General Motors announced that, through an expansion of its existing collaboration with EVgo, it has added a new Plug and Charge service to the Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem.
The Plug and Charge feature enables to simple initiation of the charging process, as charging can start right away after plugging in. It was already used by Tesla (a proprietary system at Superchargers), and by some other brands on select public networks, but GM notes that it has become the first OEM to introduce a Plug and Charge feature to the company’s existing and future EVs that is designed to work on multiple public networks in North America.
According to the press release, Plug and Charge is already available for the GMC Hummer EV Pickup, Cadillac Lyriq, as well as for Chevrolet Bolt EV/Chevrolet Bolt EUV with DC charging option.
To use the Plug and Charge feature, customers have to configure their accounts.
"Drivers with an EVgo account, active OnStar connected services and the GM brand app for their vehicle (myChevrolet, myCadillac, myGMC) must perform a one-time activation of Plug and Charge within the app. Once activated, they can simply plug in the charging cable and energy will start to flow to their vehicle — no additional steps needed."
Initially, the system works with EVgo DC fast-charging stations ("nearly all"), but in the future, other public chargers across the Ultium Charge 360 network to be included as well.
The Ultium Charge 360 network offers access to more than 100,000 charging points in the US and Canada. GM has expanded the coverage last year, by adding a few additional operators (EVGateway, EVPassport, EVCS and NoodoeEV), so the list now includes a total of 11:
- EVgo
- ChargePoint
- Shell Recharge
- FLO
- Blink
- SemaConnect (recently acquired by Blink)
- EV Connect
- EVGateway
- EVCS
- NoodoeEV
- EVPassport
General Motors previously announced a nearly $750 million investment in charging infrastructure through the Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem, which "integrates charging networks, GM vehicle mobile apps and other products and services to simplify the overall charging experience for EV owners, fleets and dealers."
Another charging-related initiative is a partnership with EVgo to install more than 3,250 additional fast chargers in the US by 2025. The company is also working to launch a program with its dealers to add more than 40,000 Level 2 AC charging points in local communities across the US and Canada.
Hoss Hassani, GM vice president of EV Ecosystem said:
“We want to be the company that makes the EV experience seamless and convenient for everyone. Our collaboration with EVgo on Plug and Charge complements the work already in place with Ultium Charge 360 and is a part of our larger effort this year to expand charging infrastructure, access and education.”
