BWM, Volkswagen Team Up On High Speed Charging Stations

(RTTNews) - BMW and Volkswagen AG have joined together to create express charging corridors along heavily-traveled routes on the U.S. East and West Coasts in order to help meet the large and growing demand for convenient, publicly available electric vehicle fast chargers. The two German automakers have also partnered with ChargePoint, which runs more than 20,000 electric vehicle fast charging locations across North America, for the same.

The initial plan is to install nearly 100 DC Fast chargers across both coasts by the end of 2015. Installations have already begun on the west coast, with the first location in San Diego County.

Each fast charging location along the express charging corridors is expected to include up to two 50 kW DC Fast chargers, or 24 kW DC Combo Fast chargers with the SAE Combo connector. The BMW i3 and the Volkswagen e-Golf can charge up to 80% in 20 minutes while charging with a 50 kW charger. Both vehicles can charge up to 80% in 30 minutes with a 24 kW charger. Locations will also include Level 2 chargers, which are compatible with all electric vehicles.

The DC Fast charging stations will be part of the ChargePoint network and can be easily accessed with a ChargePoint or ChargeNow card or with the ChargePoint mobile app.

The express charging corridors will provide electric vehicle drivers access to DC Fast chargers along the most heavily populated and highly-trafficked regions on Interstate 95 on the east coast, from Boston to Washington, D.C., and on the west coast covering and connecting the metropolitan areas of Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The fast charging stations will be strategically-spaced at a maximum of 50 miles apart.

"A robust network of conveniently located DC Fast charging stations will go a long way toward increasing electric vehicle adoption and making electric vehicle ownership even more enjoyable," said Robert Healey, Head of EV Infrastructure at BMW of North America.

The announcement may bring cheers for scores of electric vehicle owners across the United States, where sales of electric vehicles have been flagging mainly due to non-availability of enough charging stations.

U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors, Inc. maintains its own network of high-speed chargers in the Northeast corridor and in California, but its proprietary connectors work only with Tesla's cars.