With each passing day, more residents of Kaufman, TX, are purchasing EVs. In the years to come, most experts expect EVs to supplant internal combustion vehicles as the primary vehicle type on the road. There’s one thing holding them back, however. It’s the fear of running low on battery power and not finding a convenient place to charge up. To remedy that, automakers are continuously working on ways to increase vehicle range. They’re also working on advanced charging technology to make the charging process faster and easier. There are a variety of advances that may make 2024 a big year for advances in EV charging. Here is everything you need to know about the latest EV charging technology to look for this year.
Charge Connector Unification
Perhaps the biggest problem EV owners face when it comes to recharging is figuring out where to do it. Not only are there too few public charging stations available, but they all use different connectors. That can make it a big hassle to plan any kind of road trip in your EV. And if you happen to find a charger that’s broken, there’s no guarantee you’ll find a compatible option nearby.
That’s what makes some recent news about EV charger standards so encouraging. After years of car companies in the US failing to unite around a single charge connector, a unified standard is emerging. It’s called the North American Charging Standard (NACS), and it should make charging new EVs much easier in 2024 and beyond.
The NACS is actually a slightly modified version of the charge connectors that Tesla vehicles have always used. The main difference is that Tesla made their charge connector compatible with the CCS communication protocol. This means that older EVs that relied on the common J Plug charge connector can now use Tesla chargers with a simple adapter. Although that sounds like a small thing, it will have a tremendous impact on EV charging.
NACS now means that Tesla’s massive public charger network will eventually be usable by owners of non-Tesla EVs. And Tesla vehicles will be able to charge at CCS-enabled charging stations, too. On top of that, an extensive list of automakers have announced plans to switch to NACS beginning in 2025. Notable names include Stellantis, Audi, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes, Mazda, and Volkswagen. Soon, it will be difficult to find an EV that doesn’t support NACS charging.
The Beginning of the End of Charger Memberships
Another major change coming for EV charging technology in 2024 is the appearance of membership-free public chargers. This is due to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan, which provides federal funding for public charger construction. To qualify, however, charger owners must agree to offer contactless payment that supports all major credit and debit cards with no membership restrictions. As a result, you’re going to start seeing membership-free EV chargers popping up in and around Kaufman in 2024. This means you’ll have a much greater choice of where to charge your vehicle. You’ll no longer have to scout for locations within your subscription network, and you should have far less range anxiety because of it.
The Rise of Bi-Directional Charging
Another major advance in EV charger technology you’ll be seeing more of in 2024 is bi-directional charging. Up until now, the vast majority of home EV charging stations existed solely to charge your EV as fast as possible. However, the latest generation of home chargers adds a new feature. They include the ability for your EV to send power back into your home or the electric grid. There are a variety of applications for this.
One is that you can use a bi-directional charger to use your EV as a backup power source for your home. It can give you the ability to keep vital devices like refrigerators and lighting working during a grid failure. That’s a big deal here in Kaufman, as Texas’ major grid failure of 2021 is still fresh in many people’s minds.
A bi-directional charger can also help homeowners maximize the utility of a rooftop solar system. Since solar power only works during the day, a bi-directional charger can provide a place to store excess daytime generation. Then, your vehicle can feed that power back into your home overnight to cut down on your grid dependence. If you’re an EV owner who rarely uses your vehicle’s maximum range, this can lead to major cost savings.
You can even use a bi-directional EV charger to maximize your savings from time-of-use electrical rates. To do it, you can charge your EV during off-peak times and sell the power back to the grid at peak times. This is especially effective if you don’t use your EV often and it sits unused for long hours on its charger. Instead of merely taking up space, your EV can instead work to offset your home electricity bills.
New Wireless Charging Options
Finally, 2024 will witness even more advances in wireless EV charging technologies. There are already a variety of companies testing wireless EV chargers. Right now, most are in use with fleet vehicles, which give manufacturers plenty of feedback to refine their products. So far, the two most notable wireless EV charging companies are WiTricity and Plugless Power. Both are in the advanced stages of product testing and already have footholds in the market.
WiTricity is licensing its technology to a variety of automakers and already has a commercial product available. It’s called the WiTricity Halo, and it can work with any EV, provided you have the system’s receiver installed on your EV. Plugless, for its part, has a system for sale that already works with a variety of EVs. At the time of this writing, their wireless EV charger can charge the Tesla Model S, the Nissan Leaf, and the Mercedes S550e. There are also other wireless charging innovators working to equip public transit fleets with wireless charging capabilities. With so many firms working on wireless charging, you can expect to see more news and advancements in the field this year.
The Kaufman EV Charging Experts
Accurate Home Services has been the go-to provider of electrical services here in Kaufman for over 32 years. That includes specializing in the latest in EV charging technology. We can equip your home with an EV charging system to support your vehicle charging needs. We can also see to all your home’s other electrical needs, too. Plus, we offer HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance, along with indoor air quality services. We’re a member of the Cedar Creek and Corsicana Chamber of Commerce. We’ve also won the Kaufman Herald Reader’s Choice Award for Best of the Best Air Conditioning and Heating Company every year since 1992. And if that’s not enough, we have an extensive list of glowing reviews from local homeowners just like you.
So, if you need an EV charger installed in your Kaufman home, contact our team at Accurate Home Services, and we’ll do the rest.
