Pedestal PRO, the world’s renowned manufacturer of access control pedestals and creator of award-winning emergency blue light call towers, has announced the introduction of a Level 2 EV Charging Station that revolutionises the product category through the inclusion of technology-driven security capabilities within the charger’s pedestal.
The new EV Stations support one to four 40 Amp or 80 Amp chargers and the option to add surveillance cameras, emergency response communications, access control, and other security or IoT edge devices specified by the customer. Pedestal Pro’s paradigm-shifting model transforms traditionally siloed EV charging solutions into part of a site’s centrally managed technology ecosystem.
Property owners can monitor the health and status of EV charging functions, control the price-per-kWh, and manage the pedestal’s security devices through an intuitive web-based dashboard. Furthermore, cameras and other devices that are compatible with sitewide security platforms enable the integration of security video and data from the EV chargers into VMS, access control, and other security systems.
The charger stand’s interior, equipped with high-voltage and low-voltage electronics, provides dedicated mounting space that conforms to the desired devices’ specifications.
Pedestal Pro has paired premium aesthetics with industrial-grade construction to create an EV Charging Stand that enhances the look of any property and is designed to last.
Its NEMA-4-rated housing is built with a zinc-primed, powder-coated steel body and side panels, features attractive status lighting for each charger, and may be ordered with custom colours, lettering, and graphics to accommodate custom branding without slowing down the production timeline. No minimum quantities are required.
In entering the Level 2 Charging market, Pedestal Pro plans to expand the national footprint of available chargers while seeking to eliminate the problems traditionally associated with the product category. In May 2023, JD Power reported that one in five EV vehicle drivers sought out a public charger only to find it inoperable.
The most common reasons for charging session failures were station connectivity (55%), internal station faults (38%), and broken charging connectors or cables (4%). Thefts of copper total more than $1 billion annually, and EV Charging cables are prime targets for thieves.
Pedestal Pro’s stations are designed to minimise downtime and improve the experience of property owner-operators and EV drivers. Cloud-based notifications to a central network allow the chargers to self-report faults and downtime, prompting expedited maintenance or repairs.
LTE cellular and Wi-Fi ensure reliable connectivity with the cloud; the devices can also transmit over wireless mesh in underground garages and other areas lacking strong cellular communications. A mobile app helps drivers find charging stations, define their charging preferences, record their charging metrics, and more. Built-in cameras, when integrated with VMS and analytics solutions, can deter bad actors from cutting cables and vandalising cars, and potentially identify and report suspicious behaviours. Video analytics have the potential to measure dwell time, assisting property owners to enforce policies requiring drivers to move their vehicles once charging is complete
With open integration capabilities, the potential exists for seamless integration with access control systems to speed up payment; workers could use their access fobs or mobile credentials to pay for charging or take advantage of free or subsidised charging as an employee perk.
By leveraging technology to keep chargers up and running, streamlining the user experience, and providing four chargers per stand instead of the traditional two, each station may generate more than double the revenue of first-generation chargers, thereby paying for itself in as few as 18 months.
