EVgo Triples EV Fast Charging Network In Virginia
The EV market is rising around the world, and so is EV charging infrastructure, thanks in large part to enterprising, persevering, electron-pushing EV charging startups. EVgo was one of the earliest and is one of the largest in the United States. EVgo also happens to be 100% powered by renewable energy (in net).
The recent news from EVgo is that it has tripled Virginia’s EV fast charging network in the past year.
“Last year, EVgo opened its first high-powered public fast charging station under Drive Electric Virginia, the Commonwealth’s Appendix D Volkswagen settlement program. Since September 2019, EVgo has deployed five new chargers each month in Virginia, totaling 24 fast charging site locations and 76 chargers, built under contract with the Department of Environmental Quality. EVgo’s fast charging network now covers the state’s key regions, with stations in Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke.”
This represents “Cycle One of the fast charger deployment plan for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.”
According to our last analysis, EVgo has the second-most EV fast charging stations in the United States, only trailing Tesla. However, because Electrify America and ChargePoint typically have more chargers per station (and Tesla has far more), EVgo is 4th in the nation in terms of number of chargers. That said, EVgo has the largest network of “100% renewable” fast charging stations. Those are in 600 cities across 34 states and serve more than 200,000 customers.
In March of this year, the Commonwealth of Virginia passed legislation requiring that it become carbon free by 2045, making it the first state in the South to set such an ambitious target. Naturally, that means a full shift to electric vehicles.
EVgo notes that 50–150kW fast chargers will continue rolling out across Virginia in the next 18 months under the Drive Electric Virginia program. “The Drive Electric Virginia network prioritizes the installation of DC fast chargers along heavily traveled roads and in areas with high current and projected demand for EV charging. The network is designed to complement existing charging stations and other planned charging infrastructure deployments. When the Drive Electric Virginia project is complete, approximately 95% of Virginians will be within 30 miles of an EV charger.”
Cathy Zoi, CEO of EVgo, noted that the new EV fast chargers installed in Virginia in the past year have been in convenient and useful locations such as malls, Sheetz stations, Wawas, and Federal Realty Investment Trust properties (which I had to Google, but look really cool). They will be adding new retail partners soon too.
Photos by Kyle Field and Cynthia Shahan, CleanTechnica
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