Nissan is looking to make it easier for U.S. owners of its LEAF and other electric vehicles to charge their batteries when out and about. Over the next 18 months the automaker plans to add at least 500 quick-charging stations across the country, with the roll out to include the first fast-charge network for the greater Washington D.C. area.
Nissan estimates there are currently only around 160 fast chargers available for public use across the U.S., a number that is sure to exacerbate many an EV owner’s range anxiety and keep many of them tethered fairly close to home. A tripling of the existing fast-charger count will provide additional charging options and, Nissan no doubt is hoping, improve sales of EVs.
In partnership with NRG Energy, whose eVgo Network currently operates in Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth, Nissan says it will work with its dealers and local municipalities to provide extra charging options through its dealer network, workplace campus locations and within local neighborhoods where drivers spend the bulk of their time.
A major part of the charging infrastructure expansion will be a network of 40 eVgo Freedom sites across the greater Washington D.C. area that will each have a Nissan fast charger that can provide an 80 percent charge in less than 30 minutes. NRG has also announced similar networks for the San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Joaquin Valley areas.
As well as the 500 public fast-chargers it plans to install in the next 18 months, Nissan says it is looking to increase on the roughly 1,500 charging stations currently available in workplaces by getting companies who already offer such technology to share their experiences with companies interested in getting on board.
Source: Nissan