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Volkswagen, BMW, and ChargePoint expand fast-charging network

Tesla's Supercharger network looks to have some competition.

Part of the appeal of driving a Tesla is having access to the company's vast and ever-expanding Supercharger network. Unfortunately, the Tesla's fast-charging system is currently limited solely to Tesla products and their proprietary charging hardware. Volkswagen and BMW have been working with ChargePoint, the world's largest EV charging network, to bring consumers a viable Supercharger alternative.

The companies announced the opening of their Electric Vehicle Express Charging Corridors on the East and West Coasts. 95 new DC charging stations, with outputs of either 24kW or 50kW, have been built. Drivers will be able to access the public stations from Portland, Ore., to San Diego, Calif., or from Boston, Mass., to Washington D.C. Offshoots to places like Lake Tahoe or Cape Cod have also been built. The stations are located approximately 50 miles apart.

The stations will be available to any EV with SAE combo connectors, not just Volkswagen or BMW products. Some stations will be available with CHAdeMO connections for vehicles like the Nissan Leaf. Customers can pay for charging using a ChargePoint card or app or by using the BMW ChargeNow app.

While the charging output and network coverage can't quite match that those of Tesla, ChargePoint is saying charge times will be faster than public level 2 charging. Obviously, part of the goal is to help expand EV coverage and encourage customer adoption. Volkswagen and BMW have both announced big pushes into the EV market, so expanding the fast-charging network sure seems like a no-brainer.

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