An electric vehicle charging network has introduced a way to quickly diagnose and fix problems for EV drivers using artificial intelligence, according to Electrek.
ChargePoint, a global EV charging network, has rolled out a new AI-driven tool that is the first of its kind in the industry. The tool will help diagnose breakdown issues, signal repairs, and improve dependability for users across their charging network.
"By deploying AI technology that can diagnose hardware issues, ChargePoint has a critical new tool joining our Network Operations Center to ensure station uptime," ChargePoint CEO Rick Wilmer said. "This technology will enable us to triage and resolve physical issues that cannot be detected via remote monitoring, demonstrating our commitment to innovations which deliver a reliable charging network."
When drivers encounter a charging station that isn't working, they can report the issue with an updated reporting feature in the ChargePoint app. Using AI, the app will analyze the issue via uploaded pictures and send a report to ChargePoint's operations team, who will implement repairs. According to ChargePoint, the technology will save time by eliminating the need for on-site inspection.
ChargePoint recently hit the milestone of 1 million charging ports across North America and Europe. However, experts say the United States will need to install more than a million more charging stations to handle the increase in EV sales, according to Here Technologies. Charging stations are also subject to vandalism by people who take the copper cables.
The lack of reliability and infrastructure is one problem turning away potential EV buyers. According to a study by McKinsey, over 80% of respondents think the availability of chargers is insufficient.
This new tool from ChargePoint can significantly improve the reliability and availability of public EV charging stations, allowing for a wider adoption of electric vehicles, which can save drivers money on fuel costs while decreasing air pollution and reliance on planet-warming dirty energy sources.
Some commenters were excited by the machine learning capability of the update from ChargePoint.
"Maybe we finally found a tangible market for AI," a commenter said.
Others were unsure if it was enough, since it relies on humans to report the issue.
"No diagnostic system should depend on the user. Drivers want to do less than at a gas station, not more," one user said.
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