Charged EVs | EcoG’s new Charging Reliability Index ranks performance of different EV manufacturers

Considering the volume of complaints about the EV charging process, it’s surprising that there’s so little hard data available about reliability. A few studies have ranked the reliability of various charging networks, but until now, as far as we know, no one has ranked the charging reliability of different EV models.

Now EcoG, a developer of interoperable charge controllers and software for EV charging stations, has launched its Charging Reliability Index (EcoG CRI), an index by which the charging reliability of EVs can be measured and compared.

The Charging Reliability Index consists of a range of tests designed to evaluate the charging interface of EVs, measuring how reliably they can initiate a charging session and sustain charging for the required time. The tests also include an analysis of how well charging interfaces communicate errors to the user.

The test suite of the Charging Reliability Index consists of 3 categories:

• Reliability of charging start
• Reliability of charging process
• User communication and prevention of errors

Key learnings from the first edition of the index:

• The tested vehicles achieved an overall average score of only 68%.
• Test on plug locking: 50% of EVs do not inform users about avoidable plug locking errors in the charging preparation phase.
• Test on Control Signal Quality: 30% of EVs demonstrate high damping of control signals, resulting in an unreliable charging process with random interruptions.

EcoG is calling for all OEMs to participate in the Charging Reliability Index, and will test the reliability of any EV that is put forward for the assessment.

“Questions remain about charging reliability,” said EcoG CEO and co-founder Joerg Heuer. “Will I be able to charge my car when the battery is low? How often will my car fail to charge? These questions have not been addressed by standard charging test procedures, which is why we’ve produced this index to test the reliability of today’s range of available EVs. Failed sessions occurring even at low rates seriously impact the way EVs are perceived by consumers. Considering the millions of sessions that take place every day across public and private charging stations, the need to track reliability and drive improvements is clear.”

: EcoG