The Gap Between Promises and Performance – BGE Charger Audit, September 19, 2024

The Promise of 97% Uptime

Since the Maryland Public Service Commission approved a limited EV pilot program in January 2019, BGE has built 123 public EV charging sites. The expectation, much like with their utility services, was that BGE’s electric vehicle charging stations would uphold high standards of reliability. BGE has touted a 98 percent uptime for its network, claiming their chargers are “available and operational 98 percent of the time.”

Charger Audit Findings

However, my virtual “charger audit” conducted on September 19, 2024, tells a different story. This audit reviewed the online status of every charging station port in BGE’s EVsmart network, and at the time of the query, less than 90 percent were reporting to be online and available—well short of achieving the average annual uptime required to meet reliability goals.

Of the 646 total charging ports across BGE’s 123 locations, 65 were faulted, offline, unavailable, or missing from the Shell Recharge app. Only 69 of the 90 DC fast chargers were online, representing just 77% of the DCFC in BGE’s network. While 556 of the Level 2 ports were online, that accounts for only 92% of the total L2 ports. This level of unreliability presents a significant hurdle to Maryland’s electric vehicle adoption goals, as it undermines public confidence in the charging infrastructure critical for widespread EV adoption.

Regulatory Requirements and Data Transparency

Under Maryland’s Public Utilities Article §7–904, effective October 1, 2023, utility-owned EV charging stations must meet strict uptime standards. These standards, aligned with the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) guidelines, mandate a 97% uptime requirement for each charging station. Utility companies are also required to submit quarterly reports tracking uptime over the previous 12 months. Yet, despite the law’s requirements, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) has not finalized the template for reporting this data, leaving a critical transparency gap.

Filling the Data Gap

In the absence of timely and comprehensive data from utilities, I conducted this independent “charger audit” to assess the reliability of BGE’s EVsmart public charging network. Using the ChargeHub app, each charging port was queried, with any ports listed as “offline” cross-checked against the network’s native app, Shell Recharge, for verification.

BWI Airport Rideshare Lot

One of the BGE sites with offline charging ports is located at the BWI Airport Rideshare Lot. Two of the six DC fast chargers at this location have been out of operation since before July 4th. This site is heavily used by Uber and Lyft drivers who rely on these chargers. When all four functioning chargers are in use, a line often forms as drivers wait their turn. This is just one example of the negative consequences of unreliable charging infrastructure.

As Maryland continues to invest in electric vehicle infrastructure, it’s vital that charging stations meet the high standards expected by both drivers and policymakers. This audit highlights the concerning gap between BGE’s promises and their actual performance. Regulators and utilities must take further action to ensure a more reliable charging experience.

How EV Drivers Can Help

As an EV driver, you can help improve public charging reliability by sharing your experiences on crowd-sourced apps like Chargeway, PlugShare, and ChargeHub. Reporting issues and leaving reviews not only help station operators address problems but also assist fellow drivers in making informed charging decisions, avoiding potential headaches.

More to Come

Stay tuned for updates and future charger audits across Maryland’s networks. With any luck, these stations will be back online soon, and progress will continue to be tracked right here.

List of BGE Offline Charging Ports on 09/19/2024