A Guide to the Evolving EV Charging Landscape

By Parker Allen

Electric vehicles are no longer a glimpse of the future. They're part of the present. With EV sales accounting for nearly 10% of new light-duty vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2024[1] and expected to grow rapidly as battery costs fall and infrastructure expands, the demand for charging stations is surging.

The growth of EV adoption has opened a new frontier for lighting contractors, maintenance professionals, and electrical service providers. As commercial buildings, campuses, and retailers race to deploy EV chargers, many of the same professionals who handle lighting retrofits, energy audits, and controls integration are now being tapped to plan, install, and maintain charging infrastructure.

What began as a fringe service is quickly becoming central to the lighting industry’s evolving role in smart buildings and electrification. Manufacturers like LEDVANCE and Espen Technology have added EV chargers to their product offerings, and electrical contractors are increasingly being asked to include EV installations alongside their lighting scopes.

To help shed light on this rapidly expanding market, LM&M spoke with Jacob Gonzalez, EV Charging Specialist at Blue Horizon Energy, a Minnesota-based company specializing in commercial solar, battery storage, and EV infrastructure.

Gonzalez offered insights from the front lines of the EV transition, addressing key questions around technology, installation, maintenance, and market dynamics.

A MARKET IN MOTION

Despite headlines suggesting political uncertainty or slowing EV sales, the long-term outlook remains strong. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) allocated billions in federal funding to boost domestic battery production and charging infrastructure. That investment is beginning to take shape.

Rivian is expanding its Illinois factory by one million square feet, aiming to eventually produce over 200,000 vehicles annually. Ford is developing its own lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery plant in Michigan, expected to come online by 2026. These investments will reduce manufacturing costs, which is key to broader EV adoption, especially for commercial and fleet operators, who have cited high purchase prices as a major barrier.

We’re nearing that tipping point where EVs become price-competitive with ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, and that’s when growth will accelerate.

LESSONS FROM LIGHTING

Those familiar with the LED explosion of LEDs circa the early 2010s, this may feel a bit like déjà vu. Like the early days of LEDs, the EV charging industry is flooded with manufacturers who have taken note of the opportunity.

A recent J.D. Power home charging study included over eighty Level 1 and Level 2 in its survey sample. [2] While competition can drive innovation, not all these companies will survive the next few years. For example, FreeWire and Enel X were once promising players who have since exited the U.S. market due to financial or regulatory setbacks.

For contractors choosing which equipment to install, the advice is clear: proceed with caution. Make sure the company has been around longer than their warranty. And if they’re new, they need to offer something truly unique or valuable.

Key considerations include:

• Product modularity – Can individual components be replaced, or must the entire unit be swapped out?

• Warranty and support – Does the manufacturer offer reliable technical support and parts replacement?

• Network integration – If software is involved, is it reliable and intuitive for the end user?

THE SOFTWARE SIDE OF CHARGING

While the hardware gets most of the attention, software plays an equally critical role in the success of an EV charging station. Most reliability complaints, Gonzalez noted, stem not from the hardware, but from the “virtual handshake” between vehicle, charger, and software.

Inconsistent performance, where charging fails to start or takes multiple attempts, can frustrate drivers and damage a brand’s reputation. That’s why contractors should consider the software experience from the driver’s point of view.

“In office settings, where users are repeat customers, an app-based system can work fine,” Gonzalez explained. “But in public locations, people don’t want to download five different apps just to charge their car.” Tap-to-pay and plug-and-charge functionality, like Tesla’s, are becoming the gold standard, especially as more drivers expect charging to be as easy as pumping gas.

HARDWARE TRENDS

While Level 1 chargers, operating on standard 120V outlets, are still around, Level 2 (240V) and DC fast chargers (up to 1,000V) dominate today’s market. Most Level 2 units now offer between 6 and 19.2 kW of output. More EVs are beginning to accept an 80A (19.2 kW) charge, a shift that helps future-proof infrastructure and deliver a better driver experience.

DC fast chargers are advancing rapidly. Chinese manufacturer BYD recently demonstrated a 1-megawatt charging session, enough to charge a vehicle in five minutes. While that tech isn’t yet mainstream in the U.S., the trajectory is clear: faster charging is on the horizon, and facilities need to plan accordingly.

As the hardware landscape grows more complex, manufacturers are adapting to meet the evolving needs of site hosts. Erich Bockley, EV Product Manager for LEDVANCE US & Canada, noted that the demand for public charging spans a wide range of property types—retail, hospitality, office parks, and multifamily housing—all with distinct requirements.

“The EV charging market is expanding quickly across these segments, each with its own installation challenges and evolving regulations,” Bockley said. “That’s why we’ve developed a modular platform for our Phase EV line, allowing us to quickly configure chargers with the right communication and payment features to meet specific site demands.”

This kind of flexibility helps contractors better serve clients without overcomplicating procurement or logistics. It also ensures faster deployment—critical in a market racing to keep up with EV adoption.

That includes planning for electrical capacity. Many facilities don’t have sufficient panel space or service size to support multiple high-powered chargers. That’s where smart power-sharing comes in.

“There’s panel-level and circuit-level power sharing,” Gonzalez explained. “These features allow multiple chargers to operate off limited capacity by intelligently distributing power based on demand.” For example, an office with eight 80A chargers on a 225-amp panel can still function if vehicles arrive and charge at different times, and not all draw full power simultaneously.

MAINTENANCE: THE OVERLOOKED GOLD MINE

One of the most significant takeaways from the conversation is the opportunity around EV charger maintenance, an area ripe for experienced lighting service contractors.

EV chargers need regular upkeep. Connectors wear out. Software glitches, and sometimes you need to replace an entire screen. Full-time EV charger service work is a growing and viable niche.

Contractors should also be aware of systems that allow them to be tagged as the designated service provider within the charger’s software network. This enables automatic alerts and dispatches for troubleshooting, similar to how many lighting control systems now flag outages remotely.

Maintenance isn’t a side note. It’s a business line.

WHO OWNS THE STATIONS?

Ownership models vary. Most Level 2 chargers are privately owned and installed on commercial properties for employees or tenants. Many are not even listed on public charging apps.

DC fast chargers, on the other hand, are usually publicly accessible and operated by charge point operators (CPOs) like Electrify America or EVgo. But some major retailers are rethinking that model. Walmart, for example, is moving away from leasing space to CPOs and instead launching their own EV charging network, noted Gonzalez. They want to control the customer experience and the revenue.

This trend could open additional opportunities for lighting contractors, as large retail chains seek end-to-end partners for planning, installing, and maintaining EV infrastructure.

LOOKING AHEAD

While there’s still plenty of fragmentation in the EV charging space—hardware standards, software interfaces, charger types—the general direction is forward. The parallels to lighting controls, smart buildings, and energy-efficient infrastructure make EV charging a natural extension of lighting contractors’ existing expertise.

Every parking lot is now a potential charging location. For those who can deliver quality installations and reliable maintenance, the future is full of opportunity.

[1] Isenstadt, Aaron and Slowik, Peter. “U.S. Passenger Electric Vehicle Sales and Model Availability Through 2024” (28 April 2025). International Council on Clean Transportation. https://theicct.org/publication/us-passenger-ev-sales-and-model-availability-through-2024-apr25/

[2] “U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Home Charging Study” (19 March 2025). J.D. Power. https://www.jdpower.com/business/us-electric-vehicle-experience-evxhome-charging-study