Electrify America offering discounted pricing for Kia Niro EV drivers

2020 Kia Niro EVKia is the latest automaker to partner with a charging network on discounted rates for drivers of its electric cars. Kia Niro EV drivers can now get discounts on Electrify America DC fast charging through the Kia Select program. Current 2019 and 2020-model-year Niro EV owners can now pay a flat rate of $0.35 per minute. The program also waives...

UK project builds electric-car charging into a half-mile of lampposts

London lampposts equipped for electric-car chargingThe great thing about electric-car charging is that it can take advantage of existing grid infrastructure. A new project in the United Kingdom demonstrates the benefits of that. Siemens built charging stations into 24 lampposts on roughly a half-mile of Sutherland Avenue in London. The section of street was rechristened, appropriately enough...

World-first in-road charging test for trucks successful, highway speeds next

Smartroad GotlandInitial tests of in-road charging for electric trucks on a stretch of Swedish road have been successful, according to project managers. The scope of testing will now increase, encompassing more vehicles, additional stretches of road, and higher speeds. The project, dubbed "Smartroad Gotland" got underway in November 2019 with the installation of...

Electrify America hits 100 charging stations in California

Electrify America DC fast chargers at San Francisco Premium Outlets, Livermore, CaliforniaElectrify America has reached a significant milestone for electric-car charging in California, the biggest market for EVs in the United States. About 15 months after opening its first California charging station, the network has opened its 100th charging station in the state. The 100 stations have a total of 400 individual plugs, and span the...

GM commits to giving its own employees more workplace charging

2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV charging at Electrify America site, Kelso, WashingtonGeneral Motors announced Tuesday that it’s launching a major initiative to provide workplace charging for its own employees. Through the effort, it will install 3,500 charging connectors across facilities in the U.S. and Canada—tripling the number of connectors currently available from the company. Citing “the internal popularity...

VW backs expansion of “plug and play” battery-buffered fast chargers

Volkswagen ID Buzz concept, 2017 Detroit auto showThe installation costs and large footprint of current DC fast-charging stations has slowed their deployment, but Volkswagen has a plan to speed things up. The German automaker has partnered with energy-infrastructure company E.ON to develop a more streamlined fast-charging setup. What Volkswagen describes as a "plug and play" setup will allow...