Wake Tech launches course for EV charging station install, repair

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A new program at Wake Tech is teaching people how to install and fix electric vehicle charging stations.

Wake Tech says it’s launching the first program in the country training technicians for electric vehicle charging stations. It’s a pilot program but the college says state leaders want to expand it to other community colleges.

Mark Smith is one of the instructors and says there’s a big need for it.

“The gap we see is that if you go in to buy an electric vehicle, then none of the techs at the sales center know much about the charging station,” Smith said.

The goal is for each technician to know how to install and repair EV equipment at businesses and homes.

Smith says the summer course is already full and there’s a waiting list of students. He hopes that 10 to 20 years from now, more mechanics or electricians will know how to keep charging stations running.

“Understanding how to install (the equipment) will be like understanding how to install a water heater, understanding how to install a refrigerator,” Smith said.

Wake Tech is working with the N.C. Business Committee for Education, which operates out of the governor’s office, to start the class and a Siemens Foundation grant is paying for it.