GM has announced a new EV charging infrastructure initiative to install up to 40,000 Level 2 EV chargers across the United States and Canada.
According to the ambitious "Dealer Community Charging Program," GM 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.
Involving dealers in this program is a logical approach seeing as nearly 90 percent of the US population lives within 10 miles (16 km) of a GM dealership, according to the automaker.
GM will be giving each of its EV dealers up to 10 Ultium Level 2 destination charging stations and will be working with them to deploy the chargers at key locations throughout their local communities.
Those will include workplaces, multi-unit dwellings, sports and entertainment venues and college and universities, among others. It’s worth knowing that these charging stations will be available to all EV customers, not just those who purchase an electric vehicle from GM.
Additionally, GM will help dealers apply for incentives and other funding and access to programs to speed up the deployment of local EV charging.
Slated to begin in 2022, the initiative is part of GM’s recently announced commitment to invest nearly $750 million in the expansion of home, workplace and public charging infrastructure through its Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem.
Ultium Chargers: three Level 2 smart chargers arriving early 2022
In addition to the EV charging initiative, GM also says that its new line of three Ultium-branded Level 2 smart charging stations will be available for purchase through dealerships and online. The goal is to provide more home or commercial charging options and thus help make EV charging more widespread.
Developed with leading vehicle charging specialist CTEK for residential and commercial use, the 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 are Energy Star Certified, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and feature dynamic load balancing. They can be upgraded over time through over-the-air updates with automatic download capabilities.
The premium models include a customizable touchscreen and an embedded camera, allowing customers to set their charging schedule, view charging habits and historical charging sessions stats, and receive readouts of charger status through the GM brand mobile apps.
The first Ultium Chargers will ship early next year, and customers will be able to roll the price into their GM Financial lease or financial contracts.
Read more about GM's electrification programs