Automotive OEMs should invest in public charging infrastructure

My first two Teslas having a chance meeting at a Supercharger

Tesla led the way

Despite staggering CEO plot loss that makes no sense to any sentient being that isn't drinking from the bewildering, truth-lite media environment that poisons the US's right wing (and potentially consuming other substances), there is no doubt that Tesla remains the global standard bearer for EV. Many "car people" bristle at this assertion, but they've made the best selling car in the world for the last two years in a row - and it was an EV. No one else outside of the heavily state-backed OEMs in China could get close to this.

So what is the key to Tesla's success? Yes, they make astonishingly good cars. I still contend the Model S is the greatest car ever made in terms of impact and capability, and can't think of a car I'd rather own day-to-day than the Model 3. Plenty disagree, plenty reasonably disqualify them due to aforementioned plot loss, and there are compelling, better built alternatives. But no one would contest the impact of deploying the Supercharger network (at no small expense) that made range anxiety an irrelevance to their drivers. You just don't have to plan trips if you have a Tesla.

So, perhaps the key Tesla lesson is that if you want to succeed in EV - and there are question marks whether some OEMs really do - it is worth considering non-trivial investment in charging infrastructure provision for your drivers.

What can OEMs do?

Tesla used its first mover advantage to deploy a proprietary DC network - something that may no longer fly for another OEM - and this network has a particular advantage - Drivers use it far less than they think they will. Its purpose is partially for usage (it is comparatively well used and affordable), but more for psychological ballast that sells more cars. (NB: This situation is less optimal for charging firms who fund DC rollout themselves, providing a theoretical safety net to drivers is worth nothing to them - only utilisation counts.)

So, if you're an OEM looking to really get ahead in EV deployment by investing in charging, and you can't do a Supercharger network, what can you do? Here are 4 ideas:

1. Directly fund other DC network rollout

IONITY received some investment to this end across Europe. This sees the CPO somewhat rewarded for providing the safety net and these OEMs' drivers access discounted charging rates. Great! But we need to see much more of this to make it really meaningful.

2. Support and/or sponsor CPO rollout

At Pod Point we partnered with Volkswagen UK and then Vauxhall Motors Ltd for our Tesco roll out. This was a very productive effort. I understand Vauxhall is also funding the JOLT rollout, providing low cost charging for drivers. Great! More of this too.

3. Support deployment of solutions for those without off-street parking

The eternal question in the EV space is how to make EVs more appealing to those with no off-street parking. I believe strategic investment from particularly those OEMs seeking to sell more affordable EVs could make a difference here. There are already firms like Connected Kerb providing interesting local car park and on-street charging solutions, particularly strong for overnight charging. How about a sponsorship deal to take ~20p per kWh out of the cost for your drivers? This will ensure the economic EV case really adds up for these drivers.

4. Subsidise/fund home charger installation

Smoothing/removing the lump of cost to get your customer set up with a proper homecharger is money well spent in ensuring they have a great experience, particularly for new EV drivers. Certainly not a novel idea, but an effective one.

How to afford it?

Of course, all of these ideas cost money, and OEMs are already struggling to make a margin on their EVs. But these costs are likely not prohibitive compared to typical marketing campaign spend. It may be that conventional marketing spend is more effective than is obvious, but the ratio of the number of ads I've seen for the new Ford Capri compared to the number I've seen in the wild - i.e. 0 - is not compelling. And remember how much Tesla spent on their advertising campaigns - $0.

OEMs should put their promotional money somewhere tangible, no?