Seven of the world’s largest automakers will establish a new joint venture for a public EV charging network in North America.

Seven of the world’s largest automakers will establish a new joint venture for a public EV charging network in North America.

North American high-power charging infrastructure will benefit from the joint venture between BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group and Stellantis NV to create an unprecedented new charging network. The goal is to install at least 300,000 high-power charging points in urban and highway locations to ensure customers can charge anywhere, anytime.

The seven automakers stated that their charging network will be powered entirely by renewable energy and located at convenient locations. This will also provide an enhanced customer experience, including more reliable fast charging, digitally integrated charging, and a variety of convenient amenities and services during the charging process. The alliance will offer two charging systems: Combined Charging System (CCS) and North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors, allowing all newly registered electric vehicles in North America to use these new charging stations. Of note: CHAdeMO connectors will not be offered. It can be assumed that the CHAdeMO standard will be completely replaced in North America.

Foreign media reports indicate that the first batch of charging stations is scheduled to open in the United States during summer 2024, with Canada to follow subsequently. The seven automakers have yet to decide upon a name for their charging network joint venture.

A Honda spokesperson informed InsideEVs: ‘We shall share further details, including the charging network’s name, by year-end.’ Though foreign media reports offer no additional specifics, planning priorities have been outlined. For instance, station locations will prioritise accessibility and convenience, with initial deployments targeting major cities and key motorway corridors. This includes major urban-to-motorway connections and holiday routes, ensuring the network serves both commuting and travel needs. Additionally, the new charging network is expected to integrate with automakers’ in-vehicle and app systems, offering services including booking, intelligent route planning and navigation, payment applications, and transparent energy management. The seven automakers expressed their intention for the charging stations to meet or exceed the standards and requirements of the US National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) programme, committing to establishing a leading, reliable high-power charging network across North America.

Regarding charging standards and the charging market, if the market were monopolised by a single manufacturer, it would place other manufacturers in an unstable position. Therefore, having a neutral organisation through which manufacturers can collaborate provides them with greater security – this should be one of the reasons for the alliance’s formation.