EV Charging Station Maintenance 101: How and Why It's Important

Field service workers need rugged mobile devices, with strong connectivity to proactively maintain public and private electric vehicle charging stations, helping to ensure a reliable flow of power for motorists – regardless of location.

written by: Brecht Dhooge, Marketing Manager (Benelux) at Panasonic TOUGHBOOK

The electric vehicle boom is in full swing, with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) growing in popularity with every year that passes. According to the European Environment Agency, 10.7 million new cars were registered in 2023 across Europe, with approximately 2.5 million BEV or PHEV registrations. With governments under pressure to minimise carbon emissions and limit temperature increases, many have introduced incentives for buying electric vehicles (EVs), and announced future bans on the sale of non-EVs.

As a result, the number of EVs registered will likely grow at an exponential rate, placing additional pressure on the public and private EV charging station network across Europe to deliver power when it’s required.

This highlights the importance of the maintenance and repair of charging stations when they malfunction. With charging stations being installed in increasingly remote areas, field service workers and technicians need a rugged, reliable mobile computing solution to correctly diagnose any issues, and get motorists back on the road as quickly as possible.

Seamless performance and storage is essential

The interconnectivity between charging stations – and with the operator’s master network – means that the data from each station is critical when undergoing maintenance or repairs.

It is therefore imperative that technicians utilise high-performance mobile devices that can instantly analyse data at the source. They must choose a device that can take advantage of the latest connectivity protocols – either wireless or wired – and one that can easily visualise a lot of data. This requires a high-performance mobile solution with market-leading processing power.

The volume of data from charging stations is usually high. Given that some charging stations are in remote locations, devices require strong and reliable connectivity to transmit across wireless networks. It also requires military-grade encryption to keep data safe.

TOUGHBOOK: the perfect companion

These requirements play to the strengths of Panasonic’s range of rugged TOUGHBOOK devices. Combining the full power of Windows 11 Pro, Intel® AI processing at the edge, and the latest military-grade encryption, Panasonic TOUGHBOOK devices are built to withstand the harshest working conditions, whilst boosting efficiency and productivity.

Popular with remote field service workers, the TOUGHBOOK G2 mk2 also features 5G connectivity; market-leading modularity; and a IP65 rating for water and dust ingress. Its 10.1-inch screen also allows for critical information to be accessed regardless of the climatic conditions – whether it’s the glaring sun or pounding wind and rain.

AI-based technology making the difference

Mobile workers can unlock AI’s potential with the right tools. A rugged, future-proof device, such as the TOUGHBOOK 40 mk2 notebook, enables AI processing capabilities when attending to electric vehicle charging stations to analyse data at the edge – particularly useful in remote locations with no access to cellular or wireless connections.

Furthermore, technicians that have access to wiring diagrams and schematics on their device can combine AI-enabled computer vision technology with a build-in camera to accurately show where these connections should be within a charging station. AI processors can also be used to automatically generate inspection reports, saving significant administrative time and resources in the field.

Panasonic TOUGHBOOK devices are indispensable to field service workers that maintain EV charging stations. They provide the ultimate combination of ruggedness, security, connectivity, and performance in maximising charging station uptime; crucial not only in keeping people moving, but fostering increased adoption of electric vehicles.

Learn more about Panasonic’s Automotive Field Repair solutions here.

EV Charging Station Maintenance 101: How and Why It's Important

Seamless performance and storage is essential

TOUGHBOOK: the perfect companion

AI-based technology making the difference

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