EVgo, GM Display How Charging Stations Are Evolving: Bigger, Faster
EVgo Inc. on Tuesday promoted what it called a flagship fast charging station for electric vehicles.
The company conducted an Automotive Press Association briefing at the station at a Meijer retail outlet in the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan. The event was held along with General Motors Co. The Detroit-based automaker’s technical center in Warren is near the charging site.
Such charging locations are bigger, with more powerful chargers and a large canopy for EV owners to recharge their vehicles. It looks like big gas stations, minus restrooms and retail offerings. The new EVgo station is a short walk from a convenience store/gas station on the outer edge of the Meijer lot equipped with rest rooms.
“The vast majority of charging takes place where people live,” Badar Kahn , CEO of EVgo, said during the briefing, referring to retail outlets. “The average (electric) vehicle is charging more at fast chargers.
“The charging stations are getting more reliable,” Khan added. “Batteries are getting faster.”
The new station has 12 stalls “with pull-through access to accommodate vehicles pulling trailers” and “350 kW charging capable of delivering a full charge in as little as 15 minutes, depending on the vehicle.” EVgo said in a statement .
EV sales are still expanding but at a slower pace. A $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs ended last year. President Donald Trump is an EV skeptic . GM and other automakers have rolled back EV expansion plans.
Despite that, Will Hotchkiss, GM head of public charging, said EV progress is being made.
“The flywheel is in motion,” Hotchkiss said at the briefing. “Yes, EV volumes are moderating.”
The softening of EV deliveries, he said, has given a chance for chargers to catch up to demand. “The charging infrastructure will be ready.”
The new charging station recently opened but EVgo and GM conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday.
EVgo has announced a series of partnerships similar to the new station for more than a decade.
In addition to public charging stations, companies such as EVgo and automakers are working to make it easier to recharge EVs at home. The public charging part of the equation is important for EV owners who don’t own a single-family house or who are on a long driving trip.
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