Seven major automakers planning charging joint venture
First stations expected next summer
BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis have just announced they’re building a charging network. It’s not the first automaker-started charge network, but it is the one with the most automakers behind it.
The seven major automakers will join Tesla, VW (via Electrify America), and Rivian as automakers who are building their own networks. The big difference with this one is that it will support both the CCS charge standard and the Tesla NACS charge standard right from the go. That’s because more than half of the companies involved have already announced plans to start putting Tesla’s NACS plugs on their vehicles starting in 2025.
A statement from the group that announced the plan for the joint venture said that the goal is to add at least 30,000 fast charging stations. The first will be ready to go sometime in the summer of 2024.
30,000 more chargers would double the number of public DC fast chargers in the country, the group said, using U.S. DOE figures. More than 180,000 are expected to be needed by 2030.
With automakers running the network, the new group expects a seamless experience. The stations will focus on Plug & Go and in-app billing. Stations will also have or be near restrooms, food service, and retail locations. Plans call for canopies when possible.
The new charging stations will be open to the EVs of all automakers with compatible plugs.
