Feature | Electric Avenue
Improving EV accessibility Addressing the challenge of providing charging options for multi-unit dwellings By Maura Keller, EA Contributing Writer As electric vehicle technology continues to sweep the nation and grab the attention of manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers alike, one thing is evident: There is a distinct accessibility issue facing the EV industry. From charging infrastructure to affordability to policy support, EV accessibility is proving to be a multifaceted challenge that needs to be addressed for the technology to reach the next level. Elaina Farnsworth, co-founder of SkillFusion, a customer success platform for electric vehicle service equipment operations and maintenance (O&M) providers, says “in order to have EVs, you have to be able to charge them. The United States government is mandating that in the next few Elaina Farnsworth years, there will have to be a 97% uptime for the charging stations themselves. That means they’ll have to be available and working 97% of the time. The challenge is that in the U.S. right
now, the uptime is only 40% to 60%. We need to do better.” SkillFusion’s approach provides charger-agnostic skill enhancement and certification, creating a proprietary database of certified workers available to service the country’s growing EV charger network. The program developed by SkillFusion covers the full spectrum of skills needed to support charger operations, including licensed electricians and technicians specializing in technical support, networking and communications, cybersecurity, and more.
Multi-family dwellings Farnsworth says one of the biggest, less talked about challenges the EV market faces lies within a subset of the market that lives within multi-family dwellings or apartment buildings. Consumers face Please turn to next page
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2024 25
06ElectAve.indd 1
5/10/2024 10:28:54 AM