According to the U.S. Department of Energy, roughly 48,500 public EV charging stations are located across the United States. Compared to the registered 1.8 million electric vehicles in the states (as of 2020), the availability of charging stations has some catching up to do!
It’s clear that consumers are bought into the benefits of an electric vehicle, and the U.S. Department of Transportation is too. With the growth in EV production and sales, we’ll see a significant boost in the availability of public EV charging networks over the next few years as consumer demand increases, as well as federally funded programs for those looking to expand EV charging access.
But it’s more than comparing EVGo vs ChargePoint, though these are some of the most popular EV charging networks. Buckle up–it’s time to get to know the pros and cons of America's top EV charging companies.
The Best EV Charging Networks
What does it mean to be one of the top EV charging companies? A few characteristics come to mind when identifying the best electric vehicle charging companies. Many property owners evaluate the best EV charging network for their property based on:
- Price: How much does the charging service cost? Is a membership required?
- Convenience: Are the charging stations located at convenient places for parking and charging for long periods? Is it hard to sign up for charging?
- Integration: Does the charging service fit seamlessly into current property workflows? Will the new amenity disrupt office staff?
- Maintenance: Who will maintain the charging equipment? Are the chargers and services easy to manage?
- Support: Who is responsible for managing driver customer support? Who is responsible for troubleshooting the equipment and service?
- Compatibility: Are the charging stations compatible with many different vehicles?
With these characteristics of the top EV charging companies in mind, you may have heard of some of the most popular EV charging networks in the United States. See below for more:
ChargePoint
ChargePoint is the largest of the nation’s EV charging networks and perhaps the most widely recognized. ChargePoint is based in California but has EV chargers all over the country. Unique to ChargePoint, its pricing model allows property owners to dictate the customer’s cost for charging services, so pricing varies depending on location.
EVGo
EVGo, based in Tennessee, operates charging stations in two-thirds of the United States. Memberships are optional and provide discounted charging rates. Pricing varies depending on the charging speed, and charging time is limited to between 45-60 minutes per session.
EVGo vs ChargePoint
When comparing EVGo vs ChargePoint, ChargePoint has a much more extensive network of available chargers. The number of charging stations available in EVGo vs ChargePoint networks is 850 vs 18,000. Another comparison in the EVGo vs ChargePoint discussion is the difference in pricing models. EVGo offers a membership or pay-as-you-go plan with set prices across locations, while ChargePoint allows its property owners to dictate prices.
Tesla
We’re confident you’ve heard of Tesla! Tesla, maker of electric vehicles, offers its own EV charging networks called Superchargers located in public spaces and at Tesla dealerships. Rates vary for Tesla owners depending on location–no membership required. Tesla now offers free Supercharger access to Model S and Model X owners.
Blink
Blink recently acquired SemaConnect, expanding its offering of EV charging stations around the country. Customers can charge their vehicles with or without a membership, though members save on each charge.
Oodles Energy
Oodles is the best EV charging network for multi-family properties. Its completely turnkey, hands-off solution provides EV charging for residents without disrupting a property’s already established workflow, but rather enhancing it. Multi-family properties earn monthly income every time residents charge up, and drivers are billed monthly by Oodles directly.
Oodles vs. Other EV Charging Networks
When you partner with Oodles to provide EV charging for your residents, you get more than a plug - you get an EV charging partner. Oodles manages the whole service: routine maintenance, operations support, driver communications, support, and billing. You don’t have to worry about disrupting your office staff to manage a new amenity; our EV charging service seamlessly fits into your workflow without taking time away from your employees.
What EV Charging Networks are Doing Right
The top EV charging companies in the U.S. are growing rapidly, offering more locations for customers to charge than ever before. The best public EV charging networks provide EV charging stations in convenient places where drivers can multi-task, effectively charging while they shop, dine, or stay overnight.
The best electric vehicle charging companies understand the need for convenient charging stations in different locations such as live-work-play developments, shopping malls, grocery stores, multi-family housing, entertainment venues, and even fuel stations. However, EV charging is not one-size-fits-all. Each type of location has individual needs and challenges that need to be addressed – especially in the multi-family vertical.
What EV Charging Networks Are Missing
While public EV charging is becoming more commonplace, the lack of semi-private EV charging in multi-family housing properties is an inconvenience for EV drivers living in apartments and condos. Leaving home to charge at a public charger is inconvenient; drivers must compete for charging time, and pricing can be unreasonable. With a solution tailored to address the needs of multi-family properties, Oodles allows residents the flexibility to charge while they’re home, with consistent monthly billing at a reduced cost compared to the other EV charging networks down the street.
Additionally, property owners shouldn’t have to increase their team’s bandwidth to manage yet another amenity for residents. Other EV charging networks don’t specialize in multi-family properties; therefore, they don’t understand the depths of installing and managing onsite EV charging for multiple residents. Who will be responsible for equipment maintenance, driver support, driver billing, and all other specialized tasks with onsite EV charging? Oodles handles all of it, so your staff doesn’t have to. We help set prices, bill drivers, maintain the software and equipment, provide driver and operations support, and monitor energy expenditure, among other tasks.
Most of the top EV charging companies don’t know how to approach the unique needs of apartments, condos, and multi-family properties–until Oodles.
Working with Oodles Energy
When working with Oodles to power your multi-family properties, you can expect to increase your net operating income with little to no extra effort from your staff. And at the same time, your residents will be happier with the additional amenity! As one of the first EV charging networks supplying multi-family properties, we’re changing a thing or two about Charging-as-a-Service.
- Turnkey solution. Once your charger is up and running on your property, there’s nothing else your staff is responsible for—no equipment management, no maintenance, just straightforward, convenient charging for residents and their guests.
- Perpetual revenue. Oodles offers a revenue-sharing pricing model that allows multi-family properties to earn money when residents charge their vehicles. Earn on holidays, weekends, and even while your staff sleeps!
- Accurate estimates and quick setup. Our team assists with visits to your site to give you an accurate proposal with recommendations for equipment and electricity needs, plus custom pricing based on the whole package, so you know what you’re spending before install day. Once it’s time to connect, charging services are up and running in a flash.
- Convenient, affordable service. Oodles offers multi-family property residents convenient, affordable EV charging where they spend most of their time–at home. And, just like their rent, charges are billed monthly. Just another reason to love where they live!
Keep your residents charged up while increasing your bottom line with Oodles! Connect with our team today to schedule a consultation for a custom proposal.
