BMW and VW team to build electric vehicle charging network

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Los Angeles Times

By Charles Fleming
[e-mail]

January 22, 2015, 10:00 AM

Two German auto giants and America's leading electric vehicle charging network have joined forces to build fast-charging EV networks along the country's East and West coasts. ... BMW of North America, Volkswagen of America and ChargePoint Inc. will construct up to 100 charging stations in "express charging corridors" from San Diego to Portland, Ore., on the West Coast and Boston to Washington on the East Coast.

Construction has already started on the Western corridor, where a string of new charging stations will allow vehicles to travel the length of California and into Oregon. As many as 100 stations will be up and running by the end of 2015, said Pasquale Romano, ChargePoint's president and chief executive.

Each station will include one or two 50-kilowatt DC Fast chargers or 24-kilowatt DC Combo Fast chargers, developed by BMW in partnership with Bosch. Those chargers -- typically used for BMW and VW vehicles, as well as the Chevy Spark EV -- can bring a vehicle up to 80% power in less than 30 minutes.

Each station will also include some Level 2 chargers, which require up to four hours to fully charge a car. The Level 2 chargers can power up vehicles including the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf and the plug-in version of a Toyota Prius. ... The goal is to serve all models of electric cars, even those made by Tesla Motors, which has its own supercharging network and its own proprietary charging ports.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-bmw-vw-electric-charging-network-20150120-story.html

[tinrobot]

1. Progress!

They're finally taking a hint from Tesla.

An affordable EV with decent range and fast charging is the tipping point for the end of gasoline. This generation of EVs isn't quite there. but the next generation should start making a serious dent.

[thesquanderer]

2. I don't think many people are going to go electric for long trips

as long as charging takes even as little as 30 minutes.

[Kelvin Mace]

3. With the exception of the Tesla

EVs are pretty much designed for folks whose commute is 50-60 miles round trip, which is a very large segment of the driving public. The Leaf may double that in 2017 and Chevy as promised a 200 mile vehicle in 2018. Plug in hybrids are the best compromise giving a driver 25-40 miles on battery before kicking on the gasoline generator to provide the next 300+ miles.

[physioex]

5. Have you seen the Youtube of the Tesla battery swap? EOM

[7962]

4. this is exactly whats needed. Make it easier for people and they'll make the switch nt

[PasadenaTrudy]

6. I have my eye on a

1988 Fifth Avenue