What the Future of the Construction Industry Looks Like with an Expansion of EV Charging Stations

What the Future of the Construction Industry Could Look Like With a Roadmap of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The American Jobs Plan is not just an investment in infrastructure. It's an investment in the future. The improvements to our nation's roads and bridges will generate long-term benefits for the economy, communities, and national security.

Included in this ambitious $2 trillion plan is a push for widespread adoption of electric vehicles by building a national network of 500,000 charging stations.

Where will all these charging stations go? Regardless of location, the construction industry faces an exciting challenge to integrate new charging stations into existing buildings and grid infrastructure.

Public vs. Private Charging Stations

You have two options when it comes to EV charging. Public stations are commonly located in commercial buildings or along highways, and private stations are located in residences and businesses.

Private EV Charging

The expansion of private EV chargers is unlikely to cause widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Most private EV chargers are level 2 chargers instead of fast chargers, which require the vehicle to charge overnight or while individuals are at work for the day to replenish the battery. Companies can use these private charging stations as a perk for employees to switch to electric vehicles.

Private EV charging stations allow personal EVs and fleet vehicles to charge when not in use, such as school buses and public transit vehicles. They are essential for maintaining EVs but do not contribute to their expansion.

Public EV Charging

The majority of EV charging stations are part of the public infrastructure. These fast chargers expand the range of EVs. The adoption of electric vehicles will increase as more public EV chargers are added to the network.

Multi-family homes offer an exciting opportunity to expand the public EV charging network into a location not currently served. An estimated 50-80% of personal EV charging happens at home. A charging station outside an apartment complex can serve enough individuals to help states reach their decarbonization goals. Building owners and construction companies have the unique opportunity to collaborate and retrofit these buildings with public EV charging stations.

Keep Up With Technology Changes in Future

The location of EV chargers is essential, but so are the parameters of the technology installed. There are options when it comes to choosing an EV charger.

Charging Speed

How quickly an EV battery recharges depends on the charging speed. Currently, there are four levels of EV charging.

Level 1 Charging offers basic EV charging from a standard household outlet and typically charges 4-5 miles of range per hour.

Level 2 Charging increases the voltage output to increase the rate of charge. A level 2 charger will typically charge 12-60 miles of range per hour.

DC Fast Charging using DC power offers a much higher voltage output than AC power. A DC fast charger should get an EV to 80% charge in an average of 20-30 minutes.

DC Extreme Fast Charging still in development; extreme fast DC charging would offer the ability to recharge multiple EVs in almost the same amount of time as refilling a gas vehicle.

Type of Connector

Not every EV requires the same type of connector. There are currently three different connector types in the U.S. The Tesla connector is the most common connector available at DC fast-charging stations.

The other two types of connectors include CCS and CHAdeMO. CCS compatible models include the Kia e-Niro and BMW i3. CHAdeMO compatible models include the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Nissan Leaf.

Developers of the EV charging infrastructure will need to keep the popularity of charger connections in mind to ensure they stay relevant.

As electric vehicles are more widely adopted, advances in charging technology will occur. New EV charging stations need to be adaptable to keep up with the technology as it advances.

Construction Industry Key to Implementing Infrastructure Plan

The task of adding 500,000 new EV charging stations is a challenging one. However, the construction industry is a key player that is well-positioned to take on this challenge. They have the technology to install EV stations with minimal disruption. With horizontal directional drilling, trenches are eliminated, which allows for the construction of EV chargers where they are needed most: high traffic areas.

Quick installations require companies with extensive experience to safely and accurately execute the implementation of these stations. You want a company that uses a digital planning process to get your project to completion promptly. With horizontal directional drilling, you can reduce costs while increasing project productivity.

BoreWorx is Your Project Partner

BoreWorx is your full-service horizontal directional drilling firm. We are experts in HDD for EV charging and additionally provide service for electrical, security, digital signage, and fiber optic installations.

When you partner with us, you get an experienced team dedicated to completing your project in a safe, timely, and cost-effective manner. No matter what surface, soil, or underground condition we face, we'll complete your project fast, thanks to our digital planning process. For more information, contact us at 281-494-7500 today.