Pepco Doubles Down on Outdated Charging Equipment in Rockville

Pepco is adding a second fast charger to their existing electric vehicle charging site at Thomas Farm Community Center in Rockville, MD. Ordinarily, this would be welcome news for EV drivers, but the choice of an Efacec QC45 charger raises concerns. This model is widely considered outdated, slow, and prone to failure.

Originally opened in April 2020 as part of the Maryland Public Service Commission’s EV charging pilot program, the site is now getting a second charger. In August, the PSC ordered utilities to stop installing new public charging stations under the pilot but allowed sites already under development to be completed. This is one of five Pepco locations still under construction and exempt from the stop order.

Aging Efacec QC45 Model Fast Charger Raises Concerns

Pepco’s decision to install a charger model designed over a decade ago feels out of sync with the rapid evolution of EV charging technology. Newer models offer much faster charging speeds, providing greater convenience for drivers. So why is Pepco opting for outdated equipment when more advanced and reliable options are readily available?

The existing DC fast charger at the site, installed in April 2020, is also an Efacec QC45—a model that was already outdated at the time. In fact, similar QC50 units were deployed at Royal Farms locations across Maryland as far back as 2015. It’s puzzling why Pepco persists with older technology, especially as the industry advances toward higher-performance solutions at such a rapid pace.

Public Service Commission Concerns in 2022

Issues with the Efacec chargers were brought to light more than two years ago during a PSC review of the utilities’ semi-annual reports on the EV pilot program. At the time, BGE informed PSC Chair Jason Stanek that they had observed more problems with Efacec QC45 units than with other brands. In fact, BGE had canceled an order for these chargers about a year earlier, opting for a more reliable brand instead.

Chair: Is it fair to say that the Efacec chargers, I believe that these are Portuguese made, have a higher malfunction rate than other chargers?

BGE: That is what we’re seeing, unfortunately.

Chair: This is what, the QC 45 model?

BGE: Correct.

Maryland PSC Administrative Meeting – 03/16/2022 at 35:00

Public Outcry and a Missed Opportunity

Also raised during that March 2022 administrative hearing was a petition from local EV drivers, urging Exelon utilities to replace the Efacec QC45 chargers with more reliable units.

The EV pilot program was designed to gather insights and improve outcomes for EV drivers, ratepayers, and other stakeholders. In this instance, it seems Pepco wasn’t paying attention to the lessons learned.

Losses Pile Up as Costs Outpace Revenue

According to the latest semi-annual progress report filed with the PSC, the total revenue from charging fees between April 10, 2020, and June 30, 2024, was $28,335.53. Over the same period, the electricity costs for the site amounted to $31,701.47, resulting in a deficit of $3,365.94—just from the electricity expenses alone. The report does not specify the additional costs expected for installing the second Efacec unit.

This charging site originally cost $363,277 to construct, consisting of one Efacec QC45 fast charger and two Level 2 ports. With such a significant upfront investment, the financial losses to date only compound concerns about the site’s operational efficiency.

Additionally, the report covering the period from January 1 to June 30 indicates that the Efacec charger had only 60% uptime. The low uptime was attributed to “communication issues,” with the unit noted as needing repair or replacement.

Despite public appeals for action and the pilot program’s intent to improve reliability, the continued use of underperforming chargers like the Efacec QC45 highlights the challenges faced during the program. With mounting losses and ongoing reliability issues, the PSC has already confirmed that the public EV charging portion of the pilot will not expand into a second phase, leaving the future of the existing chargers uncertain.