As 3G Hits End of Life, Cars and EV Chargers Need Upgrades

As the pace of technology development has accelerated in recent decades, so has the pace of hardware and software obsolescence. General Motors (GM) introduced OnStar, the first in-vehicle telematics system, just 25 years ago, and it has already been through four distinct generations of cellular technology with 5G imminent. But it’s not just the vehicles we drive that are facing premature retirement. Everything around us is increasingly relying on wireless connectivity, including EV chargers, and that’s a problem.

Veteran journalist John Voelcker has been regularly documenting his experiences with inoperative charging stations as the number of new EVs he reviews has increased. In most cases, the problems that Voelcker has encountered have been caused by a range of issues, including software bugs, incompatibilities between vehicles and chargers, and outright hardware failures. It’s also important to note that no charging network has been exempt from these problems, including three of the largest: Electrify America, EVgo, and ChargePoint.

However, the most recent example that he posted on Twitter was a photo of a ChargePoint unit displaying a message that a modem upgrade was required. Carrier support for the 3G modem in this charger ceased in December 2021, nearly 2 months before the announced shutdown of networks from T-Mobile and AT&T were due to begin. Verizon will begin switching off its 3G radios at the end of 2022. As with prior network shutdowns, the carriers are repurposing the spectrum used for 3G to expand 5G capacity.

This is one of the downsides of having all of our devices be connected all the time. When the connection goes away, software-defined devices—whether they are security cameras, EV chargers, or vehicles—stop getting updates and in some cases, stop functioning entirely. Such is the case with these EV chargers.

EV Charger Maintenance Is Crucial

As the number of EVs on the road ramps up significantly in the coming years, it will be critical to make sure that chargers remain in proper working order. Guidehouse Insights’ Market Data: EV Charging Equipment report projects that over 1 million public chargers will be deployed in North America by 2030. Unlike gas stations that need regular replenishment of tanks and are staffed, many chargers are essentially unattended. Connectivity is necessary to authenticate users and process payments. Keeping chargers updated and functional is a necessity to support the EV transition. To its credit, ChargePoint has developed a modem upgrade kit, and most units on its network have been updated to 4G.

Vehicles Need Connectivity Too

When the first generation of GM’s OnStar with analog cellular devices reached end of life in 2007, there was no upgrade path to 2G or 3G. Those vehicles simply lost functionality that customers paid for. Since then, automakers have started to consider that vehicles typically last much longer than phones and cellular networks. When 2G networks were decommissioned, Nissan offered 3G upgrades to early Leaf drivers.

Today, automakers including Tesla, Subaru, and GM are offering or plan to offer 3G-to-4G modem upgrades to some customers. Audi recently partnered with Mojio to offer customers a 4G device that plugs into the diagnostic port to replace the 3G modem and even provide some enhanced functionality.

As we come to rely on long-life products, including vehicles and charging infrastructure that are software-defined, we need to make sure that those products are designed for upgradability. A key component of sustainability is not having to scrap and recreate everything every few years.