General Motors has begun the long process of installing the 40,000 Level 2 charging stations it announced as part of its Dealer Community Charging Program. Nearly 1,000 GM dealerships, or about a quarter of its dealers in North America, are enrolled, which will help expand EV charger access across the continent. The automaker now says its first stations have been installed in Wisconsin and Michigan.
Participating dealerships, which will soon be expanded beyond just Chevrolet dealers to include Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers, are being offered up to 10 19.2-kilowatt Level 2 charging stations to be installed at key locations throughout their communities. They’ll be available for any EV driver – not just GM EV owners. For example, Wheelers Chevrolet GMC in Marshfield, Wisconsin is the first dealership to participate in the program. They’re installing chargers at two area parks, a library and a sports complex.
“Our dealers are deeply involved and trusted in their communities and are well positioned to determine locations that expand access to EV charging, including at small businesses, entertainment venues, schools and other popular destinations,” Hoss Hassani, vice president of GM EV Ecosystem said in a statement.”
GM says with this program, they can nearly double the current number of public Level 2 chargers in the two countries. According to the automaker, nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a GM dealership, and dealers can choose to put the chargers at schools, small businesses, entertainment venues and other places, which will make them more accessible to the public as a whole.
The GM program is just part of a broader $750 million effort to expand public access to EV chargers, which includes collaborating with Pilot gas stations to build a fast-charging network along U.S. highways. It’s also working with EVgo to install 3,250 fast chargers across the United States by 2025.
