Volkswagen To Install 2,800 EV Charging Stations In US By June 2019
Volkswagen’s Electrify America unit will have installed 2,800 plug-in electric vehicle charging “stations” in the US by June 2019, if newly revealed plans are to be taken at face value.
I put “stations” in quotes here because these “stations” will be spread across just 500 or so sites — so it sounds as though what’s being referred to here are individual charging poles (whether they can charge more than one car at a time or not).
These electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will be located in 17 of the biggest cities in the US, with about 75% of them to be situated in common workplaces and the other 25% to be located in dense residential areas (apartments complexes, parking garages, etc.).
This EV charging station buildout follows the earlier agreement that Volkswagen execs made with US regulators as part of a settlement in relation to the diesel vehicle emissions cheating scandal. As per that agreement, Volkswagen will be spending $2 billion in the US on the development of clean car plans — with $800 million to be spent in California.
“One of the biggest barriers to the mass-market adoption of electric vehicles is access to chargers,” commented Mark McNabb, CEO of Electrify America.
Interestingly, Electrify America management has chosen for the new EV charging stations to be installed by EV Connect, SemaConnect, and Greenlots. Interesting choices … since that doesn’t include the two biggest non-Tesla EV fast charging networks (ChargePoint and EVgo).
“There hasn’t been a significant catalyst yet for ramping up the number of charging stations,” stated Scott Fisher, Greenlots’ vice president of market development, in an interview with Reuters. “This is an unprecedented opportunity to help create the electric vehicle infrastructure we need across the US.”
Notably, though, it’s an opportunity that’s only come about because of a company’s willingness to poison mass quantities of people in order to save a few bucks. And, perhaps more importantly, to not even make that much of an effort to hide the fact (not a competent one, anyways).
On that note, Volkswagen exec Oliver Schmidt was recently sentenced to 7 years in prison for his part in the diesel vehicle emissions testing cheating scandal. A large number of other Volkswagen execs are currently wanted by authorities in the US as well, but as they are essentially hiding out in Germany and that country won’t extradite its citizens, they are unlikely to ever face justice in the US.
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