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ChargePoint’s EV network rolls out support for Tesla’s NACS connector
Charging infrastructure company ChargePoint announced today that its (previously announced) support for Tesla's NACS EV charging standard is now rolling out.
Mercedes and Chargepoint team up to build 400 North American charging hubs
On Thursday, Mercedes Benz announced that it will be building a network of its own — at least, in partnership with Chargepoint — that will be accessible no matter what make or model of EV you drive.
Roving bands of Ford ‘Charge Angels’ will repair EV charging stations
Ford plans to employ a group of “Charge Angels” to ensure owners of its EVs can find reliable charging when they need it.
Google is simplifying how developers build Android for Cars apps
There’s a simpler way to make apps work on both Android Auto and Android Automotive.
GM makes it easier to find EV charging stations with its myChevrolet app
If you drive a Chevy Bolt and you're the type of phone owner who likes to use as few applications as possible, GM plans to make to its myChevrolet app more useful. This year, the automaker plans to update the app's Energy Assist feature to help you find your next charge. In most cases, GM is adding functionality that you had to use other apps to find.
After Math: Let's take a drive
Though Tesla reported its Q4 earnings last Tuesday, the auto industry has sent this week making moves and announcing news. GM is bringing its semi-autonomous Super Cruise system to nearly two dozen models by 2023, ChargePoint is teaming with NATSO to bring a billion dollars worth of the EV charging stations to the nation's highways, and Uber is making claims about finally becoming profitable by the end of the year -- though we've been hearing bold claims like that from the ride-hailing service before. Here are a few of the week's top transportation headlines.
A $1 billion initiative aims to bring EV chargers to highways and rural areas
While Tesla, Electrify America and others technically have nationwide EV charging networks, they don't really provide full coverage -- many rural areas are far from any kind of charger infrastructure. ChargePoint believes it can help close that gap, though. It's teaming with NATSO on a $1 billion effort to bring EV chargers to over 4,000 travel centers and truck stops (which NATSO represents) by 2030, with a particular focus on highways and rural areas. This could both spur EV adoption in rural towns and help with long-distance travel for everyone, ChargePoint said.
Harley-Davidson offers free charging for its electric motorcycle
Harley-Davidson's first electric motorcycle will soon hit the roads, and while the LiveWire will have a longer range than first expected, at 140 miles of city driving on a single charge, you'll still need to hook it up to a charger once in a while. To help you save on electricity fees, Harley is offering free charging for US customers.
EVgo's 'roaming' deals give you access to 450 more fast chargers
It can be challenging enough to find electric car charging stations of any kind, let alone to look for one belonging to your charging network of choice. The hunt is about to get considerably easier, though. EVgo has forged agreements with ChargePoint and EV Connect that will let customers of one charging network 'roam' on the chargers of the other. You won't necessarily have to sign up for multiple accounts or face extra fees just to have enough electricity to get home.
Google Maps helps you find open EV charging stations in real time
From now on, you just have to fire up Google Maps if you need to hunt for an open EV charging station. The latest versions of Google Maps for Android, iOS and the web now show real-time availability for charging ports in the US and UK, giving you a better idea of when to go for a top-up -- you're no longer relegated to static info like before. The feature won't help you find a Tesla Supercharger (you don't really need that given Tesla's app), but it will cover the networks of Chargemaster, EVgo and SemaConnect, with Chargepoint coming soon.
Chevy’s upcoming Bolt app will show real-time charging station status
EVs like the Bolt are surging in popularity, but the US charging grid is still kind of a mess. GM has announced that it's doing something about it, collaborating with charging networks EVgo, ChargePoint and Greenlots. It'll gather data from the companies to use in a new version of its myChevrolet app, with the aim of showing Bolt drivers real-time info on more than 31,000 charging stations.
Google Maps adds EV charging station info
Following recent updates that help users plan their commutes and group events, Google Maps is now helping EV drivers figure out where to charge their vehicles. A new feature is rolling out today that will let you search for charging stations and provide you with useful information about that station. Just search for "EV charging stations" or "EV charging," and Google Maps will locate those nearby. It will also tell you what types of ports are available, how many there are as well as the station's charging speeds, and businesses with charging stations will now have a link that will lead you to more information about their setup. Additionally, you'll be able to see what other users thought of the station, as Google Maps will bring up user-posted photos, ratings and reviews.
Two of North America's biggest EV networks are sharing charging spots
One of the issues the electric vehicle industry has to address in order to encourage wider adoption is its fragmented charging infrastructure. You might have to juggle several accounts for different networks to make sure there are charging spots where you're going. ChargePoint has been joining forces with rival and similar companies to enable "roaming" between charging networks, though, and its latest team-up is with Canada's largest network FLO. You can now access chargers on both networks with a single account -- either a ChargePoint one or an FLO one -- when you travel across the US and Canada.
ChargePoint hopes to operate 2.5 million EV chargers by 2025
ChargePoint currently operates around 54,000 EV charging points -- sure, it's but a fraction of the number of gas pumps in the world, but it's relatively plenty. Even Tesla's growing Supercharger network only has 11,013 chargers at this point in time. Someday, however, those 54,000 chargers won't be enough, so the company has decided to install a lot more EV chargers in North America and Europe over the next few years. ChargePoint chief Pasquale Romano has announced at the Global Climate Action Summit that the company plans to deploy 2.5 million charging spots by 2025.
Driving an EV means changing the way you think about “refueling”
You've finally taken the EV plunge. You're "one of the good ones," you think to yourself. It's all about reducing your impact on the planet and moving further away from fossil fuels. Here's to a cleaner, brighter tomorrow and maybe saving a few bucks on gas.
Target promises EV chargers at more than 100 stores
Walmart isn't the only big retailer installing a slew of EV chargers in its parking lots. Target and a collection of retail property owners (PDF) have unveiled plans to add a horde of charging stations in the (relatively) near future. In Target's case, it's adding chargers at more than 100 locations (600 parking spaces in total) over two years with the help of a variety of backers, including Tesla, VW's Electrify America and ChargePoint. The big-box store only has chargers at 18 locations out of 1,800-plus as we write this, so it's no trivial expansion.
A quick chat with Alexa can start charging your EV
If you drive an electric car and would rather not venture into the garage (or wade through a phone app) to start charging, you can now rest easy. ChargePoint has introduced Alexa support to its Home system, giving you voice control over your EV charging. You can start charging, stop charging or find out whether you're plugged in just by talking to a device like an Echo speaker. If you have Nest hardware, you can link charging to multiple parts of your home. And if you top up at ChargePoint stations away from home, you can check your balance or see how much you've spent on electricity so far.
The rise of electric cars will kill the gas station
Gas stations are a lifeline. They not only fuel our cars but us, too -- whether it's with lukewarm coffee during the morning commute or the salty-sweet buffet during road trips. They're a glowing oasis when the gas tank is empty and our bladders are full. It's going to be a long while before the handy service station goes away, but its days are numbered -- because electric cars are going to change everything.
ChargePoint's new stations are built for EVs of the future
It's quickly becoming more feasible and convenient to own an electric vehicle thanks to the steady expansion of recharging infrastructure. ChargePoint knows a little something about that, since it's built more charging stations than anyone else (over 31,000, in fact). The company isn't resting on its laurels, though. Today it announced a new super-fast, future-proofed shrine to electricity: the ChargePoint Express Plus. It's capable of pumping out an industry-leading 400 kW per port, which is way more than any EV can handle right now. For perspective, most existing "fast-charging" stations boast an output of 50 kW, though some of Tesla's Superchargers can reach a peak of 145 kW.
US plans electric car charging networks along highways
While the range of modern electric cars is good enough that you can safely commute around town without running out of power, cross-country trips are still challenging. Tesla drivers have access to Superchargers, but what if you're driving a rival EV with a less robust charging network... or you're going somewhere that has no chargers at all? The Department of Transportation is changing that. It's creating 48 EV charger "corridors" in US highways that will address 35 states and cover approximately 25,000 miles. You'll find stations (both current and upcoming) every 50 miles, and states will use common signs to let you know when charging is available at the next exit.
