The Weekly 1.21⚡(EVI News #17): HDEV + MCS = ACT 2025. 1,600+ New AC Outlets for CA. NEVI Passes 75.

Good day, fellow charging site spotter 🚧⚡👀

For all the attempts of fleet EVs to steal focus via ACT Expo this week, charging networks held their own in the headlines.

From ebullient quarterly reports and nationwide expansion plans to new NEVI sites and quicker turnaround times, CPOs provided as much reason for electrification optimism as the abundant fleet electrification news flowing out of Anaheim.

With the sector showing healthy signs of balance, let’s plug into another week of EVI developments ⤵️

📢 ACT Expo Debuts HDEVs + Sites to Charge Them

News - Despite regulatory shifts rocking the EV sector this year, ACT Expo 2025 saw 40% YoY exhibitor growth and manufacturers debuting new Class 8 electric trucks. Megawatt charging solutions and commercial charging hubs were also a major focus.

Numbers - 14 companies showcased Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) on the show floor, as reported by Godfather of HDEV charging Rustam Kocher, this week’s essential EV follow). That’s compared to only a handful in previous years at ACT. Scores of commercial charging hubs are underway, including four from major players — Greenlane, Prologis, Terawatt, and Voltera — that have opened or will do so before spring is out.

Nuance - Electrification isn’t the only path on the journey to cleaner commercial transportation, at least for some vendors. The "messy middle" debate highlighted by Jo Borrás is a reminder of the tension between fleets ready to electrify now and those promoting alternative pathways. On the show floor, however, the buzz around electrified options and where drivers will be charging them was palpable.

Next Up - The industry is moving beyond "will we electrify?" to "how fast can we build infrastructure?" Two-thirds of US fleets run six trucks or fewer, making small fleet electrification solutions critical for scaling. Elsewhere, some attendees argue that software-defined vehicles will transform fleets from transportation assets into energy grid participants, enhancing their appeal and shortening ROI time. ACT Expo shifts to Las Vegas, NV for its 2026 edition. Place your bets… hit reply and let us know what you expect to see from fleet electrification by then.

🔍 Charging Vendor Spotlight: Ford Charge

News - Ford’s commitment to EV owners is well-known in the industry, but its dedicated fast charging network has received less attention. Quietly and (relatively) quickly, Ford Charge has built out several hundred DCFC locations with dealers in the US and Canada.

Numbers - 782 fast charging ports at 211 stations in 39 states and six provinces.

Nuance - Perhaps surprisingly for those EV drivers who try to avoid dealership charging -- PlugShare does have a “Hide Dealers” filter, after all — Ford’s 2024 network growth puts it in the top 10 DCFC vendors across North America. The sheer scale and coverage of auto dealer locations make them a relatively quick way to build out charging infrastructure, even though they can lack the convenience/amenities of ground-up charging networks.

Next Up - With Ford’s course correction from full steam ahead BEV to more hybrid and extended range electric vehicle (EREV) models, it’s unclear if the Ford Charge expansion that gathered pace over the past 12-18 months will continue at that speed. Some dealers also opt for third-party alternatives that aren’t technically part of the network, such as locations using Blink and ChargePoint solutions. Even with those qualifiers, the automaker has shown it has the inclination and ability to build the best dealership-based charging option in North America today.

🔌 AC/DC: California Energy Commission (CEC) Awards $5.4M for 1,600+ New AC Outlets

News: Smart outlet charging provider Pando Electric and partners secured a CEC grant under the GFO-24-604 – “Reliable, Equitable, and Accessible Charging for Multi-Family Housing 3.0” program.

Numbers: Pando and partners will receive $5.4 million in CEC grant funding to deploy more than 1,600 new AC smart outlets at multi-family properties across California.

Nuance: California’s nation-leading “Right to Charge” legislation plays a major role in driving more attention to AC charging. The law requires all new residential units with parking spaces to have charging options for electric vehicles from next year onwards.

Next Up: Deployment of the charging hardware is expected to begin later this year. The simplicity and flexibility of Pando Electric’s outlet-based solution should ensure a relatively rapid rollout, despite California’s reputation for elongated installations.

🛣️ On the Road: This Week in DCFC

News - DC charging expansion everywhere this week, from iONNA picking up the pace and Mercedes-Benz signing off on new locations, to a healthy dose of new additions to the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC).

Numbers - 204 fast charging ports at 63 charging station locations added to AFDC listings this week. After seeming to pass 15,000 DCFC listings last week, however, the count dropped back below that mark this week. Perhaps some spring cleaning of listings as aging stations are removed, but we’ll keep an eye on any developing trends.

Notable Stations + Additions to AFDC:

🟠 iONNA celebrated seeing double this week, with the network’s Q1 “Rechargery Report” sharing six new sites in April that added to the existing six opened in the first few months of the year. The most notable of this week is the company’s first station in Missouri. The Blue Springs Rechargery offers five dispensers serving 10 stalls, with a protective canopy, plenty of nearby dining options, and a small grocery store.

✈️ Airport charging is about to be all the rage. Hot on the heels of the Boston Gigahub opening at the end of April, a second bp pulse Gigahub next to LAX in Inglewood appears close to completion. I took a quick look on the way over to ACT Expo last week and would expect to see the site charging EVs before May is out.

🔴 Tesla Charging shared new North American Superchargers in British Columbia, Washington, Alabama, and four locations in its former home state of California. Pell City, AL is worthy of note, as it adds 12 V4 stalls to a location that previously only had dealership charging options. Across the new Superchargers in California, more than 90 new stalls were added.

🛒 Walmart Energy’s second fully-fledged fast charging site opened in Murphy, TX, adding to the excitement building around the retailer’s potentially massive DCFC rollout across the United States. Full update on that site in the video below, as well as more future locations unearthed by Landon at The Arkansas eTraveler channel (subscribe!)

💲 New NEVI-funded sites were activated in Wisconsin and Kentucky, with Kwik Trip back in action by the Great Lakes and Electric Era over in the Bluegrass state. Mt. Horeb, WI is home to the fifth KwikCharge station, while a fueling station in Hazard, KY is no longer risky for EV drivers thanks to the EE station capable of up to 400kW. No, you can’t yet talk to the chargers, but that day is coming… 🗣️⚡🤖

⚡ Francis Energy was also active with new NEVI locations, opening up the familiar two dispenser (SK Signet)/four stall deployments that we’ve seen in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Adding to its growing network presence in the Southwest, the new federally-funded stations are located in Socorro, NM and Seibert, CO.

⬛ In addition to sharing some tantalizing updates about future expansion plans on the Coast-to-Coast EVs show this week, including Starbucks and airports, Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging was busy energizing several stations in more familiar territory. A Buc-ee’s in Madisonville, TX now hosts 10 new MB-HPC stalls, while stations in Chattanooga, TN and North Charleston, SC further build out the network’s presence in the southeastern United States.

🔶 Rivian upgraded existing Adventure Network sites in Pismo Beach, CA and Sun Prairie, WI to gen 1.5 hardware. These updates effectively act as new stations, opening up RAN to other EV models with CCS1 compatibility. No sign of NACS/J3400 handles at Rivian sites yet, although the automaker is expected to make the switch on its vehicles later this year.

🍁 FLO Charging kept up the Canadian side of AFDC additions, opening new stations in Port Hope, ON and Kamloops, BC. Circuit électrique also opened up a new station in Montreal, QC.

🟢 Electrify America energized new six-stall sites in Fairfax, VA and Lacey, WA, as well as a four stalls in partnership with the EVolve New York network, in Stony Point, NY.

To see how and where the leading charging vendors are expanding, check out The Network Architect Channel on YouTube for DCFC updates like this one.

🤖Tech: Tritium Unveils TRI-FLEX Charging System

News: Previously embattled charging hardware provider Tritium unveiled TRI-FLEX, a new fast charging system that could help the company stage a remarkable comeback.

Numbers: The product’s core is a power conversion system that scales from 400kW to 1.6MW of AC power and up to 3.2MW of DC power. This supports up to 32 dispensers in a single system and offers 25kW power resolution with real-time load balancing.

Nuance: Tritium’s hardware lineup was in need of a shakeup, after financial challenges in 2023 culminated in insolvency last year. The company was reborn after being acquired by Exicom, India’s largest charging hardware provider. The launch of TRI-FLEX signals clear intent to build on the presence Tritium had established in the North American market.

Next Up: Tritium’s earlier hardware, the PKM150, remains a significant part of current DCFC stations like the bp pulse Gigahubs opening near major metro area airports. If the company can parlay those ongoing commercial relationships to the increasingly large charging sites that the market is eyeing, from rideshare-focused sites to commercial fleet charging, there could be a healthy market for the new TRI-FLEX system.

💲DCFC Pricing: Strategies for Site Launches

News: As new DC fast charging sites become more common, charging providers are deploying a variety of strategies to drive early utilization, including price incentives.

Numbers: Promotional launch pricing ranges from 20-25% discount on the regular network rates, as we’ve seen from bp pulse ($0.36/kWh) and Mercedes-Benz HPC ($0.40/kWh [net]), to a short period of complimentary charging, as is common at Circle K locations and, this weekend, at Electric Era’s new NEVI location in Hazard, KY.

Nuance: Introductory pricing is a bonus to drive new visitors, but they could leave just as quickly once it reverts to normal rates. Educating and incentivizing early customers to come back can be achieved by extending membership discounts, maintaining discounted charging via time-of-use rates, or linking charging activity to rewards at nearby businesses.

Next Up: As competition hots up between different DCFC vendors in the US and Canada, the jury is still out on how effective pricing incentives are in driving increased utilization. Current strategies will be fine-tuned as charging vendors gather data and become more experienced in generating demand for fast charging. High-impact promotional events, local media coverage, and work on digital site listings will all become important tools to spread the word and make promotional pricing more effective.

✒️ Policy: NEVI Passes 75 Stations as EV-Friendly States Press On

News - Minnesota shared second-round NEVI awards with a clear message echoed in various ways by other ZEV states: we aren’t slowing down on EV infrastructure.

Numbers - 12 awards confirmed for four charging vendors, including regional favorite Kwik Trip with five locations and NEVI award leader Francis Energy, which secured another four wins to cement their #1 position. Francis remains the only organization to have more than 100 awards, which is around 10% of all NEVI locations shared to date.

Nuance - The divide is beginning to appear. As we forecast earlier this year, not all states would be permanently spooked by the federal funding pause. Minnesota’s latest awards show it has confidence in funds that should be secure, as the MN DOT website explicitly states. Meanwhile, states like Texas and New Mexico continue to energize stations in remote areas with few charging options, emphasizing the value of the NEVI program in developing a truly nationwide charging infrastructure for the next generation of drivers.

Next Up - The mix of states still making NEVI progress is interesting. Most are ZEV-friendly and would be expected to continue developing programs passed by the previous administration, but the likes of Texas and Kansas could be considered more likely to stop all work to align with the current administration’s funding freeze. On the contrary, Kansas opened its first site and Texas has at least 20 more NEVI-funded locations it could open before the year is out. Let’s hope others follow their lead.

🚛 Fleet Focus: 46 Megachargers Planned for Tesla Semi

News - Just as important as getting Tesla Semis out on the road and into the fleet of early customers like PepsiCo and WattEV is where they will charge. Updates at ACT Expo 2025 shared details of the Megacharger project and which routes we should watch for early builds

Numbers - 46 Megacharger locations covering 300+ stalls are in the works across at least six states, according to Dan Priestley, Senior Manager of the Tesla Semi program.

Nuance - Megachargers are an understated aspect in the shift to electrified fleets. The Supercharger network has already demonstrated that Tesla can deliver exceptional coverage in relatively short periods of time. Competing infrastructure providers are primarily focused on California at this time, but Tesla’s map and 46 Megacharger locations, coast-to-coast, indicate it could develop an early HDEV infrastructure lead.

Next Up - Priestley confirmed Tesla’s plans to deliver Semi truck manufacturing “at scale in 2026”. Construction at the 1.7 million sq-ft facility built at Giga Nevada is progressing to completion, with production of 50,000 Tesla Semis per year if it can ramp to full capacity by the end of 2026.

🎧 For Your Listening Pleasure

In every edition, we recommend one of the best listens on electrification, energy, or something similarly EV-related. This week it’s close to home again, with the CEO of Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging, Andrew Cornelia, sharing some exciting network developments on our fortnightly Coast-to-Coast EVs show:

🎧Mercedes-Benz HPC CEO on power, partners + expansion plans 📶

Hear when the Starbucks partnership will deliver stations, and watch for Plug & Play EV visits to some of the sites mentioned when they open in the Northeast later this year. Keep track of the latest MB-HPC stations here.

🔋💯Topping Off…

Here are a few additional items we couldn’t squeeze into other sections or have covered to some degree in earlier editions:

Another it’s electric AC deployment, this time on the curbs of Detroit

Washington state passes legislation on EV credits dubbed “Tesla tax”

British Columbia will pause longstanding EV rebate program for review period 

That’s another seven days under the sun of North American EV infrastructure developments.

To close this edition let’s introduce a new item, our question of the week. I always appreciate your insights and I’m keen to know: where do you see commercial fleet electrification making the most progress by 2030? 

Send thoughts my way by hitting reply.

See you next week and remember, an electric garbage truck is much less likely to wake you up 🚚⚡🤫😴

Cheers,

Steve / Plug & Play EV

🔔 Essential EV Follow - Rustam Kocher