Stellantis will offer a home charger or charge credits for customers who buy one of its new BEVs.
Stellantis is trailing both Ford and GM when it comes to offering full BEV vehicles in North America but is now releasing information about charging its upcoming EVs. The all-electric 2025 Ram 1500 REV, the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona, 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S, 2025 Jeep Recon and the 2024 Fiat 500e are new battery-electric vehicles announced for the U.S. market. Now, Stellantis is saying that drivers who buy one of the company’s BEVs will receive either an at-home charging station or $600 in charge credits.
Charging BEVs Has Been a Real Sticking Point
There is no question that the biggest drawback to consumer interest in EVs is the concern about charging. Drivers often tell horror stories about problems finding working chargers. Even Ford Motor's CEO, Jim Farley, has lamented the problems with finding working charging stations. Larger cities seem to have been better about making the chargers available, but smaller towns and rural areas are lagging behind.
Stellantis’ new battery-electric vehicle purchase package provides two simple options – customers will have choice of an at-home charging station or charging credits through Free2move Charge. While many EV buyers have their own garages, other potential buyers are living in apartments or condominiums and have fewer options. Free2move Charge Go will make it easier to find, activate and pay for charging on the go. The Free2move Charge Go app will be able to give drivers information about the closest charging stations. The Free2move Charge app will provide access to more than 75,000 charging stations across the U.S. The intention is to expand the charging network even more in 2024.
"With our fully electric vehicles now arriving in the U.S. market, starting with the Fiat 500e, and the Jeep Wagoneer S and Dodge Charger Daytona coming soon, our customers will quickly realize that our BEVs will carry the same brand DNA that our customers have grown to love, but with electrification and next level technology," said Carlos Zarlenga, COO, Stellantis. "Electrification is a game changer. Yes, our customers will see efficiency gains, but they will also experience incredible performance advancements, including technology, ride and handling, giving our brands, such as Jeep, greater off-road capabilities and defending the Dodge Charger's claim as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car."
Stellantis' Free2move Charge Website Designed to Make Charging Easier
Stellantis has designed the Free2move Charge website and app to assist customers through the EV buying process. Zarlenga says, "With these advancements, our goal is to make the charging process for these vehicles as simple and easy as we can for our owners, and our Free2move Charge options will act as our customers' entry point."
The website will be able to tell potential buyers exactly what they will need to have to install a home charger, or whether charging elsewhere would work better for them. Some buyers have the opportunity to charge their vehicle while at work. Every situation is different.
“As we introduce our all-electric vehicles this year in the U.S., we want to ensure that our customers easily understand the charging options available to them before or upon purchase,” said Mathilde Lheureux, head of energy and charge business unit. “Simply stated, included in the purchase of a Stellantis battery-electric vehicle is the ability choose a Free2move Level 2 charging unit or charging credits with a value of $600 to use at charging stations across the country, which are easily identifiable through the app.”
Buyers will be able to arrange for the installation of the home charging station through the app. The app will also manage the charging credits. Both options are valued at about $600.
Customers will have access to more than 75,000 charging stations across the United States, including ChargePoint, Shell Recharge and EVgo. Additionally, Stellantis is working with partners to fund a minimum of 30,000 in-network chargers, with the first charging stations expected to open in the U.S. in 2024.
Time to Start Planning for a Smooth Transition
Customers can reserve the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S and order the 2024 Fiat 500e now. The other vehicles, like the highly anticipated 2025 Ram 1500 REV should go into production later in the year.
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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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