The US lacks electric vehicle charging station repairmen

Nearly 4,000 public charging stations were not operating as of October 5, while the number of skilled electricians was insufficient.

According to data from the US Department of Energy (DOE), the number of broken charging stations accounts for 6% of the total number of public charging stations in the US. Therefore, the lack of skilled electricians is becoming a new "headache" for the entire industry.

As electric vehicles become more and more popular on North American roads, the infrastructure to serve battery-powered vehicles has not developed accordingly. One of the big challenges charging station providers face is not having enough electricians for all the charging stations that need them.

An electrician at an electric vehicle charging station in the US. Photo: Automotive News

DOE estimates that nearly 4,000 public charging stations, and 7,000 charging poles across the United States, were no longer operating as of early October. Some observers believe that the number given by the US government may be lower than reality.

While the White House's response is to build more charging stations and repair or replace broken stations, that's only half the number that are broken. In addition to investment, America needs more people to fix broken charging posts.

Electric vehicle charging posts are a new thing with complex technology, so they require specially trained, skilled electricians. Automotive News said that America is experiencing a shortage of professional electricians.

Matt Trout, president of Trout Electric, said he can hire any professional electrician on site. According to Qmerit - also a company specializing in installing charging stations - the US will need at least 142,000 more qualified electricians by the end of 2030 to support the transition to electric vehicles. This process takes into account the number of solar panels, battery storage centers, smart electrical cabinets, and new electrical technologies that are increasingly popular.

What makes the situation even more difficult is that technicians for electric vehicle charging stations must also be able to do more than just electrical repairs. Many people need complex computer knowledge, which means software skills.

Demand is increasing, but supply is decreasing. Qmerit estimates the total number of electricians will decrease by 14% through 2030, while demand is expected to increase by 6% through 2032.

However, there is some valuable help amid the difficulties. The electric vehicle infrastructure training program (EVITP) jointly established by automakers has trained 30,000 electricians across the US and Canada over the past decade. According to co-president Jennifer Mefford, their programs are also designed to train electricians to work with green technologies other than electricity.