Convenience store owners and retailers see electric vehicle (EV) charging as essential to their ability to remain competitive, according to a new survey conducted by Franklin Electric in conjunction with C-Store Dive. The survey investigated developing trends and existing pain points around electric vehicle DC fast charging from the perspective of charge point operators.

The survey revealed three key pain points around DC fast charging for EVs:

• Downtime: None of the respondents reported that all their charging ports were fully operational during a typical month, which has serious business and financial consequences.
• Maintenance or repair costs: Nearly 1 in 3 respondents are paying ~$800 per trip for repairs and maintenance.
• Maintenance or repair time: Nearly one-quarter of all respondents were concerned about the lack of qualified maintenance or repair technicians to service their charging sites, with nearly 82% identifying this issue as a pain point for their operations.

While owners and operators are figuring out how to address these challenges, the survey uncovered a strong commitment to continue investing in EV charging infrastructure.

Operators agree that installing DC fast chargers is essential to remaining competitive

Operators see value in building EV charging ecosystems. Most respondents (65%) agree that DC fast chargers are essential to remaining competitive in their market, attracting new employees, achieving sustainability goals, opening new revenue streams and/or increasing sales. Accordingly, 42% are planning to add between 10 and 49 charging ports in the next two years.

Operators will prioritize higher power output chargers

The survey also highlighted operators’ awareness of consumer demand for quick and convenient EV charging services. When asked about future expansion plans, nearly half (48%) of respondents indicated they will prioritize investments in high power output DC chargers of 250 kilowatts (kW) or more; 66% reported the majority of their current fleet was between 50 kW and 150 kW.

Operators want real-time diagnostics from their DC fast chargers

Additionally, operators indicated the need for high-quality data from DC fast charging points. More than one-third of participants cited monitoring issues and a lack of actionable data as major pain points. When asked what type of data would be most impactful for their business, nearly 60% said they wanted real-time diagnostics to help them quickly identify issues.

“This is a pivotal moment for convenience store owners, retailers and the DC fast charger industry,” said Mark Seitz, senior business unit manager at Franklin Electric. “Operators clearly see the value for DC fast charger infrastructure investments. However, for these services to be a profitable long-term business model, the market must address the key pain points highlighted by the survey.”

“Franklin Electric’s NexPhase™ switchgear solution does just that. It offers ongoing charger and utility power monitoring, real-time health data and accurate detection of outages even when charger communications are down. The system also features a remote power cycle capability, often enabling operators to bring chargers back online faster and reducing the need for costly service trips,” Seitz added.

Download the full report of the survey’s findings: The State of EV Charging for Convenience and Retail Stores

Survey Methodology

The survey, conducted by Franklin Electric in conjunction with C-Store Dive in March 2024, polled 106 people at small- to mid-sized organizations that own at least one DC fast charger.  Most respondents held operations or senior executive titles at convenience or other retail stores. Other groups responding to the survey included auto dealerships, local governments and others in the charging infrastructure space.