Fostering an EV Revolution, One Plug at a Time: A Conversation with Joel Bulpitt

If you’ve had anything to do with public electric vehicle (EV) charging in North Carolina over the last many years, then you likely know, or know of, Joel Bulpitt. His team at EV Revolution is responsible for hundreds of station deployments.

In between his ongoing installations, he was kind enough to sit down with us and share some thoughts about the state of EV charging and what’s ahead. Whether you’re a current or potential site host, an EV advocate or a curious observer, this one is worth a read.

Plug-in NC: A few years ago, you changed your company name from Chatham Electric Service to EV Revolution. Clearly, transportation electrification has become a focus for you and your team. How come?

Joel: Since the company started in 2017, I’ve always had the goal of doing commercial EV charging infrastructure, but there hadn’t been enough projects to do it full time. As time progressed and the demand for EVs increased, we were able to start doing charging projects exclusively. The last step was to change our name to emphasize our core business and be able to market ourselves better.

Plug-in NC: How many stations/sites has EV Revolution installed to date? How many DC fast charge? How many Level 2?

Joel: As of the end of 2024, we’ve done 376 Level 2’s and 81 DC fast chargers. (We count a dual-port station as one Level 2.)

Plug-in NC: What’s the coolest one? The one you’re most proud of?

Joel: The coolest (and largest) one was for the Kempower headquarters site in Durham. We used electric excavators, loaders and concrete saws to assist with the installation, and it was very cool to see what the possibilities for electrification of construction equipment could be. We are most proud of being the primary contractor for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ installation of its fast charging network. The co-ops were great to work with, and it was nice to be a part of adding fast charging stations that help increase EV infrastructure options across the state.

Plug-in NC: How about your furthest east and furthest west installations?

Joel: We’ve done DC fast chargers in Waynesville, North Carolina, and at the Avon Fishing Pier in the Outer Banks. Pretty much border to border!

Plug-in NC: For Level 2 sites, what do you think site hosts get wrong or don’t understand?

Joel: We think it’s better to have more ports even if they’re lower power than fewer ports with higher power. With the average commute being around 50–60 miles round trip, it’s not always necessary to have max power at each port. Utilizing power-share capabilities of many EV chargers can assist with this. 

Plug-in NC: Have there been any noticeable trends lately? What types of site hosts are installing the most stations right now (local government, utility, convenience store, other large franchise, small business, etc.)?

Joel: A couple of the biggest trends we’ve seen are with property management companies installing chargers at office buildings because it’s what many tenants want. Also, multifamily housing is wanting Level 2 chargers because it’s a perk many residents are asking for as well. This includes condos and apartment buildings.

Plug-in NC: Where do you hope the industry improves over the next few years?

Joel: I think that DC fast chargers are great and there is a need for them, but it’s just as important, or more important, to build out Level 2 infrastructure. I don’t think we can have widespread adoption of EVs until most people have a way to charge at their home or workplace. This would also make it more convenient for people to charge and hopefully reduce range and charging anxiety.

Plug-in NC: Is there confusion for site hosts with the different connector types (especially with DC fast charging)?

Joel: Not too much. The main confusion is misunderstanding that a station with two cables may only be able to charge one vehicle at a time and that there are two cables because of the different connector types. We are starting to see stations with built-in adapters, and this helps limit the confusion.

Plug-in NC: Can I apprentice? But seriously, what would you like young people to know about the EV supply equipment (EVSE) installation and operation industry?

Joel: Haha any time! I know that we’ve seen training emerging at local community colleges that focuses on EVSE, which is great. That would be a great place to start. Another good place is learning the electrical trade, as most of the work mirrors commercial electrical construction. We typically hire from the electrical trade pool, but with the emergence of EVSE training, we would definitely start there because the interest has already been established.

Plug-in NC: Can you share a few of your favorite pics?

Joel: I’ve attached some and have plenty more where those came from!