Electrify America

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Electrify America, LLC.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryElectric vehicle infrastructure
FoundedFebruary 7, 2017; 4 years ago (2017-02-07) in Reston, Virginia, U.S.
Headquarters
Reston, Virginia
,
U.S.
Key people
Giovanni Palazzo (CEO)
ProductsElectric vehicle chargers
ParentVolkswagen Group of America
Websiteelectrifyamerica.com

Electrify America operates an electric vehicle DC fast charging network in the United States, with more than 500 charging locations and over 2,200 individual charging units as of November 2020.[1] It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America, established in late 2016 by the automaker as part of its efforts to offset emissions in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal.[2][3][4]

History[]

See also: Volkswagen emissions scandal

In 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency accused Volkswagen Group of using defeat devices in its diesel-fueled vehicles in order to hide from regulators that the vehicles exceeded emissions standards. The scandal quickly grew, leading eventually to billions of dollars of penalties and agreements to buy back vehicles, among other consequences.

As part of a consent decree reached with United States officials in 2016, Volkswagen agreed to numerous actions, with $2 billion in total, to promote electric vehicle use over 10 years to atone for the additional air pollution it caused. One aspect of the program was a pledge to establish a public electric vehicle charging network.

The Electrify America brand was unveiled in January 2017, along with its first phase of station buildout. Its first station opened in May 2018, in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

Operations[]

Electrify America stations are frequently located in parking lots and parking garages of big-box stores and shopping malls. The company has multi-location agreements with Walmart, Target and Simon Property Group, among other companies.

Electrify America stations feature the major nonproprietary standards CCS, CHAdeMO and J1772, allowing nearly all EVs on the road today to plug in and charge. Tesla vehicles, which primarily use the proprietary Tesla Supercharger network, require a special adapter that allows them to use CHAdeMO.[5] Stations are rated to provide a minimum of 50 kilowatts and up to 350 kilowatts, although the actual output is dependent on multiple factors including the vehicle's capabilities. Many Electrify America locations, especially those in or near cities, also have J1772 charging infrastructure, providing AC electricity at about 7.7 kilowatts.

Electrify America currently has agreements with various manufacturers for their electric vehicles to use its network of chargers or provide discounted charging rates or free charging, including Volkswagen, Audi, Harley Davidson and Lucid Motors.

As of 2020, Electrify America prices its electricity in most states where it operates based on the energy dispensed, charged by kilowatt-hour. In some states, users are charged by the amount of time their vehicle is plugged in. This is usually because the state allows only electric utilities to charge for the amount of electricity a customer uses.

The Electrify America charger network roll-out is being done in four 30-month cycles. The company expects to install or have under development approximately 800 stations with about 3,500 DC fast chargers by December 2021.[6]

Electrify America is also building a charger network in Canada called Electrify Canada, and added a commercial section in January 2021 targeting business, utilities and government agencies.[7]

Charging[]

Drivers can find stations through Electrify America's website,[8] smartphone applications or through networks like PlugShare. They can pay for electricity through the phone apps or with a credit card at the chargers. The Electrify America mobile app[9] lets users pay through their phone and receive discounted rates with an Electrify America Pass+ subscription.

As of November 2020, the network's chargers support Plug & Charge, a standard that enables an electric car to talk to the charger and handle authentication and billing.[10]

The chargers support 50 kW, 150 kW, and 350 kW.[11][12]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Clabugh, Jeff (November 11, 2020). "Reston's Electrify America surpasses 500 EV charging stations nationwide". WTOP. Washington, D.C. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "VW's Electrify America to install EV chargers at Walmart stores". April 18, 2018 – via www.reuters.com.
  3. ^ Shepardson, David (February 7, 2017). "VW launches U.S. electric vehicle infrastructure unit". Yahoo Finance. Reuters. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  4. ^ "VW launches U.S. electric vehicle infrastructure unit". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  5. ^ "ELECTRIC VEHICLES: How Volkswagen turned from diesel pariah into electric gorilla". www.eenews.net. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  6. ^ Hawkins, Andrew (2020-10-05). "Driving the 2021 Volkswagen ID 4, VW's first all-electric SUV". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  7. ^ Manthey, Nora (31 January 2021). "Electrify America launches Electrify Commercial". electrive.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Locate a Charger - Electrify America". Electrify America. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  9. ^ "Mobile App - Electrify America". Electrify America. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  10. ^ Gitlin, Jonathan (2020-11-16). "Seamless car charging comes to Electrify America with Plug&Charge - Model Year 2021 EVs from Ford, Lucid, and Porsche will support the new standard". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  11. ^ "Locate a public EV charger". Electrify America. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  12. ^ "Electrify America installing 150/350 kW fast chargers at more than 100 Walmart locations". Green Car Congress. Retrieved 2020-12-01.

External links[]


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