When it comes to both gas stations and EV charging, the big names get the most attention. Tesla, Electrify America, EVgo and others are the first people think of for EV charging, largely because almost everyone has charged in one or seen one.
But when it comes to gasoline and diesel, the vehicle fuel industry is not as dominated by the big names as you might think. Sure, there’s often a sign out front that says something like Shell, Chevron, Sinclair, or Buc-ee’s, but the station itself is usually owned by a local family. Many operate only one station, or only a few locally or regionally.
As expensive and difficult as EV fast charging can be, it seems like something only the big guys can do right, while everyone else has to stand on the porch and wait for the big guys to get it right. Two charging stations I visited recently challenge this assumption and show us that it doesn’t have to be this way. Electric vehicle charging is something that local families can access without having to work for a company owned by one of the big players.
A superior loading experience
Before I tell the story of how this local business started, I first want to share my experience getting paid at both Franklin locations. Everything turned out perfect for me and almost perfect for everyone else. Any imperfections were ironed out by almost obsessive in-person customer service.
My first experience with Franklin’s Charging was in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the company’s second location.
One thing that makes this location great is that it is right next to (and somewhat surrounded by) Hot Springs National Park. It is just outside the famous Bathhouse Row and is close to a variety of restaurants, tourist shops and other venues. So if you’re the type of person who likes to get out and walk while you charge, there’s no shortage of places nearby to see while you stretch your legs.
Unlike many site owners I’ve seen, Franklin’s stays on top of machine maintenance and makes sure ChargePoint does what is necessary to keep the machines in peak condition (or at least close to peak condition). This meant that both I and the Tesla that charged while I was there got top speeds!
If you text the owner’s phone number, you can get a PIN needed to access a waiting room with a nice couch, bathrooms, and adapters for Teslas to charge at CCS or CHAdeMO. The interior of the waiting room is also clean and pleasant.
While staff and a friendly place to serve human needs put the Hot Springs station above any I’ve visited, the main location in Little Rock is even better.
Like the Hot Springs location, the Little Rock location has solar panels that provide shade and rain protection, clean bathrooms, and a nice place to sit and take a break. But it also has snack machines and a small bar/cafe open part-time! It has a clean look, modern decor and a cozy atmosphere.
Another great thing in Little Rock was the newly upgraded ChargePoint station. While ChargePoint is still working out some bugs to make it work with Teslas, I saw my first non-Tesla NACS station here and from what I can gather, it’s among the first in the world. Because ChargePoint is still working out some final bugs, it couldn’t charge the Teslas that were there yet, but adapters were available.
In addition to the dedication to customer service that must have been required to be near the top of the waiting list for NACS cables, station owner Jeff Franklin was almost obsessive about making sure everyone received a charge . When he’s on site, he talks to everyone to make sure the charging session starts, that everyone knows what they’re doing, and that everyone has the adapter they need to get the job done. When he is off site, he is just a text or call away and can usually be there if in-person help is needed with any of the equipment.
Unlike most stations, there is someone who makes it their personal mission to keep everything running too. Keeping up with various charging station manufacturers (including one that’s in bad shape financially and another that’s in worse shape), service equipment, utilities, and everything else is a lot of work. However, a single person usually keeps an eye on all of this on hundreds of large company sites. But, when there’s one guy looking at two places, a lot less can go unnoticed.
A small business, a success story for Tesla investors
As far as I know, this is the only small company that focuses on EV charging. I know a lot of small businesses do other things, like selling food, selling gas, or providing tour services and charging electric vehicles, but it’s different when you charge first.
What’s even more impressive is that this isn’t the story of a local company finding big-city investors with deep pockets to take a chance on electric vehicle charging. Jeff, the owner, first earned his money teaching biology and other science classes in high school, and then invested some of his savings in Tesla like many other people here who read and write in Technical Cleaning. With some smart buying and selling moves at the right time, he raised enough money to be his own investor, paying cash for locations, buildings, and all but one of the charging stations.
If that doesn’t sound inspiring, you probably have some kind of disorder that’s worth consulting your doctor about.
I wish I could say that the charging station has been a huge financial success, but we haven’t gotten to that part of the story yet. As you may know, most charging stations still aren’t seeing enough business to cover the bills, so it takes a forward-thinking entrepreneur to get into EV charging at this point in the EV adoption curve. . That said, the utilization rate is rising steadily and rapidly, especially in the last year, and is quickly approaching breakeven on the way to profits.
For those who decide to jump in and get started, if you do a great job and become the go-to place for EV drivers, you will have an advantage over the more timid people who jump in later, once it comes down to it. easy earnings. Jeff is happy to help people who are considering getting into EV charging, so he’s not afraid to do it. look it up online if you want to gain some of your hard-earned wisdom. Like me, you believe in the concept of locally owned infrastructure.
Most importantly, though, Franklin’s Charging’s story shows that you don’t have to be a big company with huge investment power to get in the game. Local businesses that do this will own a big part of the future! However, it requires serious work.
All images by Jennifer Sensiba.
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