Dive Brief:
- General Motors Co. and electric vehicle charging provider EVgo will collaborate to deploy 400 DC-fast charging stations at locations in major metropolitan areas in the U.S., the automaker announced in a press release Sept. 12.
- The deployment includes flagship charging sites co-branded by EVgo and the automaker’s subsidiary GM Energy. Many of these locations will feature 350kW fast chargers with ample lighting, canopies, security cameras and pull-through configurations for easier access.
- The stations will be deployed in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New York and Texas. The first new chargers are expected to open in 2025.
Dive Insight:
As GM executes its electrification strategy, one of the barriers to more widespread adoption is the current lack of convenient EV charging infrastructure, according to a February study from J.D. Power.
GM says the customer-centric charging stations are poised to set a new benchmark for charging infrastructure. Many of the flagship stations will be located near amenities such as shopping, dining, coffee shops, that EV drivers can visit while their vehicles charge.
"Ensuring that our customers have seamless access to convenient and reliable charging is imperative, and this effort will take it to the next level,” GM Energy Vice President Wade Sheffer said in the release.
In addition to the new agreement, GM continues its ongoing collaboration with EVgo on the buildout of charging infrastructure. The two companies plan to build a total of 2,850 DC fast charging stalls, with some of the funding being reallocated to offer a more premium charging experience at the new co-branded locations.
GM Energy and EVgo’s planned flagship stations will include up to 20 charging stalls per location. GM and EVgo opened their 1,000th fast charging stall in August 2023 and the total stall count is expected to reach 2,000 by the end of this year.
“The future of EV charging is larger stall count locations, high-power charging, and designing around features that customers love – such as pull-through access, canopies and convenient amenities,” EVgo President Dennis Kish said in the release. “Through this next evolution of EVgo and GM’s esteemed collaboration, the future of EV charging is here.”
