cars news 10: BMW, Nissan Partnership Adds 174 New EVgo DC Fast Chargers in U.S.

BMW and Nissan announced in late 2015 that they would team up with electric car charging network EVgo to bring more fast charging stations to the U.S. That partnership has now added 174 new DC Fast chargers in 33 states, and 50 more are planned for 2017. The partnership aims to promote the adoption of EVs in the U.S.

Each station offers 50-kilowatt DC Fast charging for both SAE Combo (CCS) and CHAdeMO specs. The BMW i3 takes the SAE Combo plug, while the Nissan Leaf uses CHAdeMO. Fast charging can juice a car up to 80 percent in 25-30 minutes, and the capability is standard on 2015-2017 BMW i3 EVs but optional on the Leaf. The new chargers are located near shopping areas and restaurants, and have been placed along “convenient, well-traveled routes,” according to Nissan. These latest chargers bring EVgo’s total number of dual-port DC Fast charging stations to 668 across the U.S. BMW recently partnered with Volkswagen and Chargepoint to install 95 DC Fast chargers along key U.S. corridors.

“Infrastructure for all is a key strategic priority for us as we continue expanding the network of dual-port quick chargers across the country,” said JeSean Hopkins, senior manager, Nissan EV Infrastructure Strategy & Business Development, in a release. “We look forward to ongoing teamwork and the continued build-out of public quick-charge stations.”

By the end of the partnership, BMW and Nissan estimate that upwards of 90 percent of i3 and Leaf owners will have easy access to an EVgo quick charging station. The remaining 50 chargers will be installed throughout the year.

Source: Nissan