GM striving to double L2 chargers through its community program, with 1K dealers enrolled

General Motors revealed Wednesday almost 1,000 GM dealers have enrolled in its Dealer Community Charging Program so far. GM says it intends to nearly double the availability of Level 2 (L2) EV charging in the US and Canada, with plans to add up to 40,000 chargers in underserved communities where infrastructure is currently limited.

GM launched its community charging program in October 2021, working with its dealers to expand access to charging in the local community, including in “underserved, rural, and urban areas” where EV charging options are lacking.

The initiative is part of GM’s Ultium Charge 360 network designed to accelerate EV adoption through increased access to charging. The chargers are available to all electric vehicles, not just GM.

Through the community program, GM is working with its dealers to install Ultium brand L2 EV chargers at key locations such as small businesses, schools, entertainment venues, parks, and other popular places.

GM’s new Ultium branded chargers are also available to purchase through dealerships and online to speed up deployment.

A year later, in October 2022, it was confirmed Wheelers Family Auto Group in Marshfield, Wisconsin, was the first GM dealership to participate in the community program, installing five EV charging stations throughout the area in two parks, a library, and a sports complex.

Less than two months later, GM is revealing almost a quarter of its dealers had enrolled in the program.

Almost 1,000 GM dealers have signed up to participate in the EV-charging program since it was launched last October.

Hoss Hassani, vice president of GM EV Ecosystem, explains the purpose of the community EV-charging program, stating:

Nearly 90% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a GM dealership. Our dealers are deeply involved and trusted in their communities and are well positioned to determine locations that expand access to EV charging, including at small businesses, entertainment venues, schools and other popular destinations.

Hassani added:

Our dealers are an important enabler of our all-electric future and in many cases will be the catalyst for EV adoption in communities that would otherwise have limited EV infrastructure. Combined with their exceptional ability to service EV drivers across North America, our dealers are now helping to make charging possible across much of the continent.

GM is partnering with FLO and its network to install up to 40,000 L2 chargers, which would almost double the current availability. FLO will manufacture the CoRe+ MAX chargers with 19.2 kW maximum output, which is 2.7x faster than a typical L2 charger, according to the company.

The Dealer Community Charing Program was initially opened to Chevrolet dealers but will expand to Buick, GMC, and Cadillac dealers at the beginning of 2023.

Electrek’s Take

Both GM and Ford are working with their dealers to expand EV-charging access and accelerate the rollout.

Ford announced earlier this week that two-thirds of its dealers had joined its Model e program to sell electric vehicles and install charging infrastructure, which will result in one of the largest DC fast-charging networks.

However, GM is sticking with its Level 2 chargers for its community network, which can take several hours to charge fully. Either way, GM and Ford working with their dealers to promote EV adoption is a win.

Almost 90% of the US population lives within 10 miles of a GM dealership, while 96% of auto customers live within 20 miles of a Ford dealership. Even if the chargers are L2 or not ideally placed, they can still provide a way to charge up through rural areas.