Electric Vehicle Charging Operator EVgo Grows its CA Network by 40%

author: FutureCar Staff    

Most of EVgo's charging sites are located in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.

As more electric vehicles share the road with combustion engine models, companies building EV charging infrastructure are stepping up to build charging locations so drivers of EVs don't have to worry about running out of power, which is commonly referred to as "range anxiety."

The nation's largest public fast charging network operator EVgo announced today that it has expanded its California electric vehicle charging network by 40% from year-end 2018, as demand for EV fast-charging is increasing in the state.

EVgo says that more than 80% of California residents now live within a 15-minute drive from one of its 300 fast charging stations located throughout the state. California leads the nation in electric vehicle sales.

"EVgo is enabling electric for all by building our fast charging stations in the places where EV drivers live, work and shop," said Cathy Zoi, EVgo's CEO. 

Founded in 2010, EVgo develops, owns and operates more than 1,200 50kW fast charging stations in 34 states in over 60 metropolitan markets. The DC fast charging stations are capable of charging an electric vehicle in about 30 minutes, instead of taking hours.

EVgo consistently earns the highest customer satisfaction ratings as measured by PlugShare, which maintains an EV charging database of over 300,000 EV charging sites to help drivers find a place to charge their vehicles.

This year, EVgo has opened more than 100 new fast chargers in California and expects to open another 200 by the end of the year.

Although Califrona leads the U.S. in EV sales, nationally, EVgo says that more than 100 million Americans live within a 15-minute drive of one of the company's 750 fast charging stations.

EVgo is focusing its network growth in locations that serve the needs of the newest EV adopters who work and live in highly populated urban areas, including residents of multi-unit dwellings who don't have a garage to charge their vehicles and have to rely on public stations to meet their EV fast charging needs. 

The EV chargers support all fast charge capable EV models, including Tesla Model 3, Model S, and Model X with a CHAdeMO adapter.

EVgo recently announced that it has contracted for 100% renewable energy to power its charging sites, becoming the first EV charging network in the United States to be powered by renewable energy.

Last month, EVgo and ride-hailing giant Uber signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to accelerate the electrification of ride-sharing vehicles across the U.S. The first phase of the new MOU will focus on supporting Uber's driver-partners who currently drive electric vehicles through education and access to EVgo's public fast charging network. 

The two companies plan to develop integrations between the Uber and EVgo apps. The overall goal is to get more drivers working for Uber to switch to electric vehicles, as well as promote the adoption of electric vehicles. 

FutureCar Staff