EV Charging Market Reliability Challenges and the Framework to Fix Them

Addressing reliability and poor customer experience isn’t just about better hardware and remote connectivity - it’s about a unified approach to operations, comprehensive observability and orchestrating outcomes.

The EV charging market is on an unstoppable trajectory - but that doesn’t mean everyone wins. 

In the United States, NEVI funds are locked in bureaucratic gridlock. Canada paused rebates. South America faces a capital drought. Meanwhile, the EU powers ahead with public-private rollouts, and private players like Tesla, Ionna, and Walmart are building their own lanes.

But according to Berg Insight, Europe and North America will reach nearly 18 million connected EV charging points by 2028, growing at a 31% CAGR. The question isn’t if the build out will happen, it’s whether systems at scale and higher utilization rates. Many public and private companies in this market are struggling, mostly with operational and technology challenges that are giving the industry a black eye. 

Where Reliability Fails: Six Fractures in the Experience

The real threat isn’t government policy or funding gaps. It is the erosion of user trust. For too many drivers and fleet operators, the EV charging experience feels like a gamble. Behind the scenes, fragmented systems and misaligned tools are silently wrecking reliability.

There are the six failure points facing, and created by, operators:

1. Hardware malfunctions: Faulty connectors, overheating, and degraded power modules knock chargers offline.

2. User interface failures: Broken screens or confusing prompts block even basic interactions.

3. Payment and authentication errors: App mismatches and broken card readers make charging impossible.

4. Connectivity gaps: A charger marked “online” but unable to talk to the backend is a ghost in the network.

5. Digital experience blind spots: Outdated apps, ghost stations, and missing session data frustrate users and limit insights.

6. Delayed remediation: Days-long outages due to missing telemetry, no remote diagnostics, and poor workflow orchestration.

These aren’t just technical bugs. They are operational deficiencies that increase support costs, tank NPS, and sabotage a company’s brand’s promise.

The Invisible Infrastructure: DeviceOps, Observability and Workflows 

What EV charging networks need isn’t just more reliable connectivity or new dashboards. They need a unified operations stack that also delivers comprehensive visibility and insights. Automated workflows need to be triggered by events - or even anticipated events. 

EdgeIQ Symphony is a purpose-built orchestration platform for connected product businesses. Home grown tools and repurposed third platforms fall short of functional or scale requirements. Or, at the very least, they create silos and force product and service teams into constant heroics.  While others focus on individual components, we integrate the full stack: from devices to data, and from diagnostics to business workflows.

Let’s break it down.

DeviceOps: The Operational Backbone of Charging Infrastructure

EV chargers are not monolithic machines. Each is a system of physical components, connectivity, OS, firmware, local, mobile and web applications. Each element of the value chain can become the weak link in your operations. 

EdgeIQ’s DeviceOps delivers:

• A unified system-of-record across your entire fleet with account specific device mapping

• Zero-touch provisioning for rapid deployment 

• OTA software campaign management

• Robust configuration management control by region, operator, or usage tier

• Tools for remote diagnostics and remediation

When a charger fails, your user doesn’t care whether it’s a config issue or a failed firmware update. They just know it didn’t work. 

Observability: Deep Insights for Short and Long Term Visibility and Response

Reliability starts with visibility. But “online/offline” isn’t enough. Operators need rich telemetry, behavioral insights, and trends that reveal degradation before it hits the customer.

EdgeIQ’s Observability platform provides:

• Real-time device and network data for all components and systems

• Status on operational updates, jobs and workflows

• Historical usage analysis and SLA reporting

• Visualizations that identify regional trends and systemic issues

This is Observability purpose-built for connected, complex products and system, not merely IT. To learn more about this in practice, visit our Observability offering page.

Workflow Management: Automating the Invisible Ecosystem

Charging isn’t just about volts. Every session triggers authentication, CRM, billing, and sometimes even field dispatch. When these integrations and workflows aren’t properly orchestrated failure happens. 

EdgeIQ’s Workflow Management unlocks:

• Cross-system workflows between DeviceOps, Observability, ERP, CRM, Field Service and connectivity management

• First-connection workflows to automate network connections, data flows, custom configurations, service policies and more

• Workflow templates to automate support playbooks for every layer in the service organization

It’s not just about automating a reboot—it’s about enabling orchestrated responses that drive the right customer outcomes. 

More than Observability – Outcome-Driven Orchestration

EdgeIQ Symphony doesn’t treat Observability, Device Management, and Workflow Automation as separate silos. It integrates them into a unified orchestration offering where every insight can trigger an action, and every system is wired for resilience.

Conclusion: The Next 10 Million Ports Won’t Fix Themselves

The EV charging market is here, even if it’s stalled. Winners won’t have the biggest networks - they will have the most reliable networks that they can operate at the lowest cost. 

Explore how EdgeIQ helps EV charging businesses improve uptime and customer experience at scale. Visit our EV Charging industry page.

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