VW to 'Electrify America'

Volkswagen unit, Electrify America announced plans to install more than 2,800 electric vehicle charging stations at 500 sites across the US by June 2019. A signification portion of VW’s emissions scandal penance involves investment into eco-centric technologies and developing electric vehicle infrastructure. So it's no surprise that the German carmaker has agreed to spend $800 million in California and a total of $2 billion nationwide on EV infrastructure.  One problem the auto industry must overcome for mass adoption of electric vehicles is a lack of national charging infrastructure. "One of the biggest barriers to the mass-market adoption of electric vehicles is access to chargers," Electrify America CEO Mark McNabb said in a statement. "Having chargers where people work – and live – will help them see that an electric vehicle can be their primary vehicle because charging is convenient and reliable at the places where they spend time." Approximately 75 per cent of the new charging station sites will be located at workplaces. This aligns with one of the goals for the Electrify America program which is to increase charging infrastructure at the workplace, the second most likely place a vehicle spends time parked.  Electrify America argues that employees with chargers at their workplace are six times more likely to drive a plug-in electric vehicle than the average worker, and chargers located at the workplace can potentially double an electric vehicle owner’s daily driving range.  Furthermore their website claims that the charging stations will offer the most powerful charging technology ever developed. "350 kW charging has the capability to add about 20 miles of range per minute to a vehicle, allowing up to 300 miles of fuel to be added in only 15-20 minutes for some next generation vehicles." Joining Electrify America in this initiative are SemaConnect, EV Connect and Greenlots.