General Motors plans to install up to 40,000 Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the U.S. and Canada in a move to continue drumming up interest in EVs.
GM, along with the majority of the automotive industry, is transitioning to electric models on all vehicles or primarily selling EV models by the year 2030. GM went as far as to state that it would phase out gas and diesel vehicles by 2035 and move completely to EV models.
But to meet the upcoming demand for EVs, more charging stations and charging networks will need to be built.
GM’s initiative will begin in 2022 and is part of its recent commitment to invest nearly $750 million to expand home, workspace and public charging infrastructure through its Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem. GM earlier this year introduced a new charging service, called Ultium Charge 360, that includes fleet and management tools and support for a range of fleet segments such as delivery, sales, utilities and motor pool.
As part of the 40,000 new stations, GM is announcing three Ultium-branded Level 2 smart charging stations that will be available through dealerships and online to provide more home and commercial charging options.
“These two initiatives are part of our plan to put everyone in an EV, making access to charging even more seamless than before," said Mark Reuss, president of GM. "We want to give customers the right tools and access to charging where and when they need it, while working with our dealer network to accelerate the expansion of accessible charging throughout the U.S. and Canada, including in underserved, rural and urban areas."
The Ultium brand chargers will include:
- An 11.5 kilowatt/48-amp smart charger.
- An 11.5 kW/48-amp premium smart charger.
- An 19.2 kW/80-amp premium smart charger.
All three are Energy Star Certified with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and can be upgraded over time through over-the-air updates with automatic download capabilities.
The automotive industry as a whole is collectively upping its plans for EV charging stations with Shell aiming for 50,000 charging stations in the U.K. and 500,000 new stations by 2025. The Biden Administration also pledged to swap all government vehicles with electric models and will build 550,000 EV charging stations in the U.S.
