One of the most frustrating things electric vehicle owners struggle with is broken public electric vehicle chargers. ChargerHelp! is the solution to that vexing issue and much more.
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Watch any electric vehicle road trip video and you will likely see a frustrated EV advocate parked in front of a broken charger. In our testing, we’ve experienced this issue first-hand. Public charging is still in its infancy in America. Heck, so are electric vehicles. Yet, we can all feel the tipping point approaching. If EVs are going to succeed drivers will need reliable chargers. One company is working very hard to ensure those chargers work now and in the future.
Making Chargers Work Now
ChargerHelp! was formed with two main missions. First, make chargers work. Second, help people work. Cofounders Kameale C. Terry and Evette Ellis merged their backgrounds in inclusive workforce development and electric vehicle infrastructure to bring ChargerHelp! To life.
Although media headlines abound touting new charger network expansion, broken chargers are highlighted by EV testers in videos and by EV owners in social media posts. The reputation for reliability is quickly being tarnished. "We are seeing many transformative governmental decisions locally and nationally, the EV charging industry has much more to grow but we know charging reliability is of top priority, says Samantha Ortega of ChargerHelp!"
ChargerHelp! counts among its client base the names you will recognize as the premier electric vehicle suppliers in the world. As a business-to-business entity, you may not know the name ChargerHelp! yet. They work behind the scenes to serve the charger manufacturers and network providers who, like all employers, are struggling with rapid growth and need help putting skilled technicians into the field or at a remote service center to keep the rapidly evolving charger network operating smoothly. "Charging reliability is one of the most important things that we need for mass electric vehicle adoption, having the right workforce contributes to the success of the electrification transportation plan,” Says Ortega.
ChargerHelp! is also doing its part to help develop standards for the EV charging industry. When we spoke to ChargerHelp!, we learned that the Department of Transportation (DOT) recently conducted a request for information. The idea DOT has is to create a set of EV charging standards related to construction, implementation, and long-term or continuous operability. ChargerHelp! is provided comments and input to ensure that the coming standard works well for the folks that actually keep the chargers operating now and who will be in the future.
The New Face Of Work
In addition to providing EV charger uptime solutions, ChargerHelp! Also is in the business of workforce development. For most of American history, the face of a tradesperson was a male face. One fact is that most of the images we see on shows like Dirty Jobs, Flip or Flop, and other trades-related entertainment convey the idea that the men wield the tools. They certainly do, but so too do women. One of ChargerHelp!’s goals is to help create and build an inclusive workforce for the new green economy. The company, founded by women, actively seeks female applicants for its workforce development and training programs. ChargerHelp! pulls much of its own workforce from this pool it helps to train. “The most rewarding part for ChargerHelp is leveraging technology to create net new jobs and support our technicians in the repair of the stations in their own communities, said Ortega. She added, “We provide the tools and training to help our technicians succeed and grow within the cleantech industry." The average age of a ChargerHelp! technician is 35, and one-third are veterans.
EV Charger Training
Keeping EVs up and running requires both hardware and software professionals behind the scenes. Software and hardware skills are part of that, but importantly, safety is as well. The company worked closely with nationally-recognized safety organizations to build in meaningful safety education for its workers.
ChargerHelp! presently helps to maintain the proper operation of over 20,000 public EV chargers in America. If you recently used a charger that worked perfectly, they may be part of why you had that great experience. If you conversely found yourself at a public charger that ould not work, would not let go of your charger, or had some other type of glitch, maybe this story will inspire you to jump into the rapidly expanding green economy as a technician. We’re all in this together.
Images of workers courtesy of ChargerHelp! Tweet image courtesy of Ben Hodges and Twitter.
John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American news outlets and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin
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