The lack of a stable charge network is a big problem for people who want to buy electric cars in the U.S. Even though EV batteries have gotten better, range anxiety is still a problem. However, keeping an EV is more stressful than filling up the gas tank of a gas-powered car. Seven big car makers, including BMW, Stellantis, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Kia, and Hyundai, are working together to bring 30,000 fast-charging stations to North America, first in the U.S. and then in Canada.
This joint effort is based on agreements with Tesla, which means that electric car drivers who don’t own a Tesla can use its large charging network. The network will use both the North American Charging Standard (NACS) and the Combined Charging System (CCS), which are in most cars in the U.S. that are not Teslas.
The navigation apps in the cars of the involved automakers will use these stations to plan and optimize routes, as well as to combine payment apps and plug-and-charge technology.
This is a good move because companies haven’t been very involved in making the cars, and people’s experiences with them have been mixed. The plan calls for building chargers along roads and in cities, with canopies, bathrooms, places to get food, and other places to buy things.
Some “flagship stations” will also have more services and use green energy to make local networks less busy. It remains to be seen whether Tesla would join this network or not.
