Three EV Charging Trends for 2024
As more drivers embrace electric vehicles (EVs), innovative car and charging solutions are hitting the streets. Manufacturers, distributors and drivers all have something to gain, whether it’s from new technology, improved compatibility or the adoption of industry-wide standards. Let's take a look at the EV charging and driving trends that will take hold in 2024 and beyond.
Innovative Ideas Will Become Commercially Available
Between the momentum of last year’s EV trends and new breakthroughs unveiled at CES in Las Vegas, consumers, manufacturers and fleets will benefit from game-changing tech becoming commercially available in 2024. Innovations in fast chargers, batteries and semi trucks are just a few to look forward to.
American-Made Fast Chargers
In December 2023, Lincoln introduced its Velion DC Fast Charger, the first American-made fast EV charger to adhere to industry and government standards, such as those laid out in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program and Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) 2.0.1.
Better Batteries
In June 2023, Anker announced its new Solix home battery system, a solar-powered, modular equivalent to Tesla’s Powerwall that can be utilized to power homes and EVs. Six months later, the company announced a more portable version of the Solix system that can easily be stored in an EV trunk to provide a charge anywhere.
Diesel-Electric Semi Trucks
Serious progress has been made over the past year in the world of diesel-electric semi trucks, which utilize a hybrid approach to offset the existence of a diesel engine with a similar powertrain to modern EVs. Since semi truck fleets have historically contributed to harmful emissions, the widespread deployment of these environmentally friendly models will be transformative for the industry. And with six unique models already available in the U.S. market, expect to see a lot more on the roads in 2024.
New Cars Will Be Compatible With Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS)
A lack of standard and reliable charging has been one of the biggest hurdles to mass EV adoption. This is fueled in part by the fact that more than 60% of public fast chargers in the U.S. are Tesla Superchargers, which historically haven’t been compatible with non-Tesla vehicles. The company moved to change that when it open sourced its North American Charging Standard (NACS) in late 2022, representing an industry-wide shift toward interoperability and standardization. Since then, multiple EV manufacturers have committed to making their vehicles compatible with Tesla Superchargers, and this year many of them will finally be available for purchase.
OCPP 2.0.1 Will Gain Traction
Although NACS is a great step forward, the need for standardized EV charging is not exclusive to hardware. Standardized solutions to charging software are equally critical to support the expansion of EV infrastructure and accelerate adoption. Fortunately, crucial software standards like OCPP 2.0.1 are gaining traction and being embraced by charging networks and charge point operators globally.
OCPP 2.0.1 allows EV charging stations to communicate seamlessly with charge point management software, providing an easy and intuitive experience for EV drivers and streamlining a variety of key processes for charge point operators. The latest iteration comes with a number of improvements to the previous version, OCPP 1.6. While the benefits might not be immediately obvious to operators less familiar with the technology, it’s important to note that the two versions are not interchangeable, and further education is needed to ensure more software is being upgraded in the coming months.
This is one of the reasons the NEVI Formula Program now requires all public EV charging stations to be compliant with OCPP 2.0.1 to receive federal funding. Such an incentive should help accelerate the adoption of OCPP 2.0.1-complaint software among charge point operators, particularly considering the recent release of innovative, open source solutions like CitrineOS, which greatly simplifies the process of upgrading EV charging software to reflect the latest industry standards.
Charging Ahead
As more drivers embrace EVs, more innovation happens, which in turn encourages more drivers to embrace EVs. New fast chargers (and compatibility with existing ones), better batteries and diesel-electric semi trucks are a few of the innovations to look forward to this year. These advancements and a shift toward standardization will enhance the charging experience for consumers and contribute to the growth of the EV market in 2024 and beyond.
