Virtual Charger Audit
In 2019, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved a pilot program allowing five utility companies to own and operate public charging stations. By regulation, these utilities must maintain a 97% uptime for their charging stations. This means each charging port must be operational and supply electricity at least 97% of the time annually.
Methodology
In September and October 2024, I conducted a series of virtual “charger audits,” using the ChargeHub, Shell Recharge and ChargePoint apps to check the online status of every charging port in the utility networks. While on-site audits are ideal, weekly virtual audits provide a practical way to track the system’s performance remotely.
Data Charts
The following charts illustrate the data collected from these virtual charger audits.
65% Avg – Delmarva Charging Ports Online, Sep. 13 – Oct. 20, 2024
L2 Avg: 65% | DCFC Avg: 63%
90% Avg – BGE Charging Ports Online, Sep. 19 – Oct. 21, 2024
L2 Avg: 92% | DCFC Avg: 77%
91% Avg – SMECO Charging Ports Online, Sep. 15 – Oct. 22, 2024
L2 Avg: 91% | DCFC Avg: 75%
80% Avg – Pepco Charging Ports Online, Sep. 18 – Oct. 23, 2024
L2 Avg: 80% | DCFC Avg: 74%
95% Avg – Potomac Edison Charging Ports Online, Sep. 17 – Oct. 24, 2024
L2 Avg: 96% | DCFC Avg: 93%
Conclusion
Reliable public charging is essential for EV drivers. Prolonged outages, whether due to hardware, software, or network issues, risk undermining public confidence and slowing Maryland’s EV adoption goals.
We’ll continue tracking trends and monitoring repair times in future audits.
Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to follow @PlugInSites on X and subscribe below for email updates on future charger audits and other EV charging news.
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