Tesla drivers rejoice, more public charging opportunities are coming your way! EVgo, the EV public charging operator has announced it is charging ahead to roll out Tesla Connectors to its chain of stations.
600 of such connectors will be added in 2021, split 400 for existing sites and 200 for newly constructed installations. This will bring the number of the charging stations to 1000 nationwide. The new gear will be clustered in major cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Austin, Miami, Salt Lake City, and Washington, D.C.
EVgo is looking to be able to service all types of electric vehicles on the road. They already mentioned in a press statement that they are the only charging network you can pull into and not need to bring in your own adaptor as they handle all three DCFC standards (SAE Combo, CHAdeMO and Tesla).
The first Supercharger integration happened in 2019 and it appears a formal deal has finally been reached between the two companies for EVgo to scale Tesla’s charging walled garden.
As part of the deal, EVgo stations that are Tesla compatible will show up inside Tesla’s navigation system, a first for 3rd party charging networks.
Despite using a proprietary charging system, Tesla drivers have been able to use EVgo charging facilities, although it required an awkward adaptor that was scarce and could cost more than $300.
The new connectors will allow drivers get up to 100 miles from just 30 minutes of charging.
EVgo is poised to see more business as sales of electric vehicles continues to rise. More EV models are coming as more traditional car makers announce plans to pivot to EVs and a host of EV startups unleash their models. For example, Nissan has also signed a contract with EVgo to accommodate its upcoming Arriya model.
The company will benefit from its complimentary rather than competing stance to Tesla’s charging network.
“In the Bay Area and LA, we still see markets where there are queues,” EVgo Chief Commercial Officer Jonathan Levy, said describing Tesla stations. “It’s a win for Tesla, because they’ll have happier customers…And we’re getting incremental kWH and that’s really important from a business perspective.”
The company is also committed to powering its network 100% by renewable energy and already has a partner in General Motors.
Written by D.O. for www.ShargeMe.blog