7 Major Carmakers Launch New EV Charging Network In North America!

[chl]

I also wonder why more traditional gas stations dont stick a couple of chargers on their back-side. Modern gas stations are more about selling hot-dogs and lottery tickets than gas.

Some gas stations are owned by the oil company brand they sell.
Others are franchises that have rules about what they can an can't do.
The oil industry has been fighting EV's since their modern inception.
They ghost write Op Eds for papers to run under other people's names against EVs.
The funded global warming skeptics to push pseudo-science.

So, it should be no surprise that gas stations do not have EV chargers.

However, they don't have blacksmiths either because the horse and buggy days are long gone.

In time they will have to get on-board with EV's, but by then, maybe it'll be too late, especially if they are located in a low lying (sea level wise) area.

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[KevinC]

Some gas stations are owned by the oil company brand they sell.
Others are franchises that have rules about what they can an can't do.
The oil industry has been fighting EV's since their modern inception.
They ghost write Op Eds for papers to run under other people's names against EVs.
The funded global warming skeptics to push pseudo-science.

So, it should be no surprise that gas stations do not have EV chargers.

However, they don't have blacksmiths either because the horse and buggy days are long gone.

In time they will have to get on-board with EV's, but by then, maybe it'll be too late, especially if they are located in a low lying (sea level wise) area.

My region is dominated by the Quiktrip brand which I dont believe have any direct association to any oil company. They specialize in maximizing sales of hotdogs, soda and other overpriced snacks. They sell gas to generate foot traffic. They have been doing a massive upgrade too all their locations in the last 5 years to quadruple the size of their "kitchens" and I would guess they sell more hot food than most fast food places. EV chargers isnt going to double their foot traffic or anything in the near term, but I think it would be a step towards branding themselves and creating loyal customers for the future. Start with 2 chargers now per interstate location. As time goes by move up to 4 chargers....6 chargers ..etc.

Chargers may not be exactly free but these gas stations aren't poor. Each gas pump costs in the 10's of thousands as well not to mention the cost of burying the tanks. They cant wait 20 years to switchover.

 

[Lytning]

My region is dominated by the Quiktrip brand which I dont believe have any direct association to any oil company. They specialize in maximizing sales of hotdogs, soda and other overpriced snacks. They sell gas to generate foot traffic. They have been doing a massive upgrade too all their locations in the last 5 years to quadruple the size of their "kitchens" and I would guess they sell more hot food than most fast food places. EV chargers isnt going to double their foot traffic or anything in the near term, but I think it would be a step towards branding themselves and creating loyal customers for the future. Start with 2 chargers now per interstate location. As time goes by move up to 4 chargers....6 chargers ..etc.

Chargers may not be exactly free but these gas stations aren't poor. Each gas pump costs in the 10's of thousands as well not to mention the cost of burying the tanks. They cant wait 20 years to switchover.

There is a great opportunity for "convenience" stores like QuikTrip to follow the EV market growth with conversions from gas pumps to EV chargers. When I stopped at QuikTrip to buy gas, I would almost always purchase something else inside the store, and spend a bit of time outside the vehicle to stretch my legs. I would much rather spend my charging time inside a QuikTrip versus sitting in the far corner of a strip mall parking lot. Better yet, I would rather stop and charge at a Buc-ee's. The battery would surely be topped off before I got back out to the charger.

 

[Bwanapete]

We own a Tesla MS as well as a Lightning. The Tesla Supercharger network works well but falls short in one way. When I am on a trip, I need a restroom, not just a charger. At least in the East, I have to look for a market or restaurant or a tree to use as soon as I plug the car in.

 

[Zap]

Please, please adopt the Tesla charging model: park, plug, and charging starts. No cards, no menus, no start buttons to push, no key ring fobs, nothing. One time you register your car with the charging network, then you plug in and your car does the communication, starts the charge, and bills your account. It can be done, it should be done. Touch screens, menus, card tapping, etc. are all so yesterday, and do nothing to increase convenience and reliability - quite the contrary.

 

[Nikos]

Folks, don't hold your breathes for to long.
We heard these announcements before from legacy and luxury automakers. Memorandums, agreements and deals to provide us with charging choices on our travels. Now we will get another new network by 2025, 2026 or maybe 2027.
I am sticking with Tesla. Tesla needs to expedite their promises of integrating the NACS quickly. Elon and Tesla had the vision, others did not see it that way.
Let's be patient for a little while longer.
Ford did choose wisely going with Tesla.
Some others are just hallucinating over a charging network of their own this late in the game. As Jim Farley have said, we lost that war/fight 10 years ago. Ford is joining Tesla.
What we need now is a little good luck and patience. 6 more months, I hope.

 

[Hank42]

WRG to the comment about oil companies and ev chargers - I noticed on a recent trip to upstate NY that there were a lot of Sunoco gas station sponsored DCFCs just off the interstate.

 

[Hank42]

I appreciate the added option, like more 'gas' stations give you more options... and, I'm hoping they will not only gather to create a new national charging network, but will LISTEN to us EV drivers, and more specifically, LARGE EV vehicle owners, and those TOWING, to create the SPACE we need to create a much more efficient entry, parking, and exiting of charging locations...

A) we need more LOCATIONS of Dc Fast Charging, not just single-location 'large number' of chargers all in the same 'area'... give me a Dc Fast Charger option in EVERY city, no matter the size, at several different gas stations or similar locations, like large parking lots with lots of room to maneuver.
B) Do NOT provide CRAMPED 'compact ev only' parking locations... we need ROOM! LOTS of room!
C) We need RELIABILITY, not just speed. Without reliable charging, speed means NOTHING. And, Do not ADVERTISE your SPEED, and then not provide that speed.
D) make ACTIVATING the charger EASY and INTUITIVE... there is no reason Plug-n-Charge should not be the 'defacto' Charge Activation Standard for EVERY ev.
E) give us the ability to RESERVE a charging spot IF we arrive and all stations are already activated. We need the NEXT available space without having to 'jockey' for position, or to know WHO is already there and still waiting ahead of us... a simple app alert that the "2023 Gray KIA tag: EV64ME is Ready for the next available station" would be an easy add-on to let the next vehicle that arrives know of 'who' is next in line...

Everything you said x 10. This should be a chain letter we send to all the people working at all the charging companies, lobbyists, and people involved in "planning" the National charging network.

Anything less that what you mentioned is just not gonna cut it.

 

[Adventureboy]

Seems like a golden opportunity for someone or some software company to develop a consumer facing single app that could front all the major charging companies to provide a single activation and billing solution.

Ford tried that with BlueOval network. Not working so well but maybe a non-manufacture affiliate company could make it work perhaps with better negotiated rates and loyalty points or something.

 

[Zaptor]

More chargers is a great thing, full stop.

Sure there are siting challenges, pricing unknowns and no timelines, but every added charger is another opportunity to not be stuck somewhere, regardless of cost. I'd rather pay a buck a kilowatt than be stranded somewhere in the sticks.

 

[The Weatherman]

More chargers is a great thing, full stop.

Sure there are siting challenges, pricing unknowns and no timelines, but every added charger is another opportunity to not be stuck somewhere, regardless of cost. I'd rather pay a buck a kilowatt than be stranded somewhere in the sticks.

Just a note: the timeline has been said to be by summer of next year.

Sure hope that holds.

 

[Lytning]

Everything you said x 10. This should be a chain letter we send to all the people working at all the charging companies, lobbyists, and people involved in "planning" the National charging network.

Anything less that what you mentioned is just not gonna cut it.

We have the federal government "investing" our tax dollars into the charging network expansion. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[GDN]

Ford tried that with BlueOval network. Not working so well but maybe a non-manufacture affiliate company could make it work perhaps with better negotiated rates and loyalty points or something.

They tried it with a network that has problems to start with. Tesla has proven this can and does work. There is nothing like it. Everything you need is on the screen of the car or the app.

 

[GDN]

I'll start by saying, congrats to them and I hope they can add another network that works.

However, none of them have done anything major on their own and adding 7 egos into one room and expecting anything useful is not likely going to happen well.

If these folks had been on their game and really wanted this to work, they would have done this some time back and guess what - CCS would likely be the predominant charger type in the US. I'm all about NACS and glad we are where we are, but these 7 had more than enough power to change that had they been the leaders when they needed to be.

 

[sotek2345]

They tried it with a network that has problems to start with. Tesla has proven this can and does work. There is nothing like it. Everything you need is on the screen of the car or the app.

That is great for the tech savvy, but what about people that don't have smart phones and can't use apps. What about simpler / cheaper cars that don't have more advanced UIs to handle that?

Finally how do you serve people who don't have credit cards or bank accounts? Today with an ICE you can pay cash and fuel up. What is the equivalent for an EV in you ur scenario?

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