Innovative Level 2 Commercial EV Charger Pioneers the Concept of Uptime-Centric Design 

As automakers accelerate their transition to electric vehicles—over 20 manufacturers, accounting for more than 90 percent of 2023 car sales, have set EV deployment targets, according to the International Energy Agency—the demand for reliable charging infrastructure has never been greater. Delivering dependable charging experiences is key to sustaining this momentum, making uptime (the period during which an EV charger is operational and available for use without any interruptions) a critical priority for both site hosts and drivers. 

Uptime is more than just a performance metric—it’s the cornerstone of trust in EV charging infrastructure. Reliable access to charging stations is essential for empowering drivers and accelerating EV adoption. For site hosts, maximizing operational efficiency translates to higher utilization and revenue. Addressing these considerations requires innovative solutions that prioritize easy installation, quick serviceability, and support seamless operation from installation to maintenance. 

Imperative to Address Uptime 

A 2024 report released by the Electrification Institute focused on the most common reasons for failed EV charging sessions revealed that while 55 percent of failed charging attempts were due to station connectivity issues, 38 percent resulted from internal station faults or errors. With the stakes so high, reactively addressing technical glitches is not enough to ensure true uptime: the design of the charger hardware itself must proactively anticipate and mitigate common points of failure. 

Start with Clear Objectives 

As the industry increasingly prioritizes performance, engineers at Lynkwell posed a critical question: what if charger design was centered around delivering superior uptime? The U.S.-based energy infrastructure company’s years of experience across the entire EV charging value chain, including the installation and management of a diverse portfolio of chargers, have given them a holistic perspective to address the often fragmented or insufficient accountability for infrastructure performance.   

The answer to their question emerged in the form of Lynkwell’s groundbreaking uptime-centric design concept: the EZ-Swap Faceplate™, a modular front cover and faceplate for the XLynk™ charger, specifically engineered for easy servicing. While XLynk™ already has an impressive 99 percent uptime, the EZ-Swap Faceplate™ allows for resolution of most hardware issues in record time ensuring minimal downtime and seamless operation. 

Informed by years of experience deploying diverse charging hardware from varied manufacturers, Lynkwell strategically differentiated this product to mitigate some of the common issues its installers and site hosts experienced in real-world applications. Since many other chargers on the market require total charger replacement when hardware fails, the result can be hours of on-site labor, considerable costs, and not to mention days or weeks of inoperable charging stations.  

Impact of Strategic Design 

Analyzing the cause of most hardware faults, the Lynkwell team ensured that major components are housed in the front of the charger and thus easily accessible by the EZ Swap Faceplate™. To dramatically reduce downtime and maximize operational efficiency, most repairs can be completed in less than five minutes with basic hand tools – delivering a 90 percent faster service time and minimizing disruptions for site hosts and drivers alike. 

Designing for uptime starts with a focus on ease of installation and seamless initiation. The smoother and faster these initial steps, the sooner a charger can become a reliable destination for drivers. The XLynk charger’s 50 percent faster startup time gets chargers operational and generating revenue sooner, while ensuring the dependable experience drivers rely on.   

By streamlining both installation ease and activation speed, XLynk™ not only ensures superior uptime from day one, but also empowers more installers to confidently expand their EV infrastructure offerings. Uptime-centric design directly addresses the common pain points of EV charger maintenance – long repair times, requirements for specialized expertise, and costly delays – making it easier to scale charging infrastructure while ensuring reliability and efficiency. The result is a solution that benefits installers, site hosts, and drivers alike by meeting their needs without requiring significant expertise in an emerging industry. 

“Effective charger design is not just a matter of aesthetics, it is a strategic imperative to create better EV charging experiences for all stakeholders across the value chain,” Schuyler Poukish, CEO and co-founder of Lynkwell said. “By prioritizing serviceability in our design strategy, we ensure our chargers consistently meet superior standards to outperform traditional uptime metrics. The resulting long-term reliability enhances driver convenience and boosts site utilization, addressing crucial demands of this growing industry.” 

The XLynk charger sets a new standard for reliability and efficiency, proven by its key advantages: 

• EZ-Swap Faceplate™: Resolves most hardware issues in under five minutes using basic hand tools, minimizing downtime. 

• 90% faster repair time: Significantly reduces maintenance delays and boosts operational efficiency. 

• 50% faster installation: Reduces setup time and gets sites operational sooner. 

• Lifetime warranty: The first for a commercial charger, offering unmatched long-term value. 

These features collectively lower costs, speed up servicing, and deliver a consistently dependable user experience.  And in an industry characterized by constant change, the most valuable tool is one you can truly count on. 

To learn more about Lynkwell and its groundbreaking XLynk™ commercial charger, visit info.lynkwell.com/xlynk.