The Weekly 1.21⚡(EVI News #24): US EV Outlook Dims (as Infrastructure Improves). $4B Electric Bus Deal. Applegreen's Northeast Travel Expansion.

Good day, fellow go-pedal featherer 🪫🚘♻️🔋

The longest day of the year just passed, which means at least two months of transformative EV travel lie ahead of us. One year ago, I traversed the US and back, before Supercharger access was widespread or iONNA had energized a station.

12 months ago, it was easy enough on a handful of networks. Today, it’s common to have multiple options on most stretches.🔮 Summer 2026? The charging map is only getting better.

Let’s hit the road to tour this 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) ⤵️

📢 Analysts Predict EV Challenges for US, Just As Infrastructure Regains Its Stride

News - Bloomberg NEF’s latest EV Outlook shows global growth for electric vehicle sales but dials back US market expectations, as federal policy appears set to attack domestic EV production and critical energy generation initiatives. At the same time, analysis of Q125 shows charging infrastructure expanding and reliability improving significantly.

Numbers - On the EV sales side, Bloomberg’s EVO25 report predicts global EV adoption of 26% this year and 42% by 2030. The revised US outlook now falls far short of those numbers in Bloomberg’s model, although 27% penetration of electrified vehicles is still anticipated by 2030 in the US, even with the current anti-EV policy landscape. On the infrastructure side, even the slowest construction period (winter/Q1) saw an 8% increase in US fast charging stations, with Q2 expected to show further acceleration as new players like iONNA expand.

Nuance - The seesaw of adoption vs. infrastructure continues. In the formative years of Superchargers and Electrify America, charging stations spanned the country but often sat empty due to limited US EV adoption, stuck at 1-2%. More compelling and affordable models spiked adoption over the past five years, while infrastructure struggled to keep up, facing reliability and congestion complaints. Now, as EV infrastructure is primed for substantial expansion, catalyzed by private investment from Tesla, iONNA, Walmart, and many more, EV adoption could again become the drag factor as automakers and buyers adjust expectations in light of federal policies designed to suppress electrification.

Next Up - The weeks ahead will define whether the United States supports auto sector innovation and a broad-based approach to energy generation, or hands the initiative to foreign players who will inevitably find their way to North America by 2030. Note that even in Bloomberg’s more pessimistic model, more than one-quarter of US vehicle sales are still electrified by the end of the decade. Electrification is happening globally and will play a major role in North America, regardless of policy. The primary question at this point is whether US innovators will be empowered to continue leading the transition, or penalized for their continued attempts to do so.

🔍 Charging Vendor Spotlight: Applegreen Electric

News - Applegreen won the contract to upgrade and manage service areas across Massachusetts, including EV charging, for the next 35 years. The decision faced opposition from a local bidder that was not selected, while Applegreen has also come in for criticism from Tesla owners for exercising its exclusivity rights to provide fast charging at NJ Turnpike plazas.

Numbers - 34 stations across three states (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut) currently host fast charging options under the Applegreen Electric banner, all at travel plazas. The company’s potential reach stretches significantly further, with 80 locations across the Northeast and Midwestern United States, plus the new service areas added as part of the deal in Massachusetts.

Nuance - Applegreen’s sites across the Northeast feature a variety of hardware, from older SK Signet units at early NY Thruway plazas and BTC Power at Connecticut locations, to the latest Signet 400 kW dispensers appearing in New Jersey. Based on deployments in Europe and other indicators, expect industry ever-present Alpitronic to also play a part in that hardware mix around the Northeast very soon.

Next Up - Applegreen will work through the summer to complete its additions along the New Jersey Turnpike and add new stations to the New York Thruway. If past performance is any indication, Massachusetts agencies move at a glacial pace. Don’t expect to see much DCFC progress on the Masspike for some time (but keep an eye on the Tesla-only Superchargers at the Charlton service plazas… will they also get the boot in Mass?)

🔌 AC/DC: City of Jackson, MS Installs Destination Charging with Utility/Non-Profit Partnership

News: Utility Entergy and non-profit organization Adopt a Charger join forces to deploy new AC charging ports at multiple locations across the City of Jackson, MS.

Numbers: 10 new universal Tesla level 2 chargers with the Universal Connector system to serve both J1772 and NACS-equipped vehicles, installed at five locations across the city.

Nuance: The installations were funded by Entergy’s Environmental Initiatives Fund and deployed by Adopt a Charger and Lavallee. Tesla also donated the Universal Connector chargers, demonstrating the potential to maintain EV infrastructure expansion with local partnerships of like-minded organizations.

Next Up: Chargers will be in complimentary charging mode for a time, during which utilization will be monitored. Locations such as the MS Museum of Art and the Mississippi Children’s Museum will also provide an opportunity to assess the impact of chargers at municipal cultural centers, intended to drive tourism and local community education.

🛣️ On the Road: This Week in DCFC

News - A steady week of activations and notable stations, with an unexpected activity spike in Wyoming, BC Hydro back in action, and Tesla ever-active with new Superchargers.

Numbers - 239 fast charging ports at 38 charging station locations added to AFDC.

Notable New Stations + AFDC Additions:

📶 iONNA added another two stations to its growing national network, with new sites in Obetz, OH and Lewisville, TX energized. The former is a familiar 8-stall “Rechargery @” station in partnership with Sheetz, while the Texas site is a Relay location and iONNA’s smallest site yet. Three dispensers serve six stalls in Lewisville, which is to the north of the Dallas-Forth Worth metro area and will be joined by three more Rechargery Relays later this year.

🔶 Rivian was back on the activation trail this week, with new sites in Idaho, Virginia, and North Carolina. The NC site is especially interesting as it builds on growing infrastructure across the Outer Banks, where charging non-Tesla vehicles was previously a challenge.

🟦 It’s a welcome return to this section for BC Hydro, who confirmed new fast charging in Port Moody, BC. The 180 kW ABB hardware at the location’s Rec complex adds eight ports, as the units deliver simultaneous charging with an even 90kW split. In addition to L2 charging at the nearby inlet park, these additions take BC Hydro’s count to more than 600 ports across the province.

⚡A new EVgo station on our Boston doorstep, in Somerville, MA, continues an expansion of metro area charging in the city and its suburbs. This adds to stations in Medford and Revere, while another location slated for Burlington also looks close to completion. All are a mixture of 100/350 kW hardware from Delta Electronics, which is a welcome sight as EVgo’s previous 50 kW stations begin to look very dated.

🔴 Tesla Charging confirmed new Superchargers energized in 7 states and one province. The picks of this week’s bunch are a substantial 48-stall station in San Jose, CA, and the 24 stalls added at Pass Christian in Missouri, where the familiar site host is Buc-ee’s. No Mercedes-Benz chargers at this location…yet?

⚡ Pilot-Flying J followed up its first Wyoming location in Gillette last week with two more, energizing Rock Springs and Evanston on I-80 in quick succession. These stations add welcome redundancy to the southern Wyoming stretch from Cheyenne to Utah’s Wasatch Front and its extended metro area. A third P-FJ site also opened in Lebanon, IN.

🛍️ The latest Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging in New England is showing up, with 8 new stalls station at Evergreen Walk retail center in South Windsor, CT included in thi week’s results. The site appears to be in its commissioning phase, however, so check the ChargePoint app before running over for a charge and milkshake (Shake Shack right across the street 🥤)

📍 FLO added three new pins to its network map, with stations energized in Enterprise, NT, Waterloo, ON, and Strongsville, OH. The new 50kW station in the Northwest Territories naturally grabs our attention, located as it is roughly 1,000 miles north of the US border crossing near Glacier National Park. Remote, but still accessible by EV!

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.

💲Summer 2025 EV Travel Brings Sticker Shock for Some Drivers New to Public DCFC

News: As complimentary charging plans expire and the price of public fast charging continues to see a tug of war between rising electricity costs and new vendors offering low launch pricing, summer 2025 will be the first experience of current DCFC rates for some newer EV drivers. As this Ford F150 Lightning owner shares after a recent trip in the Pacific Northwest, sticker shock could set in for those who don’t optimize their public charging costs this summer. (Link jumps to pricing analysis for brevity, but the full trip is also worth a look.)

Numbers: Over 507 miles powered by public fast charging, the owner spent $161.40. He used Pilot-Flying J EVgo ($75.44) and Tesla Superchargers ($85.96). Estimating the gasoline costs of his older RAM 1500 truck at 18 MPG, he calculates 28.2 gallons at $3.45/gallon in Washington state, for a total of $97 to cover the same distance. For balance, the owner also shares that home electricity rates of $0.14/kWh, where most of his charging occurs, make the cost for 507 miles just $35. Remember, the first driving stint of EV trips is usually priced at home electricity rates, as most fully charge before leaving.

Nuance: As with anything, a little more planning could have made this relatively short trip less expensive. Although the driver does a good job of explaining home vs. road trip charging prices, he doesn’t explore travel options like membership discounts or seeking out cheaper/complimentary L2 charging options at his destination. Optimizing this trip with a Tesla membership cuts around one-third off his Supercharger sessions (~$15 savings after member fee considered), while choosing non-PFJ alternatives like Circle K ($0.43/kWh vs. PFJ’s $0.58/kWh) would save another $10. Then, using destination charging rather than a $40 destination fast charge, the trip would be closer to $100 and parity with gas costs (assuming the calculations for gas hold up, with an aging RAM 1500 achieving 18MPG at up to 80MPH).

Next Up: Summer travel is upon us and DCFC prices are very much in Wild West territory. For those who don’t plan, fast charging fees could range from reasonable, if they stumble across the likes of iONNA, Mercedes-Benz HPC, Circle K, or local utility-managed stations, to eye-watering if they plug into options at the high end of the spectrum, such as the Rivian Adventure Network, Francis Energy, and many Pilot-Flying J sites.

🚌 Fleet Focus: City of Brampton Signs “$4B Partnership” for Electric Bus Fleet with Zenobē

News - The City of Brampton, ON confirmed a landmark partnership with global fleet electrification firm Zenobē, based out of the UK, to fully electrify Brampton Transit’s fleet of public transit buses.

Numbers - A “$4 billion partnership” to replace Brampton’s existing diesel bus fleet with up to 1,000 battery electric buses over a 10-year period. 5,000 jobs are expected to result, direct and indirect in the UK and Canada.

Nuance - The $4 billion (CAD) isn’t broken out in the announcement, so it would appear to be the total investment value of the partnership over its full 10-year period. In terms of ownership, city agencies will be responsible for procurement of electric buses from Canadian suppliers (partially financed by repayable loans from the Canada Infrastructure Bank). Zenobē is responsible for the infrastructure and planning side, focused on software, supply chain partnership, and drawing on partners in capital markets.

Next Up - This is a 10-year project to electrify the full fleet of Brampton’s buses, with the initial phase expected to begin in 2027.

🎧 For Your Listening Pleasure

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

As the US continues to pursue policies destined to kneecap domestic EV and energy generation innovators, it’s appropriate to head back to the Plugged In Podcast episode on China’s EV sector and the models that will eventually make their way to North America.

🎧 Plugged In Podcast on Chinese Electric Vehicles/Demise of US EV Support 🚘

Tim Levin and Patrick George of Inside EV’s run through the current EV incentives in the United States, what’s on the chopping block as lawmakers negotiate changes via the budget reconciliation bill, and how far ahead China’s electric vehicle sector is pushing as the US government adds drag factors on domestic innovation.

🔋💯 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:

Electric Era posts rapid turnaround time for new site in partnership with Costco

L-Charge and Epic Charging partner to roll out grid-independent mobile chargers

ROVE breaks ground on its second charging hub location in Costa Mesa, CA

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

Town of Jackson, WY issues Request for Information to inform RFP for 20 charging stations - Deadline: Monday July 7th, 2025

Federal Transit Administration Low/No Emission Bus grant program NOFO - Deadline: Monday July 14th, 2025

📆 EVent of the Week: LAX Gigahub Testing

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, this week provides an excellent opportunity to take a look around the massive new bp pulse Gigahub (and grab some inexpensive electrons while there).

⚡ LAX Gigahub Stress Testing EVent Reservation ✈️

The gathering is intended to push as many EVs as possible through the 48-stall facility on Tuesday June 24th. Interested EV drivers can sign up for a 30-minute charging session, which will be heavily discounted at just $0.01 per kWh.

If you attend, let us know how it goes and we’ll share reports in a future edition.

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, longer days mean more all-electric miles 🌄🛣️⚡🌇

Cheers,

Steve / Plug & Play EV

🔔 Essential EV Follow - Robert Hayes

📍 Charge Site of Week: Rocky Mountain Power Moab, Utah