The Volkswagen-owned company, Electrify America, is aiming to make charging your electric vehicle a much better experience. It released detailed plans for its future charging stations on March 24, 2022.

Here, we'll discuss everything we know about what's changing at these EV charging stations.

The Future of Electrify America's EV Chargers

Electrify America has stated several changes coming to its stations, including installing redesigned, ultra-fast chargers, a customer lounge, and more solar awnings to supply power to the charging stations to be as green as possible.

1. Redesigned Ultra-Fast Chargers

redesigned electrify america fast chargers
Image Credit: Electrify America

This is one of the most important aspects of Electrify America's plan to improve the customer experience at its chargers. Although Tesla owners around the country have praised Tesla's Superchargers for being easy to use, that has not been the same for Electrify America and seemingly every other EV charging network.

Electrify America's charging speeds for EVs may be great, but that's where the positive customer experience seems to halt. People have reported that Electrify America's chargers turn on and off, be out of order, but show as working on the app, or have issues even charging the vehicle fully. Whether this is user error or software or hardware bugs on Electrify America's end, it's clear that the company needs to make significant changes.

Electrify America's redesigned ultra-fast chargers are planned to function more reliably and have a much easier-to-use digital interface. The chargers will stand 8 feet tall, output up to 150kW and 350kW of power, and have a single connector cable with better cable management designed to reach the port on any EV.

According to Electrify America's press release, the screen or the "human-machine-interface" will be designed to reduce glare from the sun to be easier to read and use. The redesigned chargers will also be slimmer, which will help them with installation in tight urban areas. This is incredibly important to make the EV charging experience as easy and seamless as possible for new and experienced EV owners alike.

2. Customer Charging Lounge

electrify america customer service lounge with lighting additional fast chargers and valet
Image Credit: Electrify America

Another benefit of EA's charging stations is a lounge area for the customers to relax while they're charging their vehicles. It will install more on-site security cameras and additional lighting for peace of mind when charging late at night.

In Electrify America's press release, Giovanni Palazzo, the CEO of the Volkswagen-owned company, stated that its stations are designed to "meet and exceed the expectations of customers moving from a gas-powered vehicle to an electric lifestyle."

We've all had to refuel a gas-powered vehicle at a dirty gas station. You see cigarette butts on the ground, it smells of gasoline, and most gas station convenience stores aren't very inviting; some aren't even open late at night and are dimly lit.

Electrify America's goal is to make sure the transition from refueling a gas car to charging an electric car is a much better experience. This will encourage EV owners to push people they know to buy an EV simply because of how much better charging is than refueling.

All the future charging stations are planned to be comfortable, inviting, safe, well-lit, and aim to be open as late in the night as possible, if not 24/7. Flagship locations are planned to have valet charging as well.

3. Solar Awnings

solar awnings at future electrify america charging station
Image Credit: Electrify America

We may not be able to drive solar-powered cars in 2022, but that doesn't mean energy from the sun can't help us power something else useful. Remember how installing solar panels in our own homes can help us save money on electric bills?

The company already has solar awnings in its flagship locations in Baker and Santa Clara, California, and aims to bring solar power to over 100 charging stations across the United States. This solar power will help power everyday operations in the customer lounge, the additional lighting, and other daily operations.

Electrify America also states that "the solar energy from these solar canopies is also routed to the on-site battery energy storage systems on-site, capturing energy to help charge electric vehicles."

While the world continues to try its best to find a fully-green, zero-emission energy alternative to power everything in our daily lives, using the sun's energy is a perfect, small contribution to minimizing our carbon footprint.

EA's New Charging Stations Are Vital for the Future of Electric Vehicles

Although charging times are becoming faster every year, it will most certainly not get to the point of fully charging our vehicles in the same time it takes to refuel a gas-powered car. What's left to do is to make the experience of charging EVs as easy and stress-free as possible. And this is exactly how every EV charging station should look when we go decades into the future.

Charging an EV should be a far more enjoyable experience than refueling a gas-powered car to get more people to switch to a greener alternative. While the redesigned fast chargers seem to be a great start, going above and beyond with valet charging and providing an extremely inviting, comfortable lounge area to charge your EV will bring envy to ICE drivers around the country.