Why EV Chargers Fail — And How to Fix Them: Kameale Terry, CEO of ChargerHelp

Grid Connections

Summary
What’s really behind the broken EV chargers we’ve all encountered — and how do we fix them for good? In this episode, ChargerHelp CEO Kameale Terry breaks down the surprising truth that 90% of charger downtime is due to software, not hardware. She explains how outdated protocols like OCPP 1.6, poorly structured service contracts, and misaligned incentives have made charger reliability a major roadblock, especially for fleets. Kameale also shares how field data is driving a new era of performance-based service models, and why 2025 is a critical year for setting standards, building accountability, and creating real uptime. If you care about EV infrastructure, fleet electrification, or the future of charging reliability, this episode is a must-listen.
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Links from this Episode:

1. ChargerHelp
2. EV Charging Reliability Report (2024) by ChargerHelp
3. Electric Vehicle Charging Summit & Expo: March 26–27, 2025, Las Vegas
4. Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) managed by Open Charge Alliance
5. ChargeX Consortium launched by Joint Office of Energy and Transportation
6. Alliance for Transportation Electrification (ATE)
7. Voltera
8. Terawatt Infrastructure
9. Electrada offering Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS)
10. Revel helping power EV rideshare drivers.
11. LAZ Parking EV charging partnership with EPIC Charging

Takeaways:

1. Fleet operators are leading EV charging innovation — not public stations — because uptime directly impacts their bottom line.
2. Bundled software + hardware contracts hurt reliability, often leaving no funding for operations and maintenance (O&M) when things break.
3. Current EV charging standards lack enforcement — even widely used protocols like OCPP 1.6 suffer from inconsistent implementations.
4. There’s no aftermarket for EV charger parts, making maintenance costly and unscalable for operators with mixed hardware brands.
5. Proactive charger maintenance is finally possible thanks to field data and diagnostics, reducing the need for constant truck rolls.
6. Commercial charging for rideshare and delivery fleets is a massive growth opportunity, especially for parking operators and urban depots.

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NEVI, EV charging, infrastructure, federal policy, rideshare, rural charging, electric vehicles, multifamily, charging deserts, state responses, industry trends, DCFC, DC Fast Charging