GM Starts Installing 40,000 Chargers to Help Boost EV Adoption

Ask anyone who is considering buying an EV. There are still major concerns about finding available charging stations. GM is trying to alleviate concerns before it rolls out hugely popular vehicles like the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV. GM hopes to nearly double the number of public Level 2 charging stations that are available in the U.S. and Canada.

Dealer and Community Charging Stations

GM is starting by installing Level 2 community charging stations at dealers in Wisconsin and Michigan. Nearly 1,000 GM dealers have signed up for the program which is almost a quarter of all GM dealers in North America.
GM and its dealers are working to expand charging access in communities, including rural and urban areas where EV charging is often limited or non-existent. Participating dealers are eligible to receive up to 10 19.2-kilowatt Level 2 charging stations. GM then connects dealers with installation providers to put the charging stations at key community locations.

“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,” said Hoss Hassani, vice president of GM EV Ecosystem. “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 aims to eventually install up to 40,000 Level 2 charging stations across the U.S. and Canada through the program. That would nearly double the current number of public Level 2 charging stations. These charging stations will be available to all EV drivers, not just GM EV customers. The chargers will deliver the most power available to a Level 2 charger.

A Company Called FLO Will Provide the Charging Stations

FLO will supply the charging stations for the new installation program. The company’s first U.S. manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, will serve as the primary production location for the program’s charging stations.
“We are proud to support this extraordinary effort to grow access to public EV charging in thousands of local communities across North America,” said Louis Tremblay, FLO president and CEO. “Together, FLO, GM and GM dealerships will bring reliable charging to drivers from curbside to countryside.”

First Big Wisconsin Installation in Marshfield, Wisconsin

Wheelers Chevrolet GMC was the first dealer to participate in the program. It chose to install its first charging stations at several locations in Marshfield, Wisconsin, including two parks, a library and a sports complex. Marshfield sits in the middle of the state, it is west of Stevens Point and east of Eau Claire.

"We're excited to be the first dealership in the nation to have these chargers," said Mary Jo Wheeler-Schueller, owner of Wheelers Chevrolet GMC. “This will help put Marshfield on the map in terms of EV leadership. This is a great stop for commuters to check out our community and see all that Marshfield has to offer."

Young Chevrolet Cadillac was next to install its first charging stations at Memorial Healthcare Wellness Center in Owosso, Michigan. Dealers in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio and Washington state are expected to install their first chargers in the weeks and months ahead.

GM Investing to Create Nationwide Charging Availability

GM is investing nearly $750 million to expand a public charging infrastructure. This investment includes GM’s collaboration with Pilot Company on a fast-charging network along U.S. highways, as well as its work with EVgo to install 3,250 fast chargers throughout U.S. cities by the end of 2025.

“GM is taking a comprehensive approach to help put everyone in an EV,” said Hassani. “This includes great vehicles, accessible and reliable charging infrastructure, and free educational resources to help make the transition to EVs as seamless as possible. Combined, these efforts will manifest our all-electric future.”

GM Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

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