Today, General Motors Co. in Detroit announced a new community charging program to install up to 40,000 level 2 EV chargers across the U.S. and Canada, including in underserved, rural, and urban communities where charger access in limited.
The initiative is set to begin in 2022 and is part of GM’s recently announced commitment to invest nearly $750 million to expand home, workplace, and public charging infrastructure through its Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem.
“These two initiatives are part of our plan to put everyone in an EV, making access to charging even more seamless than before,” says Mark Reuss, president of GM. “We want to give customers the right tools and access to charging where and when they need it, while leveraging our dealer network to accelerate the expansion of accessible charging throughout the U.S. and Canada, including in underserved, rural and urban areas.”
Through the Dealer Community Charger Program, GM will give each of its dealers Ultium Chargers that can be deployed at key locations in their respective communities. These charging stations will be available to all EV customers, not just those with and GM EV. Today, nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a GM dealership.
The company also announced its new line of three Ultium-branded level 2 smart charging station will be available to customers directly through dealerships and online to provide more homes or commercial charging options.
The product family of Ultium Chargers will include:
- An 11.5 kilowatt/48-amp smart charger
- An 11.5 kW/48-amp premium smart charger
- A 19.2 kW/80-amp premium smart charger
All three are Energy Star Certified and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability. Each charger features dynamic load balancing and can be upgraded over time through over-the-air updates with automatic download capabilities. The two premium models include a customizable touchscreen and an embedded camera.
Customers will be able to set their charging schedule, view statistics on charging habits and historical charging sessions, and receive readouts of charger status through the GM vehicle brand mobile apps. The first chargers will ship early next year with customers able to roll the price into their GM Financial lease or financial contracts.
Each GM dealership that sells EVs will receive 10 Ultium level 2 destination charging stations in addition to helping the dealers apply for incentives, funding, and access to programs to help expedite the deployment of local EV charging.
Through Ultium Charge 360, GM works with policymakers, community leaders, and industry groups to deploy charging stations or infrastructure faster and improve access for who are unable to install charging equipment at home.
The company’s integration with major EV charging networks simplifies the charging experience by allowing drivers to find stations along a route and initiate and pay for charging while on the go.
