1. Simplifying Electric Vehicle Charging: How ChargePoint’s Universal Connection Aims to Resolve Charger Compatibility Issues

ChargePoint has just announced a new electric vehicle (EV) connector that it claims is future-proof and works with all current and future EV models and brands. It aims to fix one of the biggest annoyances with EVs: incompatible connectors.

The connector works with vehicles that are “already on the road as well as EVs coming to market” in the future, according to a press release announcing the new connector. ChargePoint claims the Omni Port will let EV owners “charge in any parking space,” as it “eliminates the hassle of carrying an adapter for drivers.” Drivers can use the mobile ChargePoint app or the charging station interface to select the appropriate connector type. When using the mobile app, you must pick the make and model of your vehicle so that the charging station can automatically release the correct connector type.

“With Omni port, ChargePoint solved the challenges associated with a multiple connector environment, ensuring Tesla and non-Tesla drivers can continue to expect a world-class driver experience,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint.

ChargePoint

“We are giving drivers and site hosts assurance that ChargePoint will continue to meet all their charging needs now and in the future.” The Omni Port will be available at no additional cost across select new models of its AC and DC charging stations. The company says its tech can be retrofitted onto its existing charging stations at a “nominal cost.” The Omni Port also enables full charging speeds on 800-volt EVs “for sustained periods of time.”

ChargePoint operates the largest online network of EV charging stations spanning 14 countries. Charging EVs is a bit of a mess because the connector type hasn’t been standardized worldwide. In the U.S., Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector used on its Superchargers is widely supported across EV charging stations and EV brands. Tesla opened up its connector to all EV manufacturers in February 2023, with ChargePoint among the first to adopt the NACS connector . Tesla has also committed to allowing non-Tesla vehicles to use any of its 7,500 charging stations by year-end.

In the U.S., Tesla’s Supercharger network and ChargePoint remain the most affordable options for EV charging without a paid membership. According to research conducted by a company called ChargerHelp , based on four years of data across 20,000 chargers, the US charging infrastructure is ripe for modernization.

As The Verge reported, the survey has exposed the biggest issues facing EV owners, like aging equipment, confusing or inaccurate status messages, unexpected downtime, zombie stations, apps not reporting offline stations, a failure to report broken stalls and retractors, etc.

Source: ChargePoint via Engadget