The wheels of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution have reached a nearly unstoppable momentum. The EV market saw sales surge past 10 million in 2022, with the US taking its place as the third largest EV market in the world, just behind China and Europe. This exponential growth has spotlighted the current EV charging station infrastructure in the US—and what has been discovered has been less than encouraging.
Currently, there are 138,100 EV charging stations across the country. While this number is comparable to the number of fuel stations in the US, the uptime and operability of many of these charging stations could endanger the momentum of the EV era.
It has become common for EV drivers to come across charging stations that are inoperational or run into situations where a charging station is not available when they need one. This charging station problem has led to what some call "charging anxiety" among EV drivers and threatens to lead people to second-guess their decision to drive an EV altogether.
This issue with the EV charging station infrastructure has put a tandem issue into view: the shortage of trained charging station maintenance technicians. Long-time EV advocate Rue Phillips has brought forth a solution to this technician shortage and the unreliable charging station infrastructure. His company, SkillFusion, has introduced an industry-first program that brings highly-trained, skilled, and certified technicians to the growing market.
"To continue to grow the EV market, we must ensure charger availability. This is where the skilled and certified technicians come in," Phillips says.
Big Goals Come Up Against Environmental Concerns
As part of his comprehensive Infrastructure Plan, President Biden has pledged to build 500,000 new EV charging stations by 2030. While many have met this planned infrastructure boost with positivity, there are still those concerned about the environmental impact of ramping up the building of EV charging stations.
Whether the energy is renewable or not, the building and running of these stations consume energy. There are concerns that if that energy is non-renewable, it could lead to more pollution. In addition, the charging stations take up land, and mass construction of the charging stations at the number that the Biden Administration is proposing could lead to changes in the ecosystem.
Although environmental concerns have been raised by some groups, their concerns may be wholly unfounded. More stations mean more EV adoption to lessen the amount of air pollution overall.
Keith Lambert, President of Oxidizers, Inc., believes the alarms some are attempting to raise about pollution from the EV charging stations are largely unfounded. "I find it ironic that the lofty goal of building charging stations is being met with complaints that building them will cause pollution," Lambert says. "Every gas station, dating back to the first one in America in 1905, caused some pollution to establish, and they continue to contribute to pollution. It's crucial to recognize the long-term goal of transitioning to electric vehicles as a step toward combating the overall environmental impact."
The overall positive environmental impact of EV adoption and the EV charging infrastructure expansion is the focus for many interested in slowing the negative effects of climate change. While there may be some pollution associated with EV charging station builds, it does not compare to the rampant pollution derived from gas-powered vehicle use.
State-of-the-Art Training
SkillFusion's program is built around a charger-agnostic platform that seeks to fuse the skills of experienced electrical professionals with the EV-specific know-how required to support the growing EV charging infrastructure properly. The program is also focused on introducing new career pathways to these skilled professionals. With the growing infrastructure that is coming on the heels of Biden's plan, plus the overall surge of EV adoption, the job opportunities for those with specific skills could be plentiful—especially those with EVSE (electric vehicle service equipment) certification. It is these particular skills and certifications that SkillFusion seeks to provide, bridging the gap between electrical, networking, or technical skills and EV-specific needs.
"With thousands of public charging stations in the country out of service for non-electrical faults and errors and a shortage of technicians available to service and fix the chargers, the opportunities for EVSE-certified technicians are essentially endless," says Phillips.
Many EV charging station failures are due to networking or communication issues—skills that those with a background in electrician work may not have. Likewise, those with previous network or technical support experience may not have the electrical know-how to adequately address the myriad of needs that come with an EV charging station problem. The "fusion" in SkillFusion seeks to combine these two worlds into one powerhouse technician package.
SkillFusion is centered not only on skill-building but also on career-building. Once trained and certified, technicians can register with SkillFusion's portal, which provides the EV market with the largest available database of EVSE technicians for hire.
A Newly Launched Certification Program
In January 2024, SkillFusion announced a new EVSE Diagnostic Technician (EDT) training certification recognized by the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP), a non-profit organization dedicated to training and certifying qualified electricians in EV infrastructure across the US and Canada. This first-of-its-kind certification gives trainees and professionals a clear pathway toward lucrative and satisfying careers in the new EV market.
SkillFusion's program offers a clear delineation between electrical and non-electrical work and the skill sets required for both. EVITP's recognition of SkillFusion's EDT certification is a landmark moment for the EV era, showing the shift toward applicable solutions to the shortage of certified technicians for the EV space.
"SkillFusion will offer the most comprehensive EVSE training available on the market today and is proud to be recognized by EVITP, the leader in EVSE training and certification," says Phillips.
All signs point to the EV industry continuing to grow at breakneck speed. Widespread EV adoption has already started to positively affect the environment, allowing far fewer harmful emissions than hybrid or gasoline-powered vehicles. To keep this positive track clear of any hurdles that could slow progress, skilled technicians will be required to keep the support structure of the industry secure and operational. With new offerings for skill enhancement and certification, SkillFusion provides a roadmap to a brighter, cleaner future.
