The state of EV charging infrastructure in the U.S. market right now is a joke. There’s nothing worse than having a smooth and easy road trip sidelined by a bad charging experience. At some point the market should have figured out that consumers want a charging experience that is better than going to the gas station, not worse. The poorly-lit (or unlit), crowded, undersized, slow chargers don’t fly anymore. Thankfully General Motors has seen the light and will partner with EVGo to build 400 new chargers featuring brightly lit pull-through stalls. It’s been a long time coming.
It makes sense that GM would want to emphasize the ability to pull-through as current pull-in charging stations are a real pain in the ass for people towing trailers. Given that the GM electric car lineup is packed with trucks and SUVs that tout their towing capacities (and GM makes a killing on its gas and diesel high-capacity towing vehicles), these stations will certainly ease the pain of longer-distance EV towing.
The plan for these new chargers is to build larger charging parks along high-traffic intercity thoroughfares with 20 or more plugs at some locations. A major complaint in the EV world right now is the need to wait for a charging plug to open up when stations have just four or five units on site.
“The future of EV charging is larger stall-count locations, high-power charging, and designing around features that customers love,” EVgo President Dennis Kish said. “We need to lead on customer satisfaction, and we will continue to innovate to deliver a charging experience that is convenient, comfortable and dependable for current and future EV drivers.”
These flagship stations will be located throughout the country based on demand for high-speed power delivery, with GM and EVGo looking at major metropolitan areas “in states such as Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, New York, and Texas” and will be placed near shops and restaurants for user convenience. Each charger will be the current standard 350kW 800v plug, and will get modern EVs charged up fast as can be.
These stations will be co-branded GM Energy and EVGo, but any electric vehicle can make use of the stations. Presumably the stations will be set up for both CCS and NACS plugs.
400 new chargers won’t necessarily be the thing that makes electric vehicles fit your lifestyle, but it’s a step in the right direction. With EV charging stations on track to outnumber gas stations in the U.S. by 2032 the game is currently all about “the more the merrier.”