Do We Need 120,000 Level III Chargers in America?

In May of 2019 CNN reported a partnership had been formed between General Motors and Bechtel to build a nationwide network of Level 3 charging stations.  GM will contribute data gathered from their OnStar system to help select sites while Bechtel the nation’s largest engineering and construction company will oversee the building.  It sounds like at this point GM and Bechtel are forming a new company as a joint venture.  This organization will allow others to invest capitol and perhaps join as partners.

General Motors has experience with EVs and is announcing very aggressive expansion of their battery powered offerings on an almost weekly basis.  To assure prospective buyers, GM needs to be able to show “where” and for how “much” their new offerings can be charged.  It is an established fact that electric vehicles are mostly charged at home.  This has been well documented by both GM’s own evaluations of Volt and Bolt OnStar data and studies conducted by utility companies.

There are somewhere on the order of 120,000 gas stations in the United States, according to recent industry data. Some believe that it is necessary to essentially duplicate that vast and convenient network with charging stations.  I specifically disagree.  Home and at work charging opportunities will meet most of the need.  No need to replace the gas stations between your home and work because EV drivers will simply “refuel” by plugging in to Level II chargers at their place of residence.  The remaining “need” will be those traveling between population centers or across the country.  The Department of Energy, National Alternative Fuels Data Center documents 10,860 Level III charging outlets as of mid-2019.  This number is set for dramatic increase as Electrify America, ChargePoint, GreenLots, EVgo and a host of other companies raise money and build networks.  The resulting array of Level III charging produced by these efforts will supply those in need of a charge while traveling.