GM's Ultium Charge 360 project provides access to almost 60,000 EV plugs
The first Ultium-ready EV charging sites are now live in three states.
The easier it is to charge an electric vehicle, the more likely people are to choose an EV for their next car. That's straightforward enough. What's not so simple is the complexity of building a sufficient charging network, and helping people find stations when they need them.
GM says it has a plan to simplify the charging experience. Under the Ultium Charge 360 project, it's working with seven charging networks (Blink Charging, ChargePoint, EV Connect, EVgo, FLO, Greenlots and SemaConnect) to give drivers "more seamless access" to almost 60,000 plugs across the US and Canada. Mobile apps for GM vehicles will soon include real-time information for those stations and help drivers find them on their route. EV owners will be able to initiate and pay for charging through the app as well. The apps were already set to include info on EVgo and ChargePoint stations.
Meanwhile, GM and EVgo have installed the first batch of fast chargers that are fully ready for the automaker's Ultium battery platform. The first locations are in Washington, California and Florida. There are an average of four chargers per site, each capable of delivering up to 350 kilowatts. GM and EVgo aim to have around 500 fast charging stalls up and running this year, and more than 2,700 by the end of 2025.
GM estimates that the Ultium platform will give its vehicles a range of up to 450 miles on a single charge. Among the EVs that the Ultium system will power are the Cadillac Lyriq, GMC Hummer EVs and the Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup. The company plans to launch 30 EVs worldwide by the end of 2025, and having a more robust charging network will certainly help it sell them.
