Electrify America

In 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency accused Volkswagen Group of using defeat devices in its diesel-fueled vehicles in order to hide from regulators that the vehicles exceeded emissions standards. The scandal quickly grew, leading eventually to billions of dollars of penalties and agreements to buy back vehicles, among other consequences.

As part of a consent decree reached with United States officials in 2016, Volkswagen agreed to numerous actions, with $2 billion in total, to promote electric vehicle use over 10 years to atone for the additional air pollution it caused. One aspect of the program was a pledge to establish a public electric vehicle charging network.

The Electrify America brand was unveiled in January 2017, along with its first phase of station buildout. Its first station opened in May, 2018, in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

Electrify American stations are frequently located in parking lots and parking garages of big-box stores and shopping malls. The company has multi-location agreements with Walmart, Target and Simon Property Group, among other companies.

Electrify America stations feature the major nonproprietary standards CCS, CHAdeMO and J1772, allowing nearly all EVs on the road today to plug in and charge. Tesla vehicles, which primarily use the proprietary Tesla Supercharger network, require a special adapter that allows them to use CHAdeMO.[5] Stations are rated to provide a minimum of 50 kilowatts and up to 350 kilowatts, although the actual output is dependent on multiple factors including the vehicle's capabilities. Many Electrify America locations, especially those in or near cities, also have J1772 charging infrastructure, providing AC electricity at about 7.7 kilowatts.

Electrify America currently has agreements with various manufactures for their electric vehicles to use its network of chargers or provide discounted charging rates or free charging, including Volkswagen, Audi, Harley Davidson and Lucid Motors.

As of 2020, Electrify America prices its electricity in most states where it operators based on the energy dispensed, charged by kilowatt-hour. In some states, users are charged by the amount of time their vehicle is plugged in. This is usually because the state allows only electric utilities to charge for the amount of electricity a customer uses.

The Electrify America charger network roll-out is being done in four 30-month cycles. The company expects to install or have under development approximately 800 stations with about 3,500 DC fast chargers by December 2021.[6]

Electrify America is also building a charger network in Canada called Electrify Canada, and added a commercial section in January 2021 targeting business, utilities and government agencies.[7]

Drivers can find stations through Electrify America's website,[8] smartphone applications or through networks like PlugShare. They can pay for electricity through the phone apps or with a credit card at the chargers. The Electrify America mobile app[9] lets users pay through their phone and receive discounted rates with an Electrify America Pass+ subscription.

As of November 2020 the network's chargers support Plug & Charge, a standard that enables an electric car to talk to the charger and handle authentication and billing.[10]

The chargers support 50kW, 150kW, or 350kW.[11][12]

• Electrify Canada
• Charging station
• Electric vehicle network

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• Electrify America
• Electrify Canada