GM partners with ChargePoint to expand ultrafast EV charging network

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General Motors is collaborating with ChargePoint to install up to 500 ultrafast charging stations across the United States to broaden the nation's charging infrastructure and encourage consumers to buy electric vehicles.

ChargePoint, a provider of EV chargers, and GM expect to have the charging stations built and available to the public before the end of next year, the companies said Wednesday.

The move is critical considering a lack of sufficient public chargers has been a barrier to EV adoption, which is growing but has lagged expectations. Michigan has a goal of 100,000 EV chargers being publicly accessible by 2030, but as of earlier this year, the state had fewer than 2,000. Nationally, more than 192,000 charging ports are publicly available, with about 1,000 new chargers being added each week, according to an August report by the Federal Highway Administration.

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To add to that, the industry faces the prospect that incentives in place now to promote EV adoption may soon go away. One of the key incentives that is expected to be up for repeal under the incoming Trump administration is the $7,500 federal tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act. That credit is given to a person who buys or leases a qualifying EV.

On Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team recommended sweeping changes to cut off support for both EVs and charging stations, according to a document seen by Reuters. The recommendations come as the U.S. electric-vehicle transition stalls and China’s heavily subsidized EV industry continues to surge.

Branded as GM Energy, many applicable locations will be equipped with ChargePoint’s Omni Port system, which allows vehicles with CCS or NACS charging ports to easily charge without the need to carry an adapter or dedicate a parking space to a particular connector type. Also, the companies said that many of the charging stations will offer ultrafast charging through ChargePoint’s Express Plus platform, which is capable of charging speeds up to 500kW. That means an EV could get up to 200 miles of range in 5 minutes of charging, according to www.appraisalengine.com.

“Continuing to provide customers with better charging options helps to remove barriers to EV adoption and improve the ownership experience,” Wade Sheffer, GM Energy vice president, said in a statement. “With ultrafast charging, Omni Port technology and excellent customer experiences, this collaboration should be another reason why EV drivers and the EV-curious should be excited.”

Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan.