The Weekly 1.21⚡(EVI News #23): West Coast Gigahubs. AUTEL's AC Parking Potential. DCFC Price Trends for June.

Good day, fellow kWh counter 🔋🪫🧮

Los Angeles hit the headlines for more polarizing reasons this week, but we’re fully focused on the events at LAX and the long-awaited bp pulse Gigahub showing signs of life. More details on that below, as well as a busy week for many charging vendors, with new stations and shifting prices as we welcome the arrival of summer EV travel.

Let’s take flight into the week’s EVI developments (and if you have a few extra seconds, do send this to a colleague or friend who'd find it useful) ⤵️

📢 bp pulse Lights Up West Coast Airport Gigahubs

News - New EV charging centers serving airports in metro areas, better known as Gigahubs, were activated this week by bp pulse. One is located just north of San Francisco International airport, while its long-awaited counterpart in Los Angeles serving LAX also opened after months of anticipation from industry analysts (aka EV nerds).

Numbers - 12 charging stalls at San Francisco and a whopping 48 stalls at LAX add to 20 that were opened next to Boston Logan airport in late April. That’s a total of 80 fast charging stalls energized at three sites in less than two months.

Nuance - Emphasizing the varied possibilities at different sites, not all charging hubs are created equal. As a flagship station at one of the busiest airports and rental car locations in North America, the LAX Gigahub is almost 2.5x larger than its Boston sibling in terms of stall count, and 4x larger than the San Francisco Gigahub. LAX also features a dedicated driver lounge and restroom (albeit still under construction), while Boston and San Francisco are reliant on adjacent businesses like Starbucks and Dunkin’ for amenities.

Next Up - A “stress test” event is scheduled for June 24th, so book a 30-minute feedback session and head over for “heavily discounted” EV charging as a reward. This is an increasingly familiar approach to site launch/testing, most notably used by iONNA at the network’s first location in Apex, NC late last year.

🔍 Charging Vendor Spotlight: RAN (Upgraded)

News - We’ve covered RAN (the Rivian Adventure Network) in an earlier edition, but before the EV-only automaker went on a spring upgrade spree, making many more of its stations accessible to non-Rivian models. This spotlight reports where RAN stands on the eve of summer 2025.

Numbers - 63 stations in 29 states are now available to all CCS1-equipped electric vehicles (and models that can charge with the connector via an adapter). This represents 55% of the wider Rivian Adventure Network, including the remaining Rivian-only stations, which stands at 115 locations overall as spring draws to a close.

Nuance - Although the older stations are being upgraded and new stations are designed to serve non-Rivian models, RAN is equipped only with CCS1 connectors. Teslas and the few 2025 models with a native J3400/NACS port still need an adapter to access Rivian stations. Pricing has also spiked at RAN stations this year. Rivian owners still get a discount, typically 7 to 10 cents per kWh lower than other models, but prices at most locations are above the national average of $0.53 per kWh.

Next Up - The long-awaited first RAN station in Utah, a natural match for the company’s outdoorsy adventure aesthetic, is now planned for Green River, UT. Permits for a 16-stall station with two pull-through spaces were filed in February of this year.

🔌 AC/DC: LAZ Parking and Epic Charging Select AUTEL for Massive L2 Charging Program

News: Level 2 chargers from AUTEL Energy will be used in a huge expansion of destination charging at LAZ Parking facilities across the United States.

Numbers: 50,000 AC chargers will be deployed under the new collaboration, representing one of the largest expansion programs we’ve seen in the destination charging sector. LAZ operates in 43 states across 4,000+ locations, although we don’t yet have details as to where L2 chargers will be added and in what quantity per site.

Nuance: AUTEL chargers are an increasingly familiar sight across the country, although they’re often rebranded to match the host site or network’s aesthetic. Both DC and AC options are now common here in the Northeast, with the likes of ChargeSmart EV deploying AUTEL Maxichargers across many hotel properties in New York. The association with parking garages is a natural fit, matching potentially extended dwell times with the need for niche-focused differentiation in a competitive market.

Next Up: The program has a five year timeline, meaning the 50,000 charger milestone could be as far away as 2030. Adding a trusted charging hardware partner with mass production capabilities means we should start seeing the first stations soon, possibly before the end of 2025 given the shorter timeframe for AC charging installations.

🛣️ On the Road: This Week in DCFC

News - A quiet week for EVI in Canada but the US saw a lot of activity, including AFDC additions, not the least of which was a spike in port additions thanks to the aforementioned bp pulse Gigahubs.

Numbers - 272 fast charging ports at 61 charging station locations added to AFDC.

Notable New Stations + AFDC Additions:

✈️ As reported in the headline, the expansion of bp pulse’s Gigahubs now shifts to California, after starting in Massachusetts just over a month ago. A whopping 60 ports across the two airport-adjacent sites adds significantly to the network, in addition to a smaller deployment with six new stalls at a Thornton’s fueling station in Joliet, Illinois.

🟦 FLO Charging added four new locations, evenly split with two in Canada (Ontario) and two in the United States (Ohio and Washington state). The pick of the bunch is the four stalls added by the City of Colville, WA, which deploys two futuristic FLO Ultra units at a relatively remote site in the far north of the state.

⚡A new EVgo station in Texas helps the brand break out of last week’s California-heavy activation activity, with six new stalls added at the CityLine market in Richardson, TX. The adjacent plaza is also host to no fewer than six different restaurants, with everything from pho and Asian fusion to Mediterranean dishes and seafood a short walk away.

💞 Love’s EV charging expands to the Pacific Northwest, with a new station in Ritzville, WA lighting up in the ChargePoint app. It’s not uncommon for the brand’s stations to show up in the app and AFDC before they’re fully commissioned, however, so wait a few weeks or check for successful recent charge sessions before you head out that way.

🔴 Tesla Charging confirmed new Superchargers energized in seven states (GA, CA, FL, NM, MS, PA, and CO). The pick of the bunch is a 24-stall location in Pass Christian, MS, and a new 16-stall location with pull-through spaces in Aurora, CO. Two new sites in Pennsylvania, Summerdale and Meadville, also add two new pins to the NEVI map.

🔋Electric Era was another player back on the NEVI trail this week, energizing the company’s (and, indeed, the program’s) first site in Delaware. A Valero fueling station in Camden, DE is now the proud host of two new dispensers serving four DC fast charging stalls, with power delivery up to 400 kW from the battery-supported system.

⚡ Pilot-Flying J adds new stations in Oakwood, IL, Rising Fawn, GA, and Gilette, WY. Total station count is now 175+ US locations. The Gilette station adds much-needed redundancy to eastern Wyoming, although the 100-mile stretch between this one and the next options in southern Montana remains a gap to be bridged with high-power DCFC.

🏔️ Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging energized its westernmost US location, with a new 10-stall station at The Grove retail center in Thornton, CO.

🍁 Petro Canada continued its upgrade spree along the Trans Canada highway, with new ChargePoint Express Plus hardware installed at its location in Calgary, AB.

🥜 Nouria-associated ChargePoint stations in AFDC listings raised eyebrows due to locations in Georgia, more than 1,000 miles south of the New England-based brand’s other stations. Closer inspection reveals the small installation in Pooler, GA is an existing Enmarket facility, a fueling and C-store brand acquired by Nouria earlier this year.

🟢 Electrify America added a few new pins to its 1,000+ station map, with the expansion of its partnership with IKEA at the Swedish retailer’s location in Tampa, FL, a new EVolve New York station in the town of Skaneatlas, NY, and eight new stalls added at Forest Ridge Shopping Center in Asheville, NC.

🚨 The transition of MidAmerican Energy’s DC network in Iowa appears to be gathering momentum, with 43 of 50 stations now visible in the new provider’s system and the company confident enough to point EV drivers in the state back towards its chargers.

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.

💲New Vendor Pricing vs. Established DCFC Rates: A Showdown Looms

News: A clear gap in the price of DC fast charging is emerging as new vendors start to grow their US presence in 2025. New networks are leaning into low launch prices, while established networks are doubling down on higher rates, often tempered by membership programs and/or time-of-use (TOU) discounts.

Numbers: 35 to 40% higher more expensive. That’s the real-world choice facing EV travelers choosing between highs of established charging vendors like EVgo (average: $0.62 per kWh) and Francis Energy (avg: $0.57 per kWh), versus the early pricing from ambitious charging vendors like iONNA (avg: $0.37 per kWh) and Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging ($0.40 per kWh net welcome pricing).

Nuance: As always, we have to add the caveat that the prices presented here are “pull up and pay” prices that exclude membership and/or TOU discounts. It is possible to get significantly lower rates with EVgo by paying for a monthly membership, while Francis has much straighter pricing of $0.52/kWh across much of its home state network in Oklahoma.

Next Up: The stage is set for a fascinating battle to make the trip itineraries and win the digital wallets of EV drivers heading out across the US this summer. Rising vendors offer lower prices and new locations to try, but the familiarity of established networks and existing membership or charging plans could still swing people back to where they’ve been before. We also have to watch how long these lower rates, often referred to as “introductory” or “welcome” pricing, can last. The new player rates are certainly artificially low at a time when energy prices are rising, but many also have deep pockets to win new business.

🚛 Fleet Focus: Voltera Expands Light-Duty Fleet EV Charging Options in California

News - Voltera confirmed that its latest light-duty fleet EV charging hub is now operational in San Francisco, CA, along with some site stats that show what the ZEV fleet infrastructure company brings to the table in this competitive market.

Numbers - 20 DCFC dispensers capable of up to 180 kW power delivery, serving 38 stalls. Voltera reports that the station has 3.6 MW of scalable power, primarily catering to ridehail, branded fleets, and autonomous vehicles.

Nuance - The San Francisco site builds on other Voltera locations designed for light-duty, passenger vehicle electric fleets, with existing facilities in Santa Monica, CA, as well as the company’s Texas presence in Austin and Dallas.

Next Up - Voltera is lining up new market entries with charging locations in Phoenix, AZ, and Miami, FL anticipated later this year. The Miami facility will be one of Voltera’s largest light-duty depots to date, with a reported 79 DCFC stalls, strategically located in response to the city’s expanding electric fleets. In Texas, Voltera also plans a new facility in Houston.

🎧 For Your Listening Pleasure

In every edition, we recommend one of the best listens on electrification, energy, or something similarly EV-related.

This week we return to EV Politics… the podcast project, thankfully, rather than the broader topic of anti-EV rhetoric at the federal level.

🎧Directly Current Ep. 24: Charging Ahead with Electric Era CEO Quincy Lee 📶

In this episode of Directly Current, Max Patten sits down with Electric Era founder Quincy Lee to cover different forms of battery-supported EV charging, charging AI, and a driver-first approach to everything from payment and activation to power delivery and uptime.

🧮 Data Dive - Regional Shifts Underscore DCFC Pricing Tug of War

Back to the price of DC fast charging for this week’s data dive, with our EVCPI tracking some interesting regional shifts over the past six weeks.

Here are some of our observations to guide your pricing and routing decisions, heading into summer:

✅ $0.50 per kWh - Average price in the Southeast, which has consistently remained the cheapest region for DCFC since our index began a year ago. However, with a significant iONNA presence developing in Ohio, the Midwest now has the same average price

📊 Price shifts were common, with 27% of tracked sites seeing a change, but most were minor adjustments in the realm of a few cents, up or down. Most of this came down to Tesla tweaking, with changes logged at 73% of tracked Superchargers.

📉 At $0.53 per kWh, the Northeast continues its downward trend to the national average. In previous months, the region has matched the West's high average of $0.55 to $0.56 per kWh.

⭕ In terms of established networks with a nationwide presence, Circle K remains the vendor to beat. With an average price of $0.44 per kWh and new stations starting to be energized again under the familiar brand, the fact that the network’s 80+ stations consistently track 8 to 10 cents below the national average price is laudable.

💲$0.53 per kWh - Overall average across tracked stations nationwide. Up $0.01 from our last index check-in.

⌚ $0.50 per kWh - Average when lower time of use (TOU) rates are factored in. TOU is primarily used by EVgo and Tesla, though bp pulse and MB-HPC are starting to dabble.

⏳ As covered in our regular pricing section earlier, disruptors like iONNA and MB-HPC are hovering at $0.40 per kWh and below with early pricing strategies. The real test will be how long these (presumably) introductory rates can last… and what the regular rate will be if and when the industry settles down.

Are these pricing trends playing out in your area?

If you have or had a discounted charging plan for a specific network, which of the options available in 2025 is most compelling?

Hit reply to share your thoughts or recommend a data dive item for future editions.

🔋💯 Topping Off…

Here’s a selection of news items we couldn’t squeeze into other sections, followed by select EVI incentive program updates we think you’ll want to know about:

Rivian and Weave Grid join forces to help customers charge smarter at home

Orange EV creates OptiGrid to deliver battery-integrated fleet charging solutions

Universal Living + Xeal will deploy 125 chargers for SoCal multi-family dwellings 

The deadline for Rd 3 of Oregon DOT’s Community Charging rebates is 6/18/25

Charge Up Dane County initiative serving Madison, WI area proceeds with CFI funding (vendor registration link at bottom of page)

Colorado’s DCFC Plazas Program spring round closed this past Friday. Sign up to alerts for future announcements. Previous applications can be viewed here.

📆EVent of the Week: Unlocking Charger Value for CPOs

Join the team at Hubject, along with leaders from ChargerHelp! and Stable Auto, to unpack strategies and tools to help charge point operators (CPOs) and network managers improve uptime, drive additional revenue, and deliver a better experience for EV drivers.

🗝️ Unlocking Value for EV Charge Point Operators [WEBINAR] 💵

This digital event featuring Trishan Peruma (Hubject), Kameale Terry (ChargerHelp!), and Rohan Puri (Stable Auto), takes place on Wednesday June 18th, 2025, at 1PM (Eastern) / 10AM (Pacific). Register here to attend.

If you found this edition useful, consider forwarding it to a friend, colleague, or family member to share our efforts.

See you next week and remember, every overnight destination charge on your travels means one less DCFC visit the next day… charge where you sleep this summer! 🛣️🛌🏻⚡

Cheers,

Steve / Plug & Play EV

🔔 Essential EV Follow - AlejandroEV66

📍 Charge Site of Week: Roaring River State Park (Missouri)