Electrify America is one of the largest open public EV charging networks in the United States. It also offers some of the most powerful DC fast charging stations available on our shores.
What Is the Electrify America EV Charging Network?
Electrify America is one of the largest open public EV charging networks in the United States. It also offers some of the most powerful DC fast charging stations available on our shores.
The company was established by Volkswagen Group of America after the automaker was found guilty of violating the Clean Air Act. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that the automaker used cheat devices to make sure its engines only used their emissions controls during emissions testing.
As part of its punishment for the emissions scandal, Volkswagen agreed to take a number of actions to promote electric vehicle adoption. One major component of Volkswagen’s way forward was to build out the Electrify America charging network to help offset future emissions.
The Electrify America company was first unveiled in 2017, though the first charging station didn’t open until 2018. The company is currently valued at nearly $2.5 billion, and in June 2022, Siemens became its first external investor, with a $450 million investment.
How Many Electrify America EV Charging Stations Are In the U.S.?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center, Electrify America has 839 total charging locations in the U.S. with 3,701 individual charging points. The company’s website shares similar numbers, with 791 live stations, 90 coming soon and a total of 3,551 live charging points. The number of charging points is ever-changing as new stations are built out, some are in repair and other units are being upgraded or replaced.
Electrify America’s locations are spread across the entire country, making it possible to travel from coast to coast using the network exclusively. With that said, there tend to be more charging stations in or near more densely populated areas, especially in locations where EVs are more popular, such as California, Florida and the East Coast.
According to the Alternative Fuel Data Center’s interactive map, North Dakota doesn’t yet have any Electrify America stations, and there are a few states that only have a limited number of locations, including Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota. However, even in the middle of the country, there are enough stations to build a successful route.
How Do You Find an Electrify America EV Charging Station?
Electrify America has a searchable map on its website that shows all station locations. You can also download the Electrify America app and use your phone to locate an available station. The app also tracks charging stations that are coming soon, and it will notify you when they are online.
The Electrify America app is available for Apple and Android phones via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The company’s app is also integrated with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which means you can use it in cars that support smartphone app integration to work alongside the apps’ navigation.
Charging stations can also be found via a number of other apps, such as Plugshare, Chargeway, Open Charge Map and ChargeHub.
How Do You Use an Electrify America EV Charging Station?
When you arrive at an Electrify America charging station, make sure you park on the side where your car’s charging port is located, and park close enough that the cord will reach.
Check the screen on the charger to verify that it’s online, ready to go and has a charging connector that’s compatible with your EV. There should be an icon on the charger that shows what a compatible charging port looks like.
Plug the connector into your car’s charging port by holding it with two hands and pressing and holding the button. When it clicks into the port, let go of the button. Now you’re ready to pay and initiate the charging session. The screen will reveal details about the charging session after you’ve paid and the session is underway.
How Fast are Electrify America’s EV Charging Stations?
Electrify America offers peak charging at up to an impressive 350 kW, which is currently the quickest in the business. At least one other company in the U.S. – EVgo – also has some 350 kW DC Fast Chargers.
It’s important to note that not all Electrify America charging points can deliver up to 350 kW. In fact, many of the stations charge at speeds of up to 150 kW.
How Much Does it Cost to Use an Electrify America Charging Station?
Charging costs may vary by state, and they’re subject to change at any time. Charging rates are determined by the location of the charger and whether the EV owner has an account with the provider or is paying with a credit card. Per-minute charging rates are determined by the maximum charging speed your EV can accept and the charging station’s capability. Some stations charge for the time you’re connected, while others charge for the amount of energy delivered.
While Electrify America aims to offer pricing on a per-kWh basis in many states, some state regulatory agencies require it to set the pricing on a per-minute basis. In short, you can either be charged based on how much energy your EV receives or the length of the charging session. Each U.S. state sets its own policies.
Electrify America recently simplified its pricing for per-minute charging, with high-power chargers having just two different power levels. Once the EV interacts with the charging station and determines which of the two speeds it can accept, your per-minute rate will be displayed on the charger. Once the charging speed and rate are determined, even if the speed fluctuates, the rate stays the same for the entire session.
In most states, it currently costs $0.43 per kWh for guests to charge at an Electrify America station. Meanwhile, members pay $0.31 per kWh plus a $4 monthly fee. Per-minute-based rates are typically $0.16 per minute for EVs that can charge at up to 90 kW and $0.32 per minute for those that can accept speeds of over 90 kW. Members pay the $4 monthly fee, which reduces the per-minute rates to $0.12 and $0.24, respectively.
There’s also an idle fee to make sure that people don’t leave their EVs plugged in and occupying a spot after they’re done charging. Once the car is done charging, there’s a 10-minute grace period, after which you pay $0.40 per minute until you unplug.
How Do You Pay at an Electrify America Charging Station?
There are a few ways to pay for charging at an Electrify America station. You can pay as a guest. The pricing will show up on the charging station’s screen. When it’s time to pay, you’ll have to use a credit or debit card, unless you already have a supported mobile wallet. Electrify America supports Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
The other option is to pay as a member, and if you’re going to pay as a member, there’s a decent chance you have some idea of how it works before approaching the charging station. However, you could decide to set up a digital membership at the time of charging.
Once you have an Electrify America digital membership, you can access it through your phone’s wallet. To pay, you simply tap your phone against the digital reader or use the “Swipe to Start” feature in the app. Pass, Pass+ and Premium Offer members can either use the Electrify America app to pay or use a supported automaker’s app.
Does Electrify America Support Plug and Charge?
Plug and Charge is the easiest way for electric car owners to charge their cars at public charging stations. It’s essentially “plug and play” for EVs. Once you have Plug and Charge set up, you simply plug in at any supported charging station, and the charging session begins.
The goal of Plug and Charge is to bring Tesla-like convenience to people who drive non-Tesla EVs. Many charging networks, including Electrify America, now support Plug and Charge. Once you’ve set up Plug and Charge, its protocol knows who you are, what type of EV you’re driving and how to collect payment from you for the service.
When Should You Use an Electrify America Charging Station?
Most EV owners primarily charge at home. It’s convenient and cheaper than charging at a public station. However, some electric car owners may not have the ability to charge at home. Perhaps they don’t yet have a Level 2 charging station or no garage or usable area outside to install the plug.
People who live in apartments or rental homes may have difficulties not only getting permission to install a Level 2 charging station, but also getting permission from the landlord to charge electric cars on the property. In such cases, these EV owners may have to set aside time each week to visit a public charging station, such as an Electrify America DC fast charger.
The most obvious use case for public charging is road trips, and Electrify America is the only network in the U.S., aside from Tesla’s Supercharger network, that’s widespread enough to allow people to road-trip virtually anywhere across the country.
Is the Electrify America Network Better Than Rival Fast-Charging Networks?
Of the more significant charging networks in the U.S., each has its own pros and cons. While the Tesla Supercharger network is known for having the most DC fast charging points, it’s currently only available to Tesla owners, and it doesn’t offer a peak charge rate that’s as high as Electrify America’s.
Aside from the Tesla Supercharger network, Electrify America doesn’t have any true widespread competition in the fast charging space, though it’s not perfect. It tends to be pricey compared to rivals, the charging process can take a considerable amount of time to initiate, stations are sometimes out of order and you may have to wait on the phone to get help from the company’s support service.
Source: US News
