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EVs - the cleaner, eco-friendlier way to travel - have become increasingly popular as the world prioritizes sustainability. The surge in EV usage has also sparked an increase in demand for charging facilities.
To fully support the growing number of EVs, reliable and efficient charging infrastructure is essential. The current ratio of charging stations to electric cars leaves much to be desired. Certain locations have an overflow of EVs, thus resulting in extensive wait times for those seeking a charge. Conversely, certain charging stations remain underutilized due to the shortage of electric cars circulating in their vicinity. Striking the correct balance between EVs and charging stations is pivotal for the ongoing success and expansion of the electric vehicle market.
There are plans to expand the quantity of EV charging stations around the world, however. Before these plans are in place, the most important issue will be how to maintain stable performance and provide uninterrupted charging services even under high-density usage, for the existing charging equipment that already exists now.
Challenges of building and operating efficient EV charging infrastructure
To enhance the efficiency of EV charging infrastructure, the upkeep of public charging stations is a top priority to guarantee access, functionality, and quick repair. With the rise of EVs, demand for charging stations will increase, requiring a vigilant watch on system performance and necessary improvements. Operators face challenges with integrating charging infrastructure with the power grid and managing the flow of electricity to ensure grid stability.
Considering the aforementioned circumstances, the following three elements can facilitate the development of a comprehensive intelligent charging infrastructure utilizing currently available products and solutions:
1) OOB Management
Out-of-band (OOB) management is a critical part for modern EV charging infrastructure, as it provides a secondary management network that allows for remote access to charging stations in case of primary network failure. This ensures 24/7 operation and minimizes inconvenience to EV drivers while also enhancing cybersecurity by enabling remote diagnosis and resolution of issues.
In collaboration with Microsoft Azure, Innodisk, a leading AIoT solution provider, has developed an SSD with innovative OOB-inspired functions. InnoAGE, the advanced solution boasts versatile management capabilities, including intelligent data analysis, robust data security, and cloud-based remote control. It is designed to enable comprehensive network management, both in-band and out-of-band, ensuring seamless recovery even in the event of an operating system crash. Additionally, a lightning-fast on-site recovery solution, InnoOSR, is available for frontline workers to quickly address system crashes at the site, optimizing the OOB structure with streamlined troubleshooting through a simple one-click process, resulting in full recovery at a minimal cost.
In addition to implementing OOB technology through flash storage, system expansion modules, InnoAgent, can also serve as an alternative option to support remote management and power reset, effectively addressing up to 80% of edge-end failures through swift reboots.
2) Industrial-grade Hardware Solutions
As EV charging stations are typically located outdoors and are exposed to various weather conditions, they require industrial-grade component design to ensure optimal functionality and longevity. The key components used in EV charging stations, including DRAM and SSD, should be able to withstand extreme temperatures, humidity, and exposure to dust and water, so as to ensure stable operation and resilience to diverse environmental conditions. Moreover, the components should be designed to operate reliably and efficiently even under heavy workloads. This requires rigorous testing and quality control to ensure that the components are of high quality and can perform as expected in real-world scenarios.
3) Smart Charging
To maximize the energy efficiency of each charging station, smart charging plays an essential role. By analyzing data on charging patterns, energy usage, and peak demand, smart charging can dynamically adjust the charging speed and schedule to reduce energy waste and avoid overloading the grid during peak hours. Smart charging solutions require reliable and high-performance storage solutions to store and process large amounts of data in real-time. This is where industrial-grade DRAM and SSD solutions come into play.
Industrial-grade DRAM and SSD solutions are built with durable components that can withstand the high demands of continuous operation and intense computing. This helps to ensure that the storage solutions can keep up with the demands of smart charging systems, which require constant data processing and storage. Moreover, smart charging solutions require high-performance storage solutions to process and store large amounts of data collected from each spot in real-time. Industrial-grade DRAM and SSD solutions are designed to deliver fast read and write speeds, low latency, and high endurance, which make it a perfect option for smart charging applications.
The importance of integrated AIoT technology in modern EV charging infrastructure
With the ever-increasing changes occurring in technology and intelligent applications, the EV charging industry is transforming at an unprecedented rate. It's becoming more apparent that considering how often people will be on the road with EVs, there will be an urgent need for dependable and effective charging solutions, giving rise to specialized AIoT solutions. Concluding, the advancements in technology will surely change this industry for the better.
Real-time information on charging station availability, location, and status can be efficiently provided to users through AIoT solutions. Additionally, the use of AIoT can decrease operating costs and improve resource management for charging station operators by enabling them to automate regular tasks like billing, monitoring, and maintenance.
The industry's continued advancements and prosperity will depend heavily on the unification of software, firmware, and hardware, with hardware itself consisting of batteries, connectors, cables, and charging stations. It is imperative that these elements seamlessly interconnect for optimal efficiency. Embedded software that manages hardware comprises the firmware component, while the software component houses the mobile applications, back-end systems, and charging management system.
Charging station operators will experience improved usability and lower maintenance costs through the seamless integration of key EV charging components. By remotely monitoring and managing charging stations, operators can significantly reduce downtime while increasing operational efficiency.
The EV charging industry is poised for significant growth in the coming years, and the development of AIoT solutions and the integration of software, firmware, and hardware will be crucial to meeting the growing demand for efficient and reliable charging solutions.
Johnny Wu is director at Innodisk Corp. where he supervises development of AIoT platforms and AIoT i/o modules. He also oversees software development for AI, IoT and cloud management there.
Editor's Note: On a somewhat related note, the Autotech Council is introducing several autotech startups at Sensors Converge 2023 in Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday June 21 at 3 p.m. Registration is online.