Video by Plug and Play EV via YouTube
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Just when you think the world of EV charging in North America might start to settle down, news drops that changes the landscape again.
Last week, a group of seven automakers (BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis) announced a joint venture to significantly expand high-powered DC charging options across the United States and Canada.
Their target is to install 30,000+ fast chargers, featuring both CCS1 and Tesla’s NACS connector, in the years ahead, with the first stations in place by summer 2024. In our second live stream, Eric at News Coulomb and I will discuss the as-yet-unnamed venture and how it changes things for fast charging in North America.
We’ll cover, among other things:
— Is this a continuation of GM’s original Bechtel-built charging network (the one where GM was soliciting other investors)?
— Who are the potential hardware partners? Delta, Hydrotec, Kempower, Lincoln, Tritium, etc.?
— Why is the potential of this network more appealing than Supercharger access to automakers with 800V architecture?
— Will other automakers join this alliance now or wait until the first charging stations are built out?
— What is the pace of buildout that we can expect?
— Will the new network focus on the "pain points" for EV travel first?
— What do they mean by "400 kW" chargers and what would those look like in the real world?
Plenty of food for thought, so grab an early bite to eat or a mid-afternoon coffee and bring your best comments to join us at 6:30PM (Eastern) / 3:30PM (Pacific).
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