RV-Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Are A Necessity

The nation currently has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the EV charging landscape to support future innovation and help drive EV adoption. As decisions are made on how to spend the $5 billion in federal funding for a national fast-charging network and $2.5 billion in rural and urban communities, charging companies and site hosts should keep an important automotive segment front of mind: recreation vehicles, or RVs as they are commonly known.

The RV Industry Association and engineering firm Black & Veatch have just released a new report and financial analysis emphasizing the importance and value of establishing more RV-accessible EV infrastructure, particularly pull-through charging stations.

As a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act being signed into law in 2021, the federal government is deploying $5 billion for states to build a fast-charging network across the country. States have developed plans for spending the funds and are in various stages of releasing RFPs for site hosts to respond to with their specific proposals for utilizing the money to deploy DC fast chargers.

This newly released report and financial analysis provides responders with the business case, crucial drawings, reasonings, and cost analysis information surrounding the need for pull-through electric RV charging stations.

 “Decision makers, charging companies, and site hosts should deploy charging stations that fit all use cases, including those of RVs. The use case for pull-through charging for RVs already exists with electric vehicles, such as the Rivian R1T and Ford F150 Lightning, pulling towable RVs—which make up 88% of the RV production,” said RV Industry Association VP of Government Affairs Jason Rano. “Electrified motorized RVs and electric assist trailers are also being developed and need to be considered as these sites are designed not just for today, but for years to come.”

Charging sites should accommodate each of these use cases, as well as the use cases of medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

 “While pull-through charging will likely require more investment, our economic analysis shows that site hosts could recoup that investment in just a few years,” Rano continued. “When companies are considering the additional investment necessary for pull-through sites, it is important to consider that RVers will need to charge more frequently given the impact that towing has on an electric vehicle’s range. Customers with e-RVs and EVs towing RVs will seek out pull-through charging, ultimately spending more time and money at charging sites and the associated amenities.”

The report also confirms that pull-through charging leads to more efficient use of pull-in charging. Without pull-through charging electric vehicles with towable RVs would either have to decouple and park the trailer somewhere or, along with other medium and heavy-duty vehicles, they would potentially pull across multiple charging spots and block chargers.

The RV industry has developed this report to aid decision makers and site hosts as they make critical decisions that will shape EV charging infrastructure for years to come. Please contact Jason Rano at jrano@rvia.org to learn more about why pull-through charging stations are critical.