General Motors has announced a community charging program to install up to 40,000 Level 2 EV chargers across the U.S. and Canada. GM says the company and its dealers will work together to expand access to charging in local communities including in underserved, rural and urban areas where EV charging access is often limited. This initiative, which begins in 2022, is part of GM’s recently announced commitment to invest nearly $750 million to expand home, workplace and public charging infrastructure through its Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem.
Through the Dealer Community Charging Program, GM will work with its dealers to deploy Ultium charging stations (EVSE) at key locations in the dealer’s respective communities, including workplaces, multi-unit dwellings, sports and entertainment venues, and college and universities, among others. These charging stations will be available to all EV customers, not just those who purchase a GM EV. Today, nearly 90% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a GM dealership, the company says.
GM’s new line of three Ultium-branded Level 2 smart charging stations will also be offered to customers through dealerships and online to provide more home or commercial charging options and help make EV charging more widespread.
Today, charging “deserts” still exist in many urban and rural areas, lacking in critical EV charging infrastructure necessary for the more widespread adoption of EVs. As part of its Dealer Community Charging Program, GM will give each of its EV dealers up to 10 Ultium Level 2 destination charging stations and work with them to deploy the chargers at key locations throughout their local communities. In addition, GM will help dealers apply for incentives and other funding and access to programs that can expect to expedite the deployment of local EV charging.
Through Ultium Charge 360, GM works with policymakers, community leaders and industry groups to deploy charging stations or infrastructure faster and improve access for those that might not be able to install charging equipment at their homes, including apartment dwellers.
GM’s integration with major EV charging networks simplifies the charging experience by allowing drivers to find stations along a route and initiate and pay for charging while on the go, all through their GM vehicle mobile apps. In addition, customers can access nearly 85,000 charging spots throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The Ultium brand name on GM’s new EV platform, propulsion components and charging ecosystem will soon expand to a brand of Ultium Chargers for residential and commercial use developed with leading vehicle charging specialist CTEK.
GM’s family of Ultium Chargers will include:
- An 11.5 kilowatt/48-amp smart charger
- An 11.5 kW/48-amp premium smart charger
- A 19.2 kW/80-amp premium smart charger
All three Ultium chargers are Energy Star Certified, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Each charger features dynamic load balancing and can be upgraded over time through over-the-air updates with automatic download capabilities. The two premium models include a customizable touchscreen and an embedded camera. Customers can set their charging schedule, view statistics on their charging habits and historical charging sessions, and receive readouts of charger status through the GM brand mobile apps.
The first Ultium Chargers will ship early next year with customers able to roll the price into their GM Financial lease or financial contracts.
