first two quarters of the year, EVgo upgraded, replaced, or decommissioned legacy equipment at more than 120 stalls in key markets across the U.S., bringing its cumulative total to over 350 DCFC stalls nationally since the start of 2022.
- Focus on High Power: Nearly all EVgo stations operationalized year to date in 2023 feature high-power 350kW fast chargers to satisfy customer demand and future proof the network.
- Bigger Stations: 95% of all new stations include at least four fast charging stalls, with more than 40% of stations under construction featuring 6+ stalls.
- Streamlined Payment: Added eight new EV models to Autocharge+ in the last year, expanding the program to 30 eligible vehicle models.
For reference, note that EVgo has around 900 fast-charging locations in 30 states. With 4+ stalls at 95% of the sites, we can estimate the total number of individual stalls to be over 3,500.
EVgo also pointed out improvements in other pillars:
Prevention and Diagnostics
- Preventative Maintenance: Performed annual preventative maintenance and health checks on more than 1,500 stalls since the start of 2022.
- Investment in Diagnostics Capabilities: Implemented new tools that help predict potential issues to inform preventative maintenance cycles.
- Extensive Vehicle Interoperability Testing: In the first half of 2023, the team at the EVgo Innovation Lab performed first-time interoperability testing on 14 EV models. This continued focus on vehicle interoperability testing is critical to ensuring a flawless “handshake” between the vehicle and available charging equipment, and the delivery of a seamless customer experience.
Rapid Response and Analysis
- Reduced Repair Times by Half: EVgo has cut the average station repair time in half over the last 12 months.
- Advanced Inventory Management: New inventory management system has been established to increase the supply of high-use replacement components, such as charging cables, to further expedite repair timelines.
Continuous Customer Service
- Increased Customer Care Staffing: As utilization and charging sessions continue to increase on the EVgo network, EVgo made significant additions to its 24/7 EVgo Charging Crew to assist customers with questions about their EV, account status, payment options, charging and more, including staff with bilingual capabilities to enable more widespread service.
- Customer Empathy Program: EVgo created a new customer experience initiative – the EVgo Roadrunners – that replicates real customer scenarios in the field to support the development of solutions for common charging issues.
According to EVgo, the company is also now tracking “One & Done” success rates to enhance network uptime. It measures a driver’s ability to successfully initiate a charging session on the first attempt. EVgo’s goal is to achieve One & Done success rates of over 95% by the end of 2023. Over the first six months, the company explained that One & Done increased by six percentage points but did not say the exact value– we assume that it’s lower than the target.
At 95%, 19 out of 20 attempts would be successful. Assuming a driver would use a DC fast charger a few times a month, on average, it would result in only one or two issues per year.
The EVgo ReNew program will replace, upgrade, and, in some cases, retire hundreds of stations over the course of the year in order to enhance and build up charger availability and reliability.
Dennis Kish, the Chief Operating Officer at EVgo, said:
“We launched EVgo ReNew in January because we know charging infrastructure reliability is key to strengthening consumer confidence in EVs and propelling the massive market transformation needed to achieve an all-electric future. EVgo is creating the fast charging network that all EV drivers deserve, and we’ll continue to bolster our network to help deliver a truly seamless customer experience for everyone who plugs into an EVgo fast charger.”
Tom,
This article is really propaganda for EVgo. I live in the SF Bay Area in CA and there are a lot of broken EVgo stations here. “Customer Empathy” is a joke – when the ABB DCFC stations went down, I was told I should have checked status (while driving, no less – an illegal act) before traveling to an EVgo station.
EVgo need to release more information about what new stations technology is being installed and at what locations. Thanks.