ChargePoint Launches Service Program It Should Have Launched Years Ago

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ChargePoint (NYSE: CHPT) shot out to a huge lead in the US EV charging space. It grew to dominate the Level 2 charging market at commercial and workplace locations. However, its method for rapid expansion had some holes in it, and one big one led to serious problems with EV charger reliability and maintenance.

The thing is, although ChargePoint stations were in a network in some ways (you could find them all over the place via the ChargePoint app, for example, and their branding was clear on station after station), the company didn’t maintain them like they were their own. A company/host would buy the charging station, and then it would be on them to make sure it stayed operational. It was on that owner/host to fix the station if it broke. In case after case, though, station owners neglected the stations, didn’t bother to pay someone to fix them, and gave both EV chargers and ChargePoint a very bad name. I saw this happen in a Whole Foods shopping center (two ChargePoint stations I used to use routinely have been broken for years now), in another shopping center (same story, but more stations, including four that ended up getting pulled out), and at city parks. I think it started to happen at a shopping mall, but the mall took a different approach and started charging EV drivers to charge there. I presume that has been done to keep the attraction/feature for EV drivers while also creating a clear revenue stream to use to fund repairs.

I can’t say enough how disappointed I am that ChargePoint didn’t do more to ensure its stations were being kept maintained and operational. However, it seems the company is now trying to improve on that.

This week, ChargePoint launched Safeguard Care. This maintenance and repair service “provides end-to-end reliability monitoring of ChargePoint charging stations.” Indeed — it is still on someone else to pay for maintenance and repairs, but at least this service provides full-time monitoring and communication with the station owner, as well as a clear way to get stations fixed. “The program, available now in six launch markets, utilizes a network of trained service providers to routinely inspect chargers, identifying and repairing many common issues while onsite.” Yes! Please!

Again, this isn’t a perfect solution, since ChargePoint still relies on station buyers paying for this service, but the fact that the company is now offering this implies that ChargePoint is better communicating to buyers the need for this, and making it much easier for them to keep their stations up and running.

“ChargePoint continues to develop innovative solutions that ensure EV charger reliability, from anti-vandalism measures to monitoring our hardware from our network operations center. Safeguard Care further demonstrates our commitment to delivering a reliable charging experience,” said JD Singh, Chief Customer Experience Officer of ChargePoint. Well, that sounds good I guess.

“As the original manufacturer of the chargers, we are able to ensure the highest standards of service and support. With Safeguard Care, we are giving station owners and EV drivers peace of mind knowing that chargers will be in pristine working order.” Yes! As the producer of these stations, you are the best equipped to make sure they stay operational and active! Thank you for noticing.

“Each Safeguard Care visit includes a visual inspection of the charging station and the physical area around the chargers, cleaning, minor repairs or adjustments if necessary, and a test charge to validate functionality after the completion of repairs. Any issues the Safeguard Care inspector cannot address on site will be escalated directly to ChargePoint support for follow up.” Sounds excellent. A decade late, but excellent. Now let’s hope your marketing team is excellent at selling this service to station owners so that they stop dropping the ball and letting their stations die. That would do wonders for ensuring an easier, more convenient EV life for millions of drivers.

You can visit this website to learn more: https://www.chargepoint.com/businesses/services.