Indoor EV charging station in SF offers a peek at future
DETROIT — A couple of blocks from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, Electrify America is about to open an indoor charging station that lets drivers relax in a lounge while their electric vehicle batteries are being filled up.
The 20-plug direct-current fast-charging station, which opens for business Friday near downtown San Francisco, is part of a trend toward more appealing neighborhood stations, designed to serve EV owners who can’t charge at their homes, as well as travelers or commuters who are low on juice.
It’s also designed to allay fears among potential EV buyers that charging stations are too scarce or that they will have no safe place to wait as their vehicles charge, spending far longer than it takes for a gasoline fill-up.
EV sales growth in the United States is slowing, in large part because of similar concerns among potential buyers.
On Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, Tesla is building a combination drive-in restaurant, movie theater and charging station.
Mercedes has built an outdoor station with an indoor lounge at the automaker’s U.S. headquarters near Atlanta.
The company plans to construct at least 400 more as part of a $1 billion investment to deploy 2,500 charging plugs, mainly on the coasts, by the end of the decade.
Some of the stations will offer lounges. Others will be partnerships with malls or travel centers.
Electrify America’s indoor station is intended to attract people who might be apprehensive about buying an EV, especially apartment dwellers in the nearby South Market neighborhood, said Robert Barrosa, the company’s CEO.
“This is that big, indoor, premium experience that makes it enticing to say, ‘Hey, I can do this,’ ” Barrosa said.
Several convenience store chains have set up charging stations outside their businesses and offer food, restrooms and 24-hour service for EV owners.
But Barrosa said stations with nicer indoor space, including Wi-Fi and comfortable seating, are intended for a stay that’s longer than a typical gas station fill-up. The San Francisco station, he said, will have an attendant around the clock for security and to handle waiting queues and answer questions from owners.
At a minimum, it normally takes about 20 minutes at a fast-charger to replenish a battery from a 10% charge to 80%, EV owners say. That compares with just a few minutes to fill up a car at a gas station.
Convenience stores, Barrosa said, often have space for only a couple of charging plugs, meaning that there could be lines and longer waits for EV owners. Having 20 fast-charging 350-kilowatt plugs indoors is a confidence-builder for owners, especially if they are in the neighborhood.
There are more than 61,000 charging stations with over 163,000 plugs in the United States. Most are lower-speed chargers that require hours to fill up vehicles.