GM & Pilot to build 2000 EVgo charging stations at 500 locations along US highways

[DevSecOps]

Every EA station I've used has given more than 100 kW of power (non-Chadmo) and I've yet to be stranded, though my DCFC count is only in the teens.

Have you developed a superstition/anecdotal evidence yet on reducing the likelihood of an initiation fault? On my last couple of runs I decided to leave the car on when I plugged in. No faults, but the sample size is still too small.

The only time I have issue is when attempting to use the app (for the discount) while still having Plug & Charge turned on.

I always turn to the car off when connecting the DCFC. If I want to use the app instead of P&C the trick is to initiate the session on the app before plugging into the car. This will use the app payment method instead of P&C. However, I just joined the new Ford discounted P&C beta so I'll be trying that out next Wednesday where I should be able to just plug in and get the discounted rate at the same time.

Some of the chargers have faults for various reasons, but normally, with EA stations, it's the station itself and I just move to a different one. If there's no other ones available then I call them and ask them to re-start the station and that normally resolves it.

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[jamelski]

I mean this is cool if they actually put something better than 50 kW every EV go in the area of Sacramento is 50 kW of trash I drive by them and give them the middle finger lol

 

[Blue highway]

Does EVGo have a 150 kW tower? All the EVGo's I've crossed paths with are 50 kW, which isn't going to be that useful for folks making long distance runs.

they have both 150KW and 350KW towers.

 

[Blue highway]

If only they would put a credit card reader in the chargers... much rather put my card in than rely on the dozen or so crappy apps we are heading for.

 

[astronut325]

4 stalls isn’t enough. I’m seeing way too many stories of charging sites at full capacity.

 

[troublebot]

There's an EA station just north of Waco (and then an EV charging wasteland until you get just south of Dallas) and last weekend while I was charging from 18% at a blitzing fast 35Kw I got to watch a half dozen other Mach-E owners struggle to get a charge to even initiate. 2 of the 6 or 7 towers were completely down and at one point every parking spot was taken and there were 4 more cars waiting. A few people eventually gave up and drove off.

We were there for 75 minutes to get enough charge to make it home to North Dallas, but I had good road tripping company so it wasn't bad.

It was a Walmart stop with a long hot walk to use the bathroom where I'm pretty sure a drug deal went down in the stall next to me.

I'll take charging at a Pilot station any day.

 

[AZBill]

If they are smart, they will be arranged as pull-through slots so you can charge with a trailer connected.

They are going to offer that. Remember GM is building the Hummer, Silverado and Sierra EVs.

 

[silverelan]

4 stalls isn’t enough. I’m seeing way too many stories of charging sites at full capacity.

if there are more stations spaced closer together, then 4 works just fine. Looking at the map and comparing Pilot Flying J travel center towns, it looks like there will be some duplicate stations directly competing with EA.

 

[AZBill]

I forget which article I read but there was an interview with Farley and he was talking about dealing with a DCFC company that had a bunch of legacy units that were not compatible with the MME, and their units were also not upgradeable OTA, so he threatened that he’d take them out of the Ford network if they didn’t go manually update each one. I have a suspicion this was EVGo.

The new EVGO 350kw chargers are built by Signet, just like the newer and more reliable EA chargers. They look slightly different on the outside, but have the same nameplates. here is a new site going up in Goodyear AZ with 4 350kw units and two 100kw units.

 

[RLW]

This is great news for me. There are Pilots stations all over TN. I too have had some crappy experiences with 50kW EVGo charging stations on several long road trips. However, on a recent trip to Charlotte, NC, I used a brand new 350kW EVGo charging station and it was an excellent charging experience. We need more announcements like this to help alleviate the "range anxiety" that a lot of potential EV customers still have about taking long road trips with an EV.

 

[Logal727]

The new EVGO 350kw chargers are built by Signet, just like the newer and more reliable EA chargers. They look slightly different on the outside, but have the same nameplates. here is a new site going up in Goodyear AZ with 4 350kw units and two 100kw units.

Those look awesome.

 

[Logal727]

EVGo also has a pretty good rewards program. When you sign up they send you an RFID card you can use as backup.

 

[Logal727]

If only they would put a credit card reader in the chargers... much rather put my card in than rely on the dozen or so crappy apps we are heading for.

Just mentioned this, but EVGo will send you a RFID card to activate stations under your account when you sign up for their free rewards program.

 

[Gene Bank]

Fast charging desert continues for NH. Never heard of these stations and still no fast chargers north of Manchester NH to the Canadian border (155 miles) and only a few north of Massachusetts. Don't plan a trip to the NH White Mountains unless you have other options. (York Maine has some and in VT)

 

[Mirak]

I think the old EVGo units were mostly “efacec” units that didn’t work with the Mach E. The new units should be fine.

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