Field techs, industry collaboration critical to EV charging infrastructure, SAE panelists say

High-quality chargers are critical to EV adoption and customer satisfaction, said Alex Ehrett, public policy and market development manager at charging company ABB E-mobility.

“Charging infrastructure is not set it and forget it,” she said. “There is an enormous amount of blocking and tackling that still needs to be done to achieve that high level of uptime that we are all seeking.”

Field teams must consistently assess the chargers to ensure that software is up to date and that the physical charger is in suitable condition, she said.

“You need to have somebody going in and changing an air filter,” she said.

One of ABB E-mobility’s best field engineers is a former diesel mechanic. Other field engineers are traditional electricians.

“That really speaks to the opportunity that this industry has for reskilling, upskilling and sort of shifting what that market looks like … of what job opportunities are available to people,” Ehrett said.

Creating an early pipeline of high school and community college students is important, she said.

“It’s really getting to the students at a younger age so that when they’re ready to enter the work force, we’re eager to hire them,” she said.

Rivian has recruited military veterans to help maintain its charging network, said Trent Warnke, Rivian’s senior director of energy and charging.

“The technicians that are servicing the networks are really our unsung heroes. They are the ones who are out there in the rain, snow in the middle of the night and fixing it to make sure that our customers have a great experience,” he said.

Education around EV infrastructure and climate goals and engineers’ and technicians’ roles in achieving them is also critical for recruitment, said Bole.

The opportunity to make a positive impact encourages people to raise their hands, he said.