From Pump to Plug: What Gas Stations Can Teach Us About Managing DC Fast Chargers

Brad Juhasz

• November 10, 2025

When a gas pump fails, a service truck is dispatched within hours. When a DC fast charger fails, it can sit dark for months.

This single contrast captures a core truth: the fueling industry mastered reliability through lifecycle discipline — warranties, service contracts, inspections, and preventative maintenance. EV charging, by comparison, is still in its adolescence.

Traditional fueling systems have always been treated as infrastructure, not gadgets. Each dispenser’s lifespan, calibration record, and service history are tracked and audited. Manufacturers such as Gilbarco Veeder-Root, Wayne Fueling Systems, and Bennett Pump rely on authorized regional service partners who maintain those assets through multi-year contracts.

By contrast, many DC fast-charging deployments were executed as capital projects — install and move on — with little provision for long-term O&M once the warranty clock runs out. This oversight is now surfacing as stations age out of warranty and into unpredictable downtime.

Fuel dispensers typically ship with 1- to 3-year warranties, and operators almost always extend coverage via service agreements. EV chargers have similar