GM launches feature to simplify public charging

General Motors is aiming to simplify the EV charging experience by allowing drivers to plug in and automatically charge their vehicles when using charge points on the Ultium 360 network, rather than rely on a mobile app to set up and pay for charging.

GM will launch the plug-and-charge service Thursday with EVgo. After drivers with an EVgo account, active OnStar connected services and the GM brand app for their vehicle perform a one-time activation of Plug and Charge within the app, they will be able to plug in the cable and begin charging at any EVgo charger on the Ultium 360 network, GM said in a statement Thursday.

Unlike a at traditional gas station, "there's no messing around with the screen ... you just plug it in, and it starts," Tommy Doran, GM's manager of EV charging experience, told Automotive News.

The plug-and-charge feature is designed to work on multiple public networks in North America, beginning with EVgo.

Starting Thursday, the feature will be available at nearly all EVgo DC fast charging stations in the Ultium 360 network. GM plans to eventually add the service to all compatible DC fast charging stations in the network, which includes more than 100,000 charge points across the U.S. and Canada.

The feature works with vehicles powered by Ultium batteries, such as the GMC Hummer EV pickup and Cadillac Lyriq, along with the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV equipped with DC fast charging capability, which are powered by GM's previous-generation batteries.

"We want to be the company that makes the EV experience seamless and convenient for everyone," Hoss Hassani, GM vice president of EV Ecosystem, said in a statement. "Our collaboration with EVgo on Plug and Charge complements the work already in place with Ultium Charge 360 and is a part of our larger effort this year to expand charging infrastructure, access and education."

The feature is part of GM's nearly $750 million investment in charging infrastructure. The automaker is also working with EVgo to add more than 3,250 fast chargers throughout the U.S. by 2025, and GM plans to launch a program with dealers that would add more than 40,000 Level 2 chargers in dealers' communities across the U.S. and Canada.