In the second quarter of 2023, pure electric vehicles accounted for 12.9% of BMW’s total sales in the United States. Through the first six months of the year, the luxury brand has managed to sell 17,964 EVs, thus already surpassing the total deliveries for the entire 2022. There’s more to come on the zero-emission front considering at least six purely electric models on the Neue Klasse platform will be built in Spartanburg at the South Carolina factory by the end of the decade.
With that in mind, BMW wants to support current and future EV owners by building a charging infrastructure in the United States. To make it happen, it’s teaming up with six other major automakers to have a high-powered charging network up and running as early as next summer when the first stations will be opened. Canada will follow suit at a later date.
The joint venture calls for at least 30,000 chargers to be installed in cities and along highways by BMW in collaboration with the Mercedes-Benz Group, Hyundai, Kia, General Motors, and Stellantis. The charging stations won’t be reserved for cars made just by these seven companies as vehicles from all automakers will be allowed to use them. The conditions are the EV in question has to use either the Combined Charging System (CCS) or the North American Charging Standard (NACS).
At each charging point, there are going to be several DC chargers to cure range anxiety without having to wait too long to juice up the battery. In-car apps will allow owners to plan ahead by making a reservation at a certain location. Needless to say, the charging points will appear on the navigation map, thus making route planning easier during longer trips.
The joint venture will be established later this year. Commenting on the newly announced agreement, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse said:
“North America is one of the world’s most important car markets – with the potential to be a leader in electromobility. Accessibility to high-speed charging is one of the key enablers to accelerate this transition. Therefore, seven automakers are forming this joint venture with the goal of creating a positive charging experience for EV consumers. The BMW Group is proud to be among the founders.”
Source: BMW Group
