Remember when 350-kilowatt EV chargers were considered future-proofing against electric cars that were faster to charge than anything on the market yet? It doesn’t feel like all too long ago, does it? Well, the goalposts have already moved, and the newly arriving generation of chargers hitting parking lots are capable of 500 kilowatts, even if the cars they’ll be charging aren’t — at least not any time soon. And, it’s not just Tesla’s V4 Superchargers either. ChargePoint announced its Express Plus ultra-fast charging system last year, and now it is partnering with General Motors to install up to 500 of them around the U.S.
Capable Of NACS And CCS
The GM Energy-branded chargers that the partner will install are standard-agnostic (well, CHAdeMO users are out of luck), using ChargePoint’s new Omni Port system. This tech lets the user select either NACS or CCS, and the plug will have the right connector on it when removed from the dock. It means ChargePoint won’t need to add extra cables just to accommodate the different standards. That also means drivers won’t have to provide their own adapter regardless of which type of EV they drive. You can think of it as another take on Tesla’s Magic Dock adapter that it includes on some of its stations.
Another GM Charging Partnership
Recently, a number of automakers, generally considered competitors, announced they were forming a joint venture to accelerate the installation of DC fast chargers around North America. Ionna, the network is called, is a collaboration between GM, Stellantis, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and it just announced a partnership with Sheetz to install “Rechargeries” at its convenience stations. This new program with ChargePoint is a separate endeavor, and shows that GM remains serious about encouraging EV adoption, and that it’s pursuing multiple avenues to achieve that goal.
“Continuing to provide customers with better charging options helps to remove barriers to EV adoption and improve the ownership experience,” said Wade Sheffer, GM Energy vice president, in a statement. “Today, GM drivers have access to hundreds of thousands of places to charge and we are proud that this collaboration with ChargePoint adds even more reliable, accessible, and convenient charging experiences. With ultra-fast charging, Omni Port technology, and excellent customer experiences, this collaboration should be another reason why EV drivers and the EV-curious should be excited.”
The partners didn’t specify exactly where in the U.S. these chargers would be located, except to say they’d be installed in “strategic locations” by the end of 2025. At this point, EV drivers will take all the infrastructure they can get. The fact that these chargers provide impressive power and cater to both the major charging standards is a bonus.
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