Seven automakers unite to create a charging network in North America

By Redação AutoIndústria | 7/26/23 | Translated by Jorge Meditsch

BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes Benz and Stellantis will create a joint venture to expand access to high-powered charging in North America, installing at least 30,000 high-powered charge points.

The aim is to accelerate the transition from combustion engines to battery drive and to offer more convenience and easy access to charging points.

The network will be financed by public and private resources, and the charging stations will be accessible to all EV models and brands. The project will offer both Combined Charging System (CCS) and North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors.

The first stations are expected to open in the United States in the summer of 2024 and in Canada at a later stage. The joint venture intends to power the charging network solely by renewable energy.

The stations will be in convenient locations offering amenities such as restrooms and food service. Initially, they will be in metropolitan areas and along major highways.

According to the joint-venture announcement, the current structure is already behind demand. According to the U.S.

Department of Energy, as of July 2023, there are 32,000 publicly available DC fast chargers in the United States for use by 2.3 million electric vehicles, a ratio of 72 vehicles per charger.

The NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) estimates that 182,000 DC fast chargers will be needed to support 30 to 42 million plug-in vehicles expected on the region’s roads by 2030.