JuiceBox Dilemma: The Uncertain Future of Smart EV Chargers Amid Enel X’s Abrupt US Exit

Could JuiceBox electric vehicle chargers become obsolete as the company neglects maintenance?

Those accustomed to using intelligent EV charging systems, particularly one of the top-selling models in America, may need to consider alternative charging methods in the near future.

At the beginning of this month, the company Enel X, which supplies electric vehicle charging solutions, informed its American customer base, users of its intelligent charging devices such as the JuiceBox series, that it would be ceasing its charging station operations in the U.S. within a span of nine days.

This could signify the cessation of continuous updates for its intelligent charging devices, which depend on Enel's server operations. As a result, the advanced chargers that customers invested extra money in could effectively be downgraded to simple chargers, limited to fundamental operations. While they may still operate as charging units, the advanced connectivity features that attracted purchasers would be lost. The ability to start charging through a mobile phone, including at one's residence, or to observe the charging process through the application would be lost, as these functions rely on the firm's server connectivity.

The decision caused a stir throughout the electric vehicle industry, raising critical inquiries that have not been fully considered beyond the often-ignored fine print of user agreements. The key question is the duration of responsibility for tech companies to provide support for their intelligent, interconnected products. Moreover, the implications of a leading EV charger, endorsed by industry specialists and backed by car manufacturers and charging initiatives, becoming unusable overnight due to the discontinuation of the manufacturer's support, are yet to be determined.

The JuiceBox charging unit by eMotorWerks, designed for mounting on the wall, is

Products rendered unusable and insufficient safeguards for buyers

The problem began to gain attention prior to the JuiceBox debacle, with concentrated action in the nation's capital. A month ago, a coalition of advocacy organizations championing repair rights, financial fairness, and ecological concerns addressed the issue of gadgets reliant on proprietary technology and infrastructure in a correspondence to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States.

At the time, the items highlighted predominantly originated from a string of unsuccessful business ventures. These included an interactive baby cot, a precision cooking device, a juice extractor, and an intelligent power socket. Additionally, Amazon's Halo fitness trackers and Google's Dropcam surveillance equipment were cited as examples of devices that became obsolete due to an unexpectedly brief period of manufacturer support.

Now, with Enel's rapid exit from the market, we're faced with yet another prominent instance – possibly involving an electrician's fee in the thousands and maybe even public subsidies.

Similarly, JuiceBox intelligent charging stations, priced between $600 and $1,600, are not the latest offering from a fledgling enterprise but rather from a colossal international corporation. These updates are issued by Enel X Way USA LLC, a subsidiary of the colossal Italian energy corporation Enel, ranked as the 59th biggest firm globally by the Fortune Global 500.

An announcement by Liquid Asset Partners, the company to which Enel refers JuiceBox users as of this Thursday, indicates that approximately 120,000 home-based users, primarily of JuiceBox chargers, alongside 25,000 business clients and an extra 17,000 JuiceBox chargers are in need of a new software service contract. This requirement is being presented as a potential opportunity.

On Thursday, the organizations Consumer Reports and U.S. PIRG, who previously co-authored a letter to the FTC, along with a group of 60 JuiceBox charger users, officially requested that the FTC look into the actions of Enel X.

Glitch in Enel Application – 11th October 2024

Following the FTC's correspondence, Enel reassured customers that their chargers would not be abruptly deactivated, although as of Friday, GCR observed otherwise. Nonetheless, the long-term outlook for these chargers is still unclear.

Enel X Way USA is still working with an outside company to oversee the company's shutdown on October 11, 2024,” Enel X Way announced in an emailed notice sent to subscribers (including the reporter) on October 10. “Upon additional technical assessment, the company has reached a deal with the existing service provider to prolong the operation of the EV charging system software in the United States and Canada.”

The firm has yet again failed to provide a definitive timeline for its support window, however, it seems that customers will continue to have access to their connected-charger features for several weeks after October 11th.

Green Car Reports has contacted Enel to get more details on the duration of complete functionality once the current server problems are resolved. Enel informed owners on Thursday night that they would maintain the electric vehicle charging software in North America for a prolonged timeframe, describing the action as a temporary fix.

The company announced on Thursday that although JuiceBox items will still function and connect to software past October 11, 2024, there will be no customer support offered in that time frame. After this date, they mentioned that a separate entity will be responsible for handling any claims and correspondence.

eMotorwerks' JuiceBox Pro 40, a connected residential electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), serves as a charging hub for electric cars.

This isn't just any electric vehicle charger; it's highly rated and widely used.

The JuiceBox chargers were pioneers in the smart EV charging technology, initially offering a user experience that could compete with Tesla's acclaimed charging stations. Its compatibility and, at one time, its regularly updated mobile application have made the JuiceBox a popular choice for time-of-use charging initiatives and companies interested in monitoring their energy consumption.

In 2017, Enel acquired eMotorWerks, the California-based company behind JuiceBox charging units. By 2020, these chargers received a design update, although their operational features and user interface remained largely unchanged. However, subsequent changes in the company's software and multiple updates to their mobile application have resulted in a less responsive and less functional app experience for users compared to earlier versions.

The decision of Enel X to withdraw from the market raises questions, particularly as it coincides closely with the NHTSA's disclosure. Documents submitted by the NHTSA a day following Enel X's declaration to depart from the U.S. market indicate an ongoing investigation into the JuiceBox home charging units due to instances of electrical sparks and overheating. The inquiry includes six verified occurrences, two of which resulted in fires.

Navigating this issue might prove to be quite intricate. Tom Moloughney, who specializes in electric vehicle (EV) charging and contributes to GCR, highlights in his latest State of Charge podcast episode (as seen below) that Enel X is possibly second only to ChargePoint in the number of commercial Level 2 charging units operational in North America.

In a recent podcast episode, Michael Bakumin, the CEO of Chargelab, highlighted an important issue for owners of Enel X's residential and commercial charging units. He emphasized that these chargers are not built on the widely-used Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), which is akin to an "open source" communication standard for charging equipment. This standard promotes flexibility, allowing chargers to be adapted easily for different networks and interfaces. Although Chargelab has managed to update commercial chargers, the potential withdrawal of Enel's support could pose significant challenges. For example, reconfiguring each charger can take between 15 to 30 minutes, which means a building with 20 Level 2 chargers could incur a full day's worth of expenses for specialized technical labor.

The process is overly complex for home charging setups, thus maintaining a software agreement stands as the most viable option. However, with no clear schedule provided in Friday's announcement, it appears we have not reached that point.

Tesla's All-Purpose Wall Charger

There are numerous inquiries regarding the reliance of electric vehicles on network and cloud technology. Essentially, the industry is evolving. Almost every leading car manufacturer is currently promoting their bespoke smart-charging and home-energy devices, or they are recommending a smart-charging solution that works seamlessly with their proprietary application.

A sophisticated charging device might not be essential, since numerous electric vehicles allow you to schedule charging sessions and adjust power settings directly through the vehicle. This approach could prove more reliable than relying on external network servers or cloud-based information.

The situation raises the issue of whether Enel is indebted to the U.S. federal or state governments due to the premature reduction of its support for the chargers, considering that a significant portion of these were purchased with the aid of public funds or were integrated into governmental initiatives.

The letter from the FTC in September concluded that, typically, consumers are left with an unusable piece of electronic garbage that could have been operational with appropriate software, along with a feeling of letdown.

The groups involved called for a commitment to a set minimum duration of assistance for internet-enabled devices, an assurance that the devices will remain operational in the absence of internet access or updates, strategies for repurposing devices once support is discontinued, resources to facilitate compatibility between different systems, and initiatives aimed at increasing the lifespan of products.

Electrify America's Home Charging Station for Electric Cars

Naturally, this leaves out considerations of cybersecurity and the potential for a lack of support for intelligent charging systems to increase their susceptibility to hacking.

In an effort to tackle various issues related to safety, ease of use, and effectiveness for the foreseeable future, an organization known as Juice Rescue is pushing for the firm to make its charging stations' source code available to the public.

Currently, this situation presents a discouraging setback for intelligent charging systems along with its numerous benefits. The Department of Energy has highlighted that this technology helps to balance the load on the power grid, enhances the environmental friendliness of electric vehicles, and generally simplifies the experience of using EVs.

In conclusion, scheduling your electric vehicle's charging times to align with your utility provider's high and low rate periods is beneficial. However, it's worth reevaluating the necessity of having your charger connected to the cloud, even for scheduled charging. Above all, prioritize investing in a smart charging device that adheres to Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) standards to ensure it remains operational, regardless of the manufacturer's future status or discontinuation of support services.

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