The Ultium-atum: GM To Install Thousands of Public Use EV Chargers At and Near Dealers

While affordable electric vehicles such asthe Chevrolet Boltcontinue to increase their driving ranges and more chargers are being installed at homes as well as workplaces, mainstream car buyers still have a concern about charging access far from home. Not helping that feeling? The lack of EV chargers in certain areas GM calls "Charging Deserts," where infrastructure to support battery electric vehicles is thin to nonexistent.

To help ease existential range anxiety, GM will be installing up to 40,000 Level 2 EV charging stations at their dealerships nationwide. The automaker also will install those chargers in underserved areas around those same stores. In addition, GM will be releasing three new Ultium Level 2 chargers that were developed in conjunction with battery charging experts CTEK for purchase by EV customers by the beginning of 2022.

Charging Deserts

See All 12 Photos12

GM states that though it may seem like the ocean of EV charging stations is growing, there still exists large "Charging Deserts," trenches in the abyss that don't serve EVs as well as other locations. These can be found not just in rural areas but some metros and populous cities, too.

To ensure these underserved areas are taken care of, GM is looking to leverage its dealerships and the markets they operate in. These won't be GM-only chargers, either; all of the chargers will be for public use and installed in "workplaces, multi-unit dwellings, sports and entertainment venues and college and universities, among other" locations. Even the units installed at GM dealerships won't just be for their brands as they will be for public use for other EVs capable of Level 2 charging.

Infrastructure Development for Both Home and Work

The dealers are key to this as, GM says, "nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a GM dealership." Despite recent troubles due to supply chain issues, GM looks to invest up to $750 million in EV infrastructure and expand its own Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem. This investment also includes the development of three new tiers of Ultium chargers for customer use at their homes or businesses. At the end of the day, GM expects the investment towards installing and providing public and private chargers is what is needed to drive more customers to purchasing a new EV.

See All 12 Photos12

"These two initiatives are part of our plan to put everyone in an EV, making access to charging even more seamless than before," said Mark Reuss, President of GM. "We want to give customers the right tools and access to charging where and when they need it, while working with our dealer network to accelerate the expansion of accessible charging throughout the U.S. and Canada, including in underserved, rural and urban areas."

Working with CTEK

While CTEK is known for its line of automotive starting battery chargers, it has also taken the EV world by storm. With known brand experience, GM selected CTEK to develop its Ultium Chargers and Ultium 360 ecosystem. Jon Lind, President and CEO at CTEK, said, "We are absolutely delighted to be chosen to collaborate with GM to support the exciting roll-out of their revolutionary Ultium Charge 360 Ecosystem. We have a long relationship with GM and it's a privilege for our team to work closely with them from the design stage, through production and sales. I think you've got to really trust a product to want to put your own brand on it, so for us it's a real stamp of approval."

Henk Lubberts, Global Director Original Equipment at CTEK, says "GM is committed to helping their customers get the best experience from their EV and the introduction of Ultium EV Platform is a major step forward. It's therefore important that you look after the Ultium battery—the very heart of the vehicle—something that was a driver behind the development of this EV charger. GM chose CTEK due to our strong experience within the EV sector, coupled with a strong commitment to quality, safety, reliability and customer service. Our team worked hard alongside GM to understand what was needed, and what they wanted to achieve with this project, and then we developed a solution to exactly meet these needs."

The Ultium Chargers

See All 12 Photos12

The three new CTEK developed chargers under the Ultium brand will be an 11.5-kW, 48-amp smart charger; an 11.5-kW, 48-amp premium smart charger; and a 19.2-kW, 80-amp premium smart charger. All three chargers will be able to communicate through WiFi and Bluetooth as well as offer automatic over-the-air updates. The two premium smart chargers will also allow their users to set up a custom touchscreen and have an integrated camera to keep watch over their EV while it charges. GM also says that customers "can set their charging schedule, view statistics on their charging habits and historical charging sessions and receive readouts of charger status through the GM brand mobile apps."

The first new Ultium chargers should be arriving at your local GM dealer by early next year. GM said that "customers are able to roll the price into their GM Financial lease or financial contracts."