Although plug-in electric vehicles currently amount to just 0.62 percent of the nation’s new-car sales figures, a lot of motorists – especially those with an environmental consciousness who like the idea of reducing the level of vehicle pollutants spewing into the air – are intrigued with the prospect of purchasing a PEV yet they remain wary of the details about maintaining adequate charging levels.
Based in Austin, Texas, Smart Charge Residential (SCR) specializes in developing EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) innovations to further drive PEV purchases.
Establishing customer relationships that are “built on trust, loyalty and superior customer service” are key goals. “Educating customers about electric vehicle charging and leading them through a step-by-step process of the purchase, installation and service of their level 2 charging station is the cornerstone of the business,” according to Barletta, who recently answered a series of questions for Aftermarket Business World about the practical aspects of the burgeoning segment’s marketing and technological needs.
Q: Austin is known for its thriving music scene and progressive attitudes; how would you assess the popularity of PEVs among the local population?
A: There is an interesting synergy that happens when you mix these two. You simply slow down, and for a brief moment, stop the exhausting rush from the intense speed of daily work life when you’re enjoying live music. Healthy and progressive attitudes maintain and promote a balanced outlook that is more than just taking care of yourself. It’s also about taking care of those around you. Coupled with a true sense of being a part of something that is greater than just what you can experience is the beating heart that keeps our city’s finger on the pulse of the EV movement. This is why we chose to have our nationwide headquarters established in Austin.
Q: What is the size of your marketing area?
A: SCR currently services and markets inside the San Antonio, Austin and Dallas regions with hopes to be inside the Houston region by year’s end. We even have local municipal contracts with the City of Austin to service and maintain the city’s current infrastructure of over 230 charging stations. Our unique position with municipality contracts allows us to focus on maintaining the heavily valued and relied-upon existing EV infrastructure while also establishing and working hard to help expand future EV infrastructure.
We are currently seeking municipality contracts with the City of San Antonio and Dallas, with Houston to come in 2016.
Q: What is the scope of your relationships with PEV dealerships and vehicle service centers?
A: We have referral partnerships with every single EV dealership within our service areas and are heavily referred out for services from our local service center. This helps us keep our focus on being the premier choice in service, maintenance and installation of today’s most advanced home and commercial EV charging stations.
Q: Do you seek arrangements with dealerships and service centers to have them recommend to their customers that they use SCR’s charging services when pondering a PEV purchase or when following through with the charging setup after already buying the vehicle?
A: Yes, we do both. On one hand we have our Roll-in Plug-in Program (RIPI) with every EV dealership in town, which allows any customer, if applicable, to roll in the cost of their Level 2 home charging station and installation for just $2,000 off their MSRP. Once the dealership notifies us of the sale, the customer is bumped up the priority list of installations and we’re out to their home within hours of them receiving their new EV.
Sometimes, if the customer is thinking about purchasing, but not quite ready to pull the trigger, the dealership can refer our services out and we can visit the home for free and determine their exact needs and parameters for installation. At that point, we can even have them installed before they purchase the EV.
This option can be handled both with private pay or can also be rolled into the cost of the EV at time of purchase, whichever option the customer prefers. This is extremely important as it holds a very high added value service for the local dealerships. Any dealership that has this program has a strategic and competitive advantage over one that does not.
Q: Regarding your Roadside Assistance programs, do you contract with area auto repairers to provide this service?
A: With regard to roadside assistance, because we only deal with EVs and plug-in hybrids, the chances of our customers requiring auto repairs are drastically reduced in comparison with that of normal internal combustion engine vehicles. Thus, although the ratio of occurrences is greatly reduced, SCR still feels that this type of service is essential in providing a fully secured turnkey solution for all EV customers. This is what our customers expect, and we’ve always held close that “our customer’s expectations are our reality.”
We have been recently looking into purchasing a large utility exportable power service truck, much like those from California’s PG&E fleet, that would not only allow you to charge your EV right there on the spot with enough juice to get you to the nearest public charging station or even home in a quick 30-minute charge session, but also have the components available to provide towing services to the closest available service center. These exportable utility service trucks normally run in the $100,000-plus price range, so sourcing for investment capital is our No. 1 priority at the moment to offer this service.
Q: Do you have an in-house response fleet that handles this?
A: Not yet, but we’re getting there as expressed previously. We have towed two of our customers from being stuck along side of the road with our service truck, but we’re not able to provide onsite charging yet.
Q: What are the qualifications for an auto repair shop to become a part of your network?
A: The shop would have to have a maximum response time of 30 minutes to any site location within our covered service area. Apart from SCR’s excellent service, unmatched 3-year product warranty and service protection plan we would provide this service free of charge for any of our installed customers. Out of network customers would be charged a small, but fair, fee for services.
Q: If you do this in-house, how do you locate qualified repair technicians?
A: We seek our talent from local electricians who know the service areas inside and out. Our master certified electricians work together with qualified service technicians at the local EV certified service centers to develop the skills and training necessary to surface diagnose service issues on the spot. Once diagnosed, the electrician will determine whether the EV needs to be serviced by the local EV service technician or if it can be solved externally via charging station related repair parts and replacement.
Q: Do you recruit promising vocational school students or established technicians already working at auto service centers?
A: Already established technicians working inside EV certified service centers.
Q: If you have an in-house training program, could you please provide a brief description of it?
A: Yes, our Quarterly EV Round-up hosts large gatherings of both EV enthusiasts and professionals alike that all share one common interest, EVs. We discuss various topics at our meetings including EV sales figures both locally and nationally from the previous quarter, upcoming EV technology advancements and trends, and new products entering the market in addition to hosting a special guest speaker at each one of our meet-ups.
We also host our monthly classroom session, Smart Charge University (SCU), which is our scholastic version of EV 101, but much more intense, as we look to coach our attendees on the complex dynamics of EVs, battery technology, the various types of charging stations, and their compatibility with such EVs.
Our SCU is targeted to anyone out there looking to learn, experience and even sharpen their EV knowledge. By offering this course monthly, SCR allows a continuous flow of much needed educational adoption and information awareness to be poured out into the local markets where such knowledge is much needed for the expansion of EV mobility. The electrification of transportation is here to stay, that is for sure, and will indefinitely be a part of everyone’s future. However, the rate at which this happens is up to those who seek such valuable knowledge and act on it. SCR knows this, so it’s a part of our mission to help get the message out there”
Q: Is EVSE a concern for safety hazards?
A: Operational safety and product design are top priority amongst EVSE manufacturers. Your EVSE should come equipped with de-energizer triggers and an inter-locking cable connector feature, which allows electric current to distribute once everything is safely locked into place. If at any time during charging an unpredictable outside source should cause a cable rupture or the disconnection of the connectors (J1772) the equipment is designed to shut off instantly.
Q: What is Smart Charging?
A: Smart Charging is commonly referred to by large electricity providers as the digital use of communication technologies to control and monitor when PEVs or PHEVs charge. With Smart Charging platforms in place, PEV drivers may be able to charge based on lifestyle priorities, environmental concerns, electricity prices or other factors they select.
Q: How does cold weather affect the performance and battery life?
A: The available driving range for most EVs may be slightly reduced when the vehicle is operated in extreme hot or cold conditions due to some temporary battery capacity loss and increased use of air conditioning and heating. This is particularly true with cold temperature operation.
Batteries work by chemical reaction, and the speed of the reactions decrease as the temperature drops, resulting in a temporary decrease in total battery capacity. Driving range is further reduced by increased heater and other accessory use.
Your EV’s cabin is heated by an electrical coolant heater, which warms the cabin quickly but uses a lot of power in the process. The heater, and all other accessories, draws power from the car's high voltage battery unless the EV is plugged into a Level 2 (240-volt) charging system. Reducing accessory drain will improve overall driving range. In extreme cases, some EV drivers have reported driving range reductions of 50 percent or more in cold weather. In hot weather, drivers have reported range reductions of 10 percent or more. As the cold temperatures subside, these reductions in driving range should subside as well.
Q: Will “topping off” every night damage the battery?
A: No, “topping off” will not damage the battery.
Q: EVs use regenerative braking to help recharge the battery, correct?
A: Yes – applying the brakes converts the electric motor into a generator. The motor slows the vehicle and produces electricity at the same time. The ECO mode on most EVs allows drivers to engage a much more aggressive regenerative braking function.
Q: What kind of maintenance is required?
A: Electric vehicles typically require far less maintenance than gasoline-powered vehicles. No oil changes, no transmission fluid changes, no radiator flushes are needed, but other routine maintenance such as tires and brakes, which is included in most lease costs, is required.
Q: How long will the battery remain charged if the vehicle is left unplugged?
A: The drain on the battery will be extremely small. However, a variety of factors like outside temperature, age of the battery and the original state of charge when it was parked will have an effect on the drain rate and amount.
Q: How long will an EV battery last?
A: The battery is designed to provide many years of reliable service. For more details visit your EV’s OEM website.
Q: Can I plug into any wall outlet at my house?
A: All EVs will include a Level 1 charging station with a 120-volt adapter that can be plugged into any standard 120-volt wall outlet. It is recommended that a dedicated 120-volt GFCI outlet (not shared) be used and that your licensed SCR electrician confirm the suitability of any outlet used.
Q: What is the real-world driving range?
A: Your range will vary depending on how you drive, driving conditions, how you maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors such as vehicle load and weather. Most BEVs (battery electric vehicles) receive an EPA combined driving-range rating (adjusted) of 60-100 miles on a single charge.
Q: How long does it take to recharge the battery?
A: Most EV batteries can be fully recharged using a Level 2 home charging station in as little as 2-3 hours or 15-19 hours using a dedicated household 120-volt circuit. BEVs with larger battery packs such as that of Tesla’s Model S (85kWh) will actually take 52 hours to reach a full charge using a dedicated household 120-volt circuit. However, Tesla manufactures their Level 2 home charging station (100A) to charge their EVs in as little as 2-3 hours.
Q: What is the average electric vehicle charging station cord length?
A: Most charging stations have cord lengths between 12-18 feet, but SCR offers charging stations with cord lengths that range from 12-25 ft.
Q: Can the charging plug be used in any public charger?
A: The J1772 connector is the SAE standard for charging applications and is used by all major automakers. All new charging stations are compatible; however, older stations may use a different connector. The charging locations on your EV’s navigation system and the smartphone apps, such as ChargePoint or Plug-Share will only include compatible stations.
Q: Do I need to get a permit to install a charger?
A: Some municipalities will require a permit if your home’s location is inside the municipality servicing inspection territory. SCR will obtain the required permits at each location and any permit fees will be billed to the home owner.
Q: How much does a home charging station cost?
A: It depends on several different factors such as the type of manufacturer, cable length, output rate, mounting application, connectivity application, functionality, accessories, parking parameters, charging port location and type, etc.
Q: What is the average cost of installation?
A: Each installation is unique and varies among customers. The national average ranges from $1,200-$2,500, and is influenced by factors such as the age of your home, the location of your charging station, utility involvement, permitting costs, etc. When you call Smart Charge Residential, a Smart Charge Advisor will be happy to arrange a free estimate by our team of master certified electricians.
Q: Why is there such a wide range in the prices for the charging stations that SCR offers?
A: Charging station prices are largely driven by a few very important factors. Some of the most influential factors are:
- Amperage rating: A 30A unit is typically more expensive than a 16A unit due to the power electronics required.
- Enclosure rating: The unit’s ability to withstand the weather/elements influences price. For example, a NEMA 4X unit is more ruggedized than a NEMA 3R unit.
- Cord length: The cost of the connector and cable is a significant factor in the overall cost of the unit. Therefore, a unit with an 18-foot cord typically costs less than a unit with a 25-foot cord.
- Connectivity: A unit that has the software and hardware to connect to a network is typically more expensive than a non-connected unit that does not require the same software/hardware.
Q: Can an EV charging station be plugged into a dryer receptacle?
A: In some cases, yes, but again, it depends if the OEM of that type of charging station produces that plug-in connection for the type of dryer receptacle. All EV charging stations must be run on a dedicated circuit. SCR’s master certified electricians are qualified to determine if your infrastructure meets the requirements for your specific location and permitting authority.
Q: Can a 240-volt plug be put on a hard-wired charging station?
A: No. Modifying any and all original equipment manufactured charging stations will void the OEM’s warranty.
Q: Is there a smartphone application to monitor state of charge?
A: Yes, most EVs today include a standard connectivity system that allows the driver to remotely check the state of charge, initiate charging and remotely activate the climate control system.
Q: Does it matter when PEVs charge?
A: Yes. Most of the electricity that you use comes directly from the electrical provider’s electrical plants. Unlike deregulated electric service areas regulated service providers, when demand is high, have to purchase extra electricity from the wholesale market. In doing so, the regulated electric provider pays more for the electricity and then passes it down to the end user.
The demand for energy changes throughout the day. Due to lighter demands and usage during night or off-peak hours electricity providers will lower the price per kWhr, which makes it even cheaper to charge your vehicle at night. Imagine if gas stations charged lower rates at night then during the day.
Q: How much could I save versus a gasoline vehicle over a year?
A: If charged during available off-peak rates, the cost per mile would be considerably less than that of a gasoline-powered vehicle. The EPA-rated annual fuel cost for most EVs is $500. Plus, maintenance is included in the cost of the lease.
Q: Are EVs eligible for federal, state or local incentives?
A: Yes, but that also depends on where you live. The federal government offers tax credit incentives of up to $7,500 for purchasing EVs. The State of Texas just recently released their $2,500 state rebate with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rebate program. The City of Austin has their Austin Energy Plug-in Partners Program (PIPP), which rebates 50 percent off up to $1,500 for the purchase and installation of EV home charging stations for their customers.
All of these program details can be found on our website. The State of California acknowledges the benefits of alternative fuel vehicles such as with EVs. Single-occupant vehicle drivers can enjoy the privilege of the High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV), or carpool, lane through 2018. Other financial and non-financial incentives (such as HOV lane access) are available in various states and localities.
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