How EV Connect Helps Service Charging Stations Beyond the Initial Installation
When you’re choosing an EV charging station provider, there’s more to it than just selecting a company with brand-agnostic, turnkey certified charging stations, a reliable software platform and knowledge assistance on every aspect of purchase and installation. You also want a company that provides 24/7 EV customer service for your charging stations and remote support as needed. Plus, you shouldn’t have to worry about the station or its performance.
The EV Connect Shield program is the cornerstone of our exemplary EV customer service program to ensure your charging stations’ maximum performance. Charging providers will experience hassle-free EV charging stations and charging network ownership and operations.
What Is EV Connect Shield?
EV Connect Shield is an operations and maintenance (O&M) program that bundles all of the EV charging station’s critical operational and maintenance aspects, including station hardware, software support, and fieldwork labor, to resolve technical issues, including parts sourcing and replacement.
What does it cover?
When you’re shopping around for an EV charging station provider, you’ll want to evaluate their O&M plan for features and affordability. Not every hardware manufacturer or EV charging installation company offers a compelling O&M plan. It’s important to know what you’re getting before you move forward with a contract.
EV Connect Shield relieves charging providers of the burden of detecting, diagnosing, and resolving issues themselves. EV Connect Shield customers will have the peace of mind of being backed by a premium warranty that includes field support and parts directly from the manufacturer. With one main point of contact, customers can be stress-less knowing that they don’t need to source the parts or repair service themselves.
The package adds an essential layer of protection incremental to the complete driver support on a 24/7 basis, and national customers leverage these benefits to ensure driver satisfaction through industry-leading charging station uptime.
Does My Incentive Program Require An O&M Plan?
Many states require an O&M plan to approve business owners for credits and incentives. States, cities and municipalities want to ensure that business owners are making the commitment to supporting electric vehicles and their drivers for the long haul. Most of the programs require the business owner to commit to keeping the charging stations in working order for a minimum of five years. While the programs may not mandate an O&M plan, an EV customer service plan is the best way to affordably operate and maintain your charging stations.
Only by building a complete EV charging infrastructure across the country can we encourage EV adoption and reduce carbon emissions caused by internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles on the road.
Do you need an O&M plan?
These are just a few examples of incentive programs requiring EV customer service plans for charging stations:
DTE eFleet, the EV charging incentive program established by the Detroit-based diversified energy company, DTE Energy, requires that any business owner participating in the program maintain the charging stations at the fleet operator’s expense for a period of at least five years.
Virginia’s Smart Charging Infrastructure Pilot Program (SCIP) through Dominion Energy requires that all equipment meets or exceeds operations and maintenance conditions for at least five years. Similarly, New York’s NYSERDA Charge Ready NY requires the equipment operator to own and operate the charging stations for no less than five years from the date of installation.
The Arizona Public Service company has more specific requirements, mandating that the supplier provides a Service Level Agreement (SLA) for the System on a 24/7 basis, showing 98 percent minimum uptime for both the systems and the networking and communications systems. APS requires that there is call center support available to users during operational hours, along with after-hour support for the owner/operator.
Benefits of Choosing an EV Charging Company With an O&M Plan
Even if your state or municipality does not require an O&M plan to maintain compliance with your EV charging station incentive agreement, the EV Connect Shield Plan can help you save money, time and stress.
EV Connect Shield offers 24/7 support to guarantee your customers’ satisfaction. If you encounter a service problem, you don’t need to deal with outside contractors. The EV Connect team will get your systems back up and running to preserve the return on your investment in EV charging. If the problem can’t be solved remotely, we will dispatch a team within 24 to 72 hours to repair or replace your charging station. Plus, proactive monitoring and maintenance ensures your charging stations operate to their fullest capabilities to boost your bottom line.
Trust EV Connect for EV Customer Service
Unlike many charging station installation companies, EV Connect offers full-scale service and support. From helping you secure tax credits and incentives for the installation of your charging stations to the maintenance of the charging stations after installation, we are there every step of the way.
EV charging stations represent an important step in the future of our nation’s transportation infrastructure. But if you decide to become a charging station owner and offer this service to customers, you don’t have to take the step alone. Know the right questions to ask, notably about service and support provided for your EV charging stations after the sale, to make the best investment.
Sources:
Dominion Energy - Smart Charging Infrastructure Pilot Program
DTE Energy - About DTE