New Paper Calls for More Transparency in EV Charger Data

Corporate greed disguised as competitive strategy is sabotaging America’s electric vehicle transition. While politicians debate infrastructure spending and automakers tout battery breakthroughs, charging network operators quietly strangle adoption growth by withholding basic operational information that drivers need to plan trips confidently. A recent Brookings paper has revealed that limited real-time data is frustrating EV drivers who want to figure out which charging stations are available and functional. 

The paper states that just 34% of electric vehicle charging stations in 40 states and across half a dozen major interstates provide drivers with real-time data on the availability and functionality of charging stations. Many notable EV charging network operators don’t share data on the availability and functionality of charging stations with third party platforms, resulting in EV mapping apps having little actionable information for drivers. 

Since charging companies profit from customer captivity rather than service excellence, they typically prioritize retaining their customers. By forcing drivers to use proprietary applications for station status updates, operators create artificial loyalty programs that prioritize corporate control over consumer convenience. 

Consumer behavior studies demonstrate how the uncertainty caused by these ‘data deserts’ amplifies anxiety beyond rational assessment. 

Even drivers who rarely travel beyond daily commutes avoid electric vehicles when they cannot verify charging availability for occasional longer trips. The psychological impact of potential stranding often outweighs actual usage patterns, creating adoption barriers that persist even as battery technology improves and charging station networks expand. 

With current market dynamics rewarding information hoarding while penalizing transparency, networks that share operational status with third-party platforms lose competitive differentiation compared to those maintaining data exclusivity. This creates perverse incentives where better customer service actually disadvantages providers in the marketplace, encouraging continued opacity across the industry and holding back electric vehicle adoption in the country. 

State transportation agencies are increasingly recognizing that this market failure is also a regulatory opportunity. Unlike federal approaches that require congressional approval or industry cooperation, state-level mandates offer direct authority over publicly accessible infrastructure within their jurisdictions. Implementation wouldn’t require new spending or technology development and would only involve regulatory changes that compel existing disclosure practices. 

Transportation researchers estimate that comprehensive station transparency could accelerate market adoption more effectively than billions in additional infrastructure spending. Existing capacity can be utilized much more efficiently while consumer confidence will increase across all vehicle categories and charging providers once current information barriers are eliminated and drivers can reliably determine which stations are available and functioning before they hit the road. 

Any industry resistance to more transparency reflects short-term thinking that ultimately undermines long-term profitability in the nascent EV charging segment. As long as current regulatory frameworks continue to treat these networks like optional commercial amenities rather than critical transportation infrastructure, they will keep enabling the information hoarding that’s keeping America’s EV charging segment from truly spreading its wings. 

A time should come when EV makers like Bollinger Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ: BINI) exert pressure on third-party providers of public chargers to share information freely so that the entire ecosystem rises together to the benefit of all involved. 

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