Shortages of electric vehicle (EV) chargers has unsurprisingly slowed down the transition to heavy duty plug-in commercial vehicles. Without a reliable, accessible power source, it’s hard for truck drivers to be confident that their EV will have enough charge to get to their destination.
The lack of EV chargers isn’t solely because they are being built quickly enough, however. Instead it’s because the parts needed to build the equipment is in the first place is not readily available, The Wall Street Journal reports. Critical parts such as transformers, switchgear and electrical steel are in low supply, which has added to how long it takes to build charging stations for EV fleets.
The delay in providing these parts stems from the vast number of outlets that also require a lot of power, according to industry officials. Data centers, renewable-energy projects and semiconductor factories’ high electricity consumption has maxed out electrical equipment suppliers’ production capabilities.
“The demand for this type of equipment is increasing,” Neha Palmer, co-founder and chief executive of startup TeraWatt Infrastructure said told The Wall Street Journal.
If transitioning to electric was optional, the EV charger parts shortage would not be as impactful on commercial vehicle manufacturers and providers. But local and federal governments are pushing for more EVs on the road, making it imperative that more chargers become available sooner than later.
For example, California will begin to ban older diesel trucks from calling at the state’s seaports and require new commercial vehicles to be fueled by clean energy at the beginning of next year. Additionally, California will require electric trucks to comprise more of the state’s heavy duty vehicle sales and fleets during the next few years.
Meanwhile, utility companies are stuck trying to meet large-scale projects’ upgrade demands as well as current power grids’ expansions, which need additional transformers and other electrical parts.
Building EV charging infrastructure is challenging, too
Even when the EV charging parts supply meets the current demand, the task of installing chargers still remains. Trucking company Schneider National CEO Mark Rourke told The Wall Street Journal it took almost three years to install 16 dual-corded chargers at the company’s operations center. Getting permits, power to the site and safety certification for the chargers all played into the delay.
Zeina El-Azzi, CEO of Gage Zero, which develops and manages infrastructure for electric fleets, also noted the challenges installing EV charging infrastructure can be. Electric trucks’ limited range requires chargers to be near ports or warehouse districts. Unfortunately, these areas often don’t have the land necessary to put these stations. There’s also the issue of making sure there’s enough electricity to charge dozens of trucks simultaneously.
“We are at less than 1 percent of what needs to be built out,” El-Azzi said.
Going forward, electrical equipment manufacturers warned of potential delays because new technology growth is outpacing part supply production. Hundreds of billions of dollars in federal incentives are helping expand semiconductor factories and renewable-energy projects, but at the same time, AI advancements and smart devices’ growing role in homes and businesses has increased the need for more data centers.
All of this demand has just about pushed electrical utilities’ and startup companies’ limits, The Wall Street Journal reports. Both parties are competing with each other to get their hands on the parts needed to build this power-generation equipment.
“The output is up 50% to 75%, but the demand is up 100% to 150%,” Barry Powell, head of electrical products for Siemens in North America said of electrical switchgear, which helps manage power systems.
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