How does Austin track issues, repairs in 1,500+ city-run EV chargers?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's been more than a decade since the City of Austin introduced its city-run electric vehicle charging network in 2012. In the years since, that network has expanded to more than 1,500 city-owned chargers.

But how has Austin's charging technology evolved as overall EV technology has progressed? And how does the city keep track of chargers in need of repair?

Matt Mitchell, a public information officer with Austin Energy (AE), told KXAN AE has partnerships with ChargePoint and Smart Charge America to help complete both reactive repairs to existing issues and quarterly preventative maintenance on EV chargers.

"The challenge for us is to make sure that we are being good stewards of our infrastructure, making sure that we're attending to those that are out, performing preventative maintenance and really thinking through an equity lens of where those stations need to be and how we can further expand that network," Mitchell said.

In an August update to the city's Electric Utility Commission, AE officials found 86.3% of city-owned EV chargers were available and operational, as of Aug. 5. The remaining share included 1.7% with a hardware or software issue detected and 12% with a WiFi or cellular issue at the station, making it unreachable.

What, exactly, can lead to a faulty charging station? Mitchell said causes vary but chargers being subjected to the elements can impact performance. There can also be the occasional software glitch, which is why he stressed the value of preventative maintenance visits.

"There's software, there's hardware, there is the exterior shell [on the charger] -- the protective mechanisms and equipment that are there to try to shield it as best we can from the elements," he said. "That's the good thing about our third-party vendor that visits every single one of our 1,500-plus charging stations at least every three months, so if there is an issue that hasn't been reported, we've got eyes on it."

Alongside those third-party contracts, Mitchell said AE also has federal dollars to support EV maintenance and repair work. AE received a $270,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to aid in charging infrastructure maintenance and repair work, as well as replacements as needed.

Some of those replacements could include older chargers that have been in place since the city-led infrastructure debuted in 2012 -- technology that can sometimes seem like "ancient history," Mitchell said, given the rapid evolution of EVs and charging sources.

"What this grant really allows us to do is to specifically just hone in on those particular chargers that may be outdated, maybe the older ones, may be more susceptible to damage...and move to expedite the replacement or repair of those," he said. "It's a very targeted bit of funding, but it's one that we're really excited about because it goes right to the lifeblood of our EV program."

Those who encounter a broken EV charging station can report it via ChargePoint's app, by calling ChargePoint's Driver Support line at 888-758-4389 or by submitting it via Austin's 3-1-1 system.