Headline Roundup • July 27th, 2023
7 Car Companies Announce EV Charging Network Expansion Plan
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Seven automotive companies announced a joint venture to construct 30,000 electric vehicle charging stalls across North America, nearly doubling the current number of stalls.
Details: BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler/Stellantis are joining forces to increase the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in North America as efforts are being made at the state and federal level to move drivers away from gas-powered cars. While other automotive companies— such as Tesla and Ford— are not part of this effort, the new chargers will reportedly be compatible with these companies’ electric vehicles. The first stations are expected to open next summer.
Key Quotes: A joint press release from the companies stated, “With U.S. electric vehicle sales expected to exceed 50% of total U.S. sales by 2030, the expansion of reliable charging infrastructure will become even more critical to widespread electric vehicle adoption.” The new charging stations “will be in convenient locations offering canopies wherever possible and amenities such as restrooms, food service and retail operations either nearby or within the same complex.”
How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum reported mildly on the announcement. Left- and center-rated outlets used more weighted language, such as “crucial,” when discussing the national effort to transition away from gas-powered vehicles. Outlets across the spectrum were in agreement that the largest obstacle facing the mass adoption of electric vehicles is fear from drivers that a charging station would not be easily accessible.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Taylor Glascock for The Washington Post
Seven major automakers on Wednesday announced plans to nearly double the nation’s network of high-powered electric vehicle chargers, an effort to address a key consumer reservation about EVs — that they may not have a place to power up on the road.
The plan calls for adding 30,000 fast chargers in urban areas and along highways, according to a joint statement by General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz Group and Stellantis N.V. The U.S. network had about 32,000 such chargers as of July, according to the Energy Department.
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Automaker consortium
Not long after several automakers agreed to switch to using Tesla’s NACS charging plug and to have their customers charge at the Tesla Supercharger network, 7 major automakers today announced a joint venture to build their own, larger charging network.
The joint venture, so new it doesn’t even have a name, includes BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler/Stellantis. Notably missing are Ford, which was first to partner with Tesla, and VW, whose money paid for Electrify America, the 2nd largest existing charging network after Tesla. Also missing...
AP Photo / Jae C. Hong / AP Newsroom
Seven major automakers revealed plans Wednesday to create an "unprecedented new charging network joint venture" across North America in a bid to make driving electric vehicles "even more attractive for millions of customers."
The project coordinated by BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group and Stellantis NV aims to have at least 30,000 chargers installed in the U.S. and Canada.
People familiar with the plan tell the Wall Street Journal that the automakers intend on collectively investing $1 billion into a joint-venture company that will build out the...
