Electrify America Opens its 600th Ultra-Fast EV Charging Station in the U.S.

author: FutureCar Staff    

Electric vehicle charging operator Electrify America has opened its 600th electric vehicle (EV) charging station across the continental United States open to the public, the company announced on Thursday.

The opening of the 600th station follows the completion of two cross-country and two coastal routes in 2020, providing EV drivers with more options for cross-country travel. 

The Reston, Virginia-based company says it operates the nation's largest DC ultra- fast-charging network. Electrify America opened its first U.S. charging station on May 2, 2018 in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

In total, Electrify America now has nearly 2,600 individual fast chargers across the country. The stations are strategically located near highways and metro sites with convenient amenities like shopping, banking and restaurants. The company plans to construct the largest DC fast charging network in the U.S., eventually exceeding the size of Telsa's planned Supercharger network. 

Electrify America is focused on building a "future proof" EV charging network consisting almost exclusively of newer ultra-fast chargers, which is set to become the industry standard. Many newer EV models are capable of reaching an 80% charge in under 30 minutes using a DC fast charger. 

Electrify America metro stations offer charging speeds up to 150kW, which can add about 7.5 miles of battery range per minute for capable vehicles. The locations near highways feature 150kW and 350kW chargers, which can add an estimated 23 miles of battery range per minute for capable vehicles. 

Electrify America was formed as a result of the Volkswagen "dieselgate" scandal of 2015, in which the automaker admitted to tampering with the emission control software on hundreds of thousands of diesel engine vehicles to mask excessive harmful emissions. The scandal cost Volkswagen over $34 billion in fines and settlements.

As restitution, Volkswagen founded Electrify America in 2017 to promote the adoption of zero-emissions, electric vehicles in the U.S. The automaker is investing $2 billion through 2027 to build EV charging infrastructure in the U.S. 

"With our rapid station deployment, we are on track to have 800 charging stations with about 3,500 chargers open or under development by the end of this year - delivering on our commitment to make EV driving easier and more accessible," said Giovanni Palazzo, president and CEO of Electrify America. "We're proud to be on the forefront of expanding the nation's EV charging infrastructure and are excited to see our continued growth, as we help meet EV demand and climate priorities set by the (Biden) Administration."

Last June, Electrify America announced the completion of its first cross-country route from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, CA. The route spans 11 states and follows highways I-15 and I-70, covering a distance of 2,700 miles. 

By early next year, Electrify America said will add four new states to its charging network, Hawaii, South Dakota, Wyoming and Vermont. The new states will bring Electrify America's presence to 47 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Electrify America also announced it will open more EV charging stations later this year in Montana, Minnesota and New Hampshire as the network grows in the Plains, Mountain and New England regions of the U.S. 

The company is also planning a significant expansion later this year in Washington state, where the state's legislature passed a bill setting a goal that all model year 2030 and later light-duty vehicles sold, purchased or registered in the state be EVs.

More recently, Ford Motor Company announced that buyers of its upcoming Mustang-inspired Mach-E electric SUV will get access to Electrify America's network. Joining Ford is Volkswagen's brands Porsche and Audi, as well as new EV startups Lucid Motors and Fisker Inc. in giving customers complimentary access to the Electrify America charging network.

FutureCar Staff