Expanding power supply to facilitate charging is another complication.
When Hudson Automotive Group inquired about obtaining enough electricity to support Level 3 chargers at two stores in Tennessee, the local power company said that would require the same amount of power as a small hospital.
“The answer has been, ‘We’ll evaluate it and get back to you.’ And we’re still waiting to hear back from some of these municipalities, the power companies, with how much power they can supply,” said David Hudson, president of the group, which has 49 rooftops across Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana.
Local electricity distribution capability affects charging infrastructure, said Kellen Schefter, director of electric transportation for Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned electric companies. If there is already a lot of commercial activity in an area, dealers may need a line extension. But where distribution falls short, a longer-term project would be necessary, he said.
Halim, of Sierra Automotive, expects he will have to dig up a public road to run new lines and conduits for the Level 3 chargers at his stores in Southern California, which will require coordination with local municipalities.
Dealers have grown accustomed to updating their stores to comply with automakers’ image programs, but EV charger installation is more complex.
“You have a lot less say over it because it’s so city-intensive,” said Howard Drake, dealer principal of Casa Automotive Group, which sells Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Subaru brands in Sherman Oaks, Calif. “There are very limited places where you get switchgears, and it’s all dependent on the city approving it and then coming out and inspecting.”
