Warranties vs. SLAs: How to Secure Your EV Charging Investment for the Long Haul  

In a rapidly evolving EV (electric vehicle) charging landscape, ensuring charger reliability and operational stability isn’t just a good practice, it’s essential to your business. EV drivers depend on charger performance for trips both near and far. Companies depend on the returns on their charger investment through new customer acquisition, increased spend per visit, and elevated brand equity. However, the EV charging industry is as dynamic as it is attractive with frequent headlines featuring companies declaring insolvency and others exiting the U.S. market. Amid this evolving environment, smart companies are looking to protect their EV infrastructure investment, but is the right solution a warranty or a service level agreement (SLA)?  

What’s the difference between a warranty and an SLA?  

Both warranties and SLAs protect your EV chargers, but each address distinctly different aspects:  

• Warranties: Typically provided by manufacturers, warranties offer coverage for specific hardware defects or manufacturing errors for a limited period, usually one or two years. Think of it as your EV charger’s basic health insurance: it covers major issues but often has gaps like accidental damage or external events such as power surges.  

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): SLAs, on the other hand, focus on ensuring specific performance levels like guaranteed uptime, clear response times, and compensation if these commitments aren’t met. SLAs are proactive promises about performance and reliability, not just reactive fixes. They are typically offered by the network provider and are becoming more common in the EV charging space.  

At a glance: 

What does it take to keep chargers operational? 

Businesses investing in EV charging need reliability and performance, but the reality of making this happen is complex.  While there is a lot of focus on the hardware – the charger itself, that is not the only factor driving performance.  The charger runs on software, that software underpins a network, which in turn relies on connectivity to execute charging sessions. The software and the hardware must work seamlessly together, the charging infrastructure is connected to the larger energy grid, and so on.  Virtually all businesses that invest in EV charging do not have internal expertise in these functions, they are hotels, restaurants, parks, offices, retail stores, and the like.  This leaves them tremendously vulnerable when things do not work properly and obligated to navigate an ecosystem with multiple disparate stakeholders to identify a solution. 

Do I need a warranty for my EV charger? 

Yes, it is vital to have a charger that is covered by a warranty, but also to understand what is actually covered.  Most common warranties provide basic coverage for the charging hardware only, which is a good start but is not a complete solution.  They do not address the larger complex ecosystem involved in managing EV charger operations.  Even with the most comprehensive hardware warranty, charger performance is not guaranteed. 

How can SLAs help protect my investment? 

SLAs can fill in some of the gaps left by common warranties, providing clarity around vendor expectations and guaranteed protection against operational downtime.  However, SLAs are not commonly offered as part of a hardware purchase.  They need to be secured as part of a separate transaction with a maintenance service provider.  To do this, the business now has the mantle of responsibility to find a service provider, ensure that they are qualified to work on the hardware, and negotiate terms.  Even when this is complete, it does not provide any support for the software, network, and energy aspects of charger operations.   

Choosing the Right Protection Matters  

But what if businesses didn’t have to be limited to warranties or SLAs? Lynkwell’s EVSE-360™ is redefining what is means to truly protect an investment in EV charging infrastructure.  

EVSE-360™ is a holistic EV charger management and protection solution. Instead of forcing businesses into choosing limited warranty coverage or negotiating complex SLAs, EVSE-360™ integrates both into one powerful, easy-to-manage program. Only EVSE-360™ provides: 

• Full-Value Protection: EVSE-360™ doesn’t just cover defects, it includes 100% coverage for replacements, repairs, labor, and shipping. No hidden exceptions or fine print, just straightforward, comprehensive protection.  
• Integrated Analytics Software: At the heart of EVSE-360™ is Lynkwell’s powerful ViaLynk™ software platform, delivering real-time insights into charger health, usage patterns, and revenue. Proactive monitoring and performance analytics mean problems are addressed long before they disrupt your operations and affect your bottom line.  
• Revenue Reimbursement Assurance: EVSE-360™ compensates businesses if downtime occurs: if an approved claim isn’t resolved within 72 hours, site hosts receive daily reimbursement ($5/day for Level 2 chargers, $50/day for DC fast chargers). Lynkwell’s commitment to uptime translates directly into tangible financial security.  
• Vendor Freedom: Unlike some competitors who limit coverage only to specific charger models, EVSE-360™ covers an expansive, growing vendor list. Businesses are not locked into limited options, future infrastructure decisions remain flexible and strategic.  
• Stability You Can Trust: The EV market is dynamic and volatility has emerged as a genuine concern. Over recent years, several prominent EV charging brands have exited the U.S. market, while others have faced insolvency. These industry shifts underscore the importance of choosing providers backed by financial strength and long-term stability. EVSE-360™ stands apart precisely because of its strong foundation—backed by an A+ rated insurance company. This backing isn’t just about financial stability; it’s about guaranteeing that your chargers—and the protection promised—will be here not just today, but years from now. 

The Bottom Line 

When evaluating the EV charger support market, many providers offer piecemeal solutions: some have limited catalogs of compatible hardware, others exclude software or analytics, and many provide no reimbursement for downtime at all. These limitations often leave site hosts juggling multiple vendors and uncertain outcomes.  

In EV infrastructure, reliability isn’t optional—it’s mission-critical. A warranty might keep your charger operational short-term, and an SLA may clarify performance expectations. But only EVSE-360™ brings these protections together seamlessly, ensuring your investment thrives through an unpredictable market. When you choose EVSE-360™, you’re not just securing hardware; you’re investing in a partnership built for resilience, stability, and continuous growth.