BMW & EVgo Launch DC Fast Chargers In 25 More US Cities
Originally published on EV Obsession.
The ChargeNow DC Fast electric vehicle charging program is being extended to encompass 25 more American cities as part of a new partnership between EVgo and BMW, according to recent reports.
As a result, the EVgo network is expected to comprise more than 600 different 50 kilowatt (kW) DC Fast Combo electric vehicle (EV) chargers in the US in less than 2 years.
“It is our mission to install the right charging solutions at the right places, and EV drivers have overwhelmingly told us they prefer DC Fast chargers at public spaces,” stated Arun Banskota, President and CEO of EVgo. “Over the next 24 months EVgo will add reliable DC Fast Combo capability to what is already America’s largest DC Fast charging network. This will be the fastest and most cost effective build out of a new network ever — thanks in large part to our existing infrastructure and committed retail host partners.”
A new press release provides more:
EVgo’s public network has the power capacity to support the increasing use of the DC Fast Combo standard. These chargers will be capable of charging the BMW i3 or other DC Fast Combo standard vehicles at 50 kW, the only entire charging network able to provide that level of charge.
BMW’s ChargeNow DC Fast program with EVgo was originally introduced in California and led to the largest network of DC Fast Combo chargers in America. Now BMW and EVgo are supporting the rapid addition of DC Fast Combo charging capability at an additional 500 fast charging stations to support BMW i3 customers and other EV drivers in the US. The ChargeNow DC Fast program includes two years of no-cost charging for eligible BMW i3 drivers in those areas.
“This significant expansion in the number as well as the locations of publicly available DC Fast Combo chargers further affirms BMW’s commitment to e-mobility and will make EV ownership even more enjoyable for BMW i3 drivers,” stated Robert Healey, Head of EV Infrastructure for BMW of North America.
Those looking for more information can find it at the EVgo website.
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So, do these new installations also support CHAdeMO, or are they limited to CCS? I was unable to locate anything on other sites or the EVgo site itself. I certainly hope they are dual standard installations.
I notice on the EVgo website, they state that all of their chargers can upgrade to support at least 150 kW, and some up to 400 kW. That was news to me, but will be needed once the 200+ mile range vehicles begin roaming the Interstates!
Once car companies in general get serious about EVs, charge stations should be a high priority for them.
50kw is not enough. There is little purpose to DC fast charging if its only 50kw. Thats enough to charge a Leaf in half an hour. 85 miles. It might charge a Model 3 in an hour. The main purpose of DC charging is long distance. That needs at least 100kw to be practical. I see little point in fast charging for limited range EVs under 100 miles. Maybe for an occasional emergency.
If you check the EVgo website, you’ll see that all of their installations can be upgraded to support 150 kW charging – and some to 400 kW charging – when the longer range vehicles begin shipping. The current 50 kW deployments are optimized for 30 kWh and smaller batteries in current EVs (except Tesla).
The (non-EVgo) units I examined a few months ago were all based on a rack architecture with slide-in modular power equipment. For example, the one I liked best had 5 slots and could accept 20 kW or 50 kW modules. So the unit could be inexpensively deployed with 3 20 kW modules (60 kW power), and in 2017 add 2 more (100 kW) for the Bolt and Leaf 2, and then as business and battery sizes grew swap out for one or more 50 kW units (up to 200 kW, the design limit of that particular CCS plug – I believe the CHAdeMO had a 100 kW limit, but memory fades).
Thats fine. Why not start with 100kw?