DETROIT — General Motors is partnering with three leading electric vehicle charging providers to create a more convenient network of more than 31,000 chargers for its EV owners.
The automaker on Wednesday announced collaborations with EVgo, ChargePoint and Greenlots to integrate their charging networks into the myChevrolet app. The combination will allow Bolt EV customers with model year 2017 of newer access to real-time data on whether the stations are working, available and compatible with a Bolt EV.
The collaborations, at this point, are exclusively for Bolt owners. Meg Soule, a GM spokeswoman, said “further announcements” regarding future EV models could be made at a later date. GM has plans to launch at least 20 new all-electric or fuel cell-powered vehicles globally by 2023.
GM also expects to create an app interface for all three networks to streamline charger access and potentially allow activation of a charging session using the app instead of a membership card.
GM, according to Soule, is open to adding other EV station providers to the collaborations, as the company explores “ways to expand EV charging networks.”
The collaborations, at this point, do not include building out EV infrastructure, which is viewed as one of the major barriers along with range and price for all-electric vehicles.
Doug Parks, GM vice president of autonomous and electric vehicle programs, called the collaborations a "significant step to make charging easier for our customers."
GM expects to finalize the terms of the collaborations and agreements with EVgo, ChargePoint and Greenlots by March. Timing of the features for the Chevy app will be announced at a later date, according to GM.
The company declined to provide any financial details of the partnerships.
