Wake Tech Community College, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is heading up a statewide pilot program to train technicians in the installation and maintenance of EV charging stations.

The college will launch the first EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) Field Technician Certificate course on June, 10, 2024 with the goal of replicating it across North Carolina. The accelerated six-week, non-degree course will be a hybrid of online and hands-on instruction.

A Push for Electric Vehicle certifications

Wake Tech recently announced that it received a $636,128 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop North Carolina's first electric vehicle courses and an EV certificate within the Automotive Systems Technology degree program.

The college had already been incorporating EV instruction, thanks to nearly $1 million in federal Community Project funds the college received last year.

The EVSE Field Technician Certificate course will combine an introduction to electrical systems and electric vehicles, including the following: 

• Codes

• Standards and regulations

• Electrical energy fundamentals

• Electric vehicles and batteries

• Charging stations

• Commissioning

• Maintenance

Students will learn electrical safety, charging station configuration and specification, communication systems, site inspection, troubleshooting and repair.

Demand for Cleaner and More Efficient Electric Vehicles

Recently, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced that the state surpassed his original registration goals outlined in Executive Order 80 – 80,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025 – more than two years ahead of schedule. As of February 2024, this number is over 88,000. 

Within the city of Raleigh, the fleet is working on an Electric Vehicle Implementation Strategy Rollout that is set to roll out during the next 10 years to eventually replace the entire fleet to electrification.

The fleet is currently going through a consulting company that is commencing in December 2023. This will be the fleet’s roadmap moving forward. Part of the change means looking at not only the technology and vehicles that will change the entire operation but the technicians and the protocols of how to fix these vehicles.

The Charlotte, North Carolina, Code Enforcement Division is also advancing sustainability goals by incorporating five new Ford F-150 Lightning electric vehicles into its fleet.

This move is part of the city's commitment to the Sustainable and Resilient Charlotte by 2050 Resolution and the Strategic Energy Action Plan (SEAP), both of which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote the use of sustainable energy.

Students entering the EVSE Field Technician course will be required to have experience with electrical wiring. Those who successfully complete the course will receive a Wake Tech certificate and be prepared to sit for EVSE Field Technician credentialing through the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).