The Weekly 1.21⚡(EVI News #33) - Managed Charging to Optimize Grid. Ford Powers the Real EVI Revolution. MN8's NY Freight EV Hub. Pricing Index Expansion.

Good day, fellow late summer range reveler 🌇⚡🛣️

Is there one last road trip on your list before August comes to a close and the regular routine resumes? I’ll be mostly stuck at a desk, myself, so send your summer EV travel stories and images my way if you have them!

On a more positive note, that does make time for more EVI updates and analysis, so we have some interesting stuff in store for you heading into September… 📆👀

For the moment, here’s your weekly run through EV infrastructure developments across North America ⤵️

📢 EV Charging Growth Aligns with $30B Savings Opportunity

News - As electric vehicle infrastructure booms in North America, the development of managed charging programs offers a massive opportunity for grid optimization and utility savings, according to new research from Brattle and ev.energy.

Numbers - A massive $30 billion in annual utility savings is the astonishing figure that the study projects can be achieved over the next decade, if managed EV charging programs become the norm. The rapid growth of charging infrastructure provides a foundation for this to happen, with public fast chargers alone projected by Wood-Mackenzie to reach more than 400,000 charging ports over a similar period.

Nuance - Naturally, such long-term projections hinge on the technological readiness of smart charging solutions and the willingness of utilities to move beyond pilots to much larger projects. While managed charging solutions are now common, those that are ready to deliver advanced bidirectional/V2X charging functionality still face numerous technological and policy hurdles.

Next Up - Despite those potential limitations, mounting demand for power, optimization and cost savings will be high on the list of utilities and consumers alike heading into the next decade. Furthermore, products and services that position electric vehicles and their charging systems as a solution to grid stress, rather than the cause of it, can only be positive for EV adoption.

🔍 Charging Vendor Spotlight: FLO

News - Despite recent restructuring forcing the closure of a manufacturing plant and layoffs on both sides of the border, Québec-based Flo continues to add stations across the US and Canada. Flo passed the significant milestone of 1,000 ports earlier this month.

Numbers - 1,009 DC fast charging ports at 671 locations in 20 states and 12 Canadian provinces., putting Flo in the top 10 charging vendors, whether you use stations or prefer port count as your metric of choice.

Nuance - Flo is one of those mid-tier networks that rarely offers the scale or power of the larger providers, yet always seems to be present and reliable when we need it. Average DC count is only 1.5 ports across its hundreds of sites, while power is likely to be closer to 100kW than 300-400kW, but the stations are invariably working and in locations that others have overlooked. The site pictured above in Canada’s Northwest Territories is a case in point.

Next Up - We’ll have to wait and see how quickly the company can bounce back from its restructuring setback last month, but more promising news, like the resumption of the NEVI program funding and the potential for faster deployments away from travel corridors, can only be a good thing for Flo. The company has three NEVI awards in states that have already opened stations, and its durable hardware could be an attractive option for colder climates or remote routes.

🔌AC/DC: Ford Quietly Adds 12K Home Chargers

News: Ford’s “Power Promise” initiative has installed home L2 charging for more than 12,000 customers since its inception, emphasizing the value of permanent AC charging assistance over the free DC fast charging promotions previously offered.

Numbers: 12,000+ home chargers in 50 states over the 10 months the program has been active. Ford EV owners are opting for a complimentary home charger with standard installation at higher rates than the $500 cash alternative, which makes sense given the long-term value and convenience of charging where you park.

Nuance: Of particular interest is the nationwide reach of the installation program, which brings the EV advantage of home charging to markets where public charging is scarce or inconvenient. Customer stories from Louisiana, Arkansas, and the infamous DC charging desert of West Virginia testify to the core appeal of Ford’s Power Promise.

Next Up: Ford already extended the Power Promise incentive earlier this year and appears to be positioning the program as a core part of its EV offering. With new models finally on the horizon for North America, and home charging acting as a key differentiator between legacy vehicles and electric models, expect Ford to extend the program in some form for its next-generation products.

🛣️ On the Road: This Week in DCFC

News - New additions and energized locations bounced back from a mid-summer slump this week, with a wide range of new and notable stations popping up across the US, primarily.

Numbers - 393 DC charging ports at 87 charging locations in 23 states and provinces added to AFDC this week.

Notable New Stations + AFDC Additions:

⭕ Red-E activated two new locations in Illinois under the GPM “FasCharge” brand. The 160kW charging stations are located just a few miles apart from each other, in Loves Park and Machesney Park, IL, respectively. The network also added six 120kW stalls at a retail park in Milford, MA, and two for a Buick dealer in Pocatello, ID, making it a good week for the growing Red-E charging map.

🔋ChargePoint energized some interesting charging locations in California this week, including 10+ mid-level DC ports at the IQHQ life sciences area in San Diego and a new location in partnership with EV Roadway in Novato.

 📶 After passing its self-targeted milestone of 200 charging locations last week, Pilot-Flying J had a quieter period and added just one this week. The station adds another much-needed DCFC option to the previously underdeveloped EV charging landscape of Wyoming, making the addition of Flying-J Rawlins all the more welcome.

🟢 Electrify America slowed slightly from last week’s trio of openings, but the lone site it did energize in Raleigh, NC, tracks with the network’s promise to increase stall count at many new stations. 10 new charging ports are now available to shoppers at the Regency Centers retail location.

⚫ Electric Era continued their expansion up and down the West Coast, with an impressive eight-stall site in Chula Vista, CA. This one marks the network’s southernmost location in California, not far from the border and Tijuana, and will join a large number of upcoming NEVI sites to eventually connect the long drive up to Electric Era’s many NorCal locations.

🔴 Tesla opened Supercharger locations across 7 states this week, adding 112 new ports to the charging map in the United States, with no activations in Canada. Notable locations include a 24-stall Supercharger in Patterson, CA, eight new stalls in remote Minot, ND, and what appear to be the first NEVI-funded ports in Tennessee, as part of the Kingston Supercharger, to the west of Knoxville, TN on I-40.

⭐ IONNA added two new Rechargery Relays, bringing its total network footprint to 25 stations. The new stations bringing IONNA to the quarter-century are Ashland, OR, and another in their home state of North Carolina, this time in Winston-Salem. Ashland is notable as the network’s first location serving I-5 and the West Coast.

🍁 Petro Canada brought ChargePoint hardware to a newly upgraded station in Brockville, ON. Based on AFDC listings that have been updated to ChargePoint as the network provider, Petro-Canada has now upgraded just over one quarter of its EV charging sites along the Trans-Canada Highway.

⚡ Shell Recharge added a new location with four ports to the rapidly changing DCFC map in western Massachusetts. Four stalls now serve East Longmeadow, MA, marking another addition to others that are transforming the Pioneer Valley, such as Pride Convenience stores adding ChargePoint hardware around Springfield, MA, and I-91.

✔️ EVgo added six new stalls at a Target store in Setauket, NY, and four new stalls at a Chase Bank location in Bellflower, CA.

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

📝 In the Pipeline - New Sites Planned/Permitted

🚨 IONNA confirmed fences up in Cherry Hill, NJ, marking another location in partnership with Wawa and its first confirmed in the Garden State. The 8-OEM network also has permits in place for another NJ Wawa spot in Byram, as well as new locations in Laurel, MD and Las Vegas, NV. Thanks again to AlejandroEV66 for this latest permitting info.

🚧 Both construction and permitting are in full swing at Walmart Energy, with new sites spotted in progress and an updated landing page showing the latest “coming soon” sites in Texas. Permits continue to flow in the Phoenix metropolitan area, while Nebraska (five sites) and North Carolina (two sites) are also identified by Landon at The Arkansas eTraveler channel (latest update below).

🧀 Wisconsin’s NEVI plans continue to progress, with visible work at a ChargePoint-equipped Culver’s site in Rhinelander, while crews are on site in Brule, WI to bring the state’s “in progress” tally to five locations. Take a look at wider NEVI progress on this map, including any sites we’ve seen reported flagged as under construction.

🔴 New US Tesla stations are confirmed in permitting by MarcoRP1, with Superchargers slated for Bealeton, VA (Royal Farms), Janesville, WI (TA Travel Center), and reissued for a longstanding 20-stall site in San Marcos, CA (Rancho San Marcos Village).

💲DCFC Pricing: New US Index for August

News - Our updated pricing index (EVCPI v5) for US DC fast charging locations launched this week, covering a broader range of charging vendors and site types to deliver more granular DCFC pricing insights moving forward.

Numbers - More than 500 DC charging locations covering every region of the United States are now included in our representative sample set, with power levels ranging from 50kW to 400kW. 40+ distinct charging vendors are included, with the number of sites tied to the vendor’s percentage share of the overall US DCFC market.

Nuance - Despite expanding the index by 41% and introducing new charging vendors, the national average comes in only one cent lower than the rate in our v4 index, which was reported last week at $0.54 per kWh. V5 is the foundation for our newest index, which has been developed to consider more intricate influences and quickly uncover trends around DCFC prices in the United States. Time-of-use and tiered pricing (currently in use at 21% of index sites) will be more closely tracked, and the location set is geared to expand with new nationwide networks and regional vendors as they grow and exert a more significant influence on pricing.

Next Up - Subscribers to The Weekly 1.21⚡ can receive deeper dive pricing updates via our new email track, with the first edition scheduled for next week. If you’ve already signaled your interest, you’re on the list! If not, subscribe before the end of August to join our founder list and receive free updates for the lifetime of the list. This will become a premium access tier from September 2025, so act fast!

🚛 Fleet Focus: MN8 Announces NY Charging Hub for Electrified Freight Moves

News - MN8 Energy plans New York City's first freight-focused EV depot, which will be located in Hunts Point, South Bronx, and take a multi-faceted approach to electrification.

Numbers - 42 charging stations (32 DC / 10 AC) for a variety of electric fleet vehicles, from light-duty service EVs to heavy-duty delivery vehicles. Inside, a facility totaling 10,000 square feet will offer community areas, office space, and worker development hubs.

Nuance - Beyond keeping fleet vehicles on the road and improving air quality in a densely populated urban location, this depot is positioned at the intersection of education and community. Backed by the city’s Economic Development Corporation, the facility will partner with local workforce development organizations to educate visitors and deliver job training opportunities in the area via a dedicated space, appropriately nicknamed “The Bolt”.

Next Up - Development is planned for 2026, with more than 100 temporary construction positions predicted and 11 permanent full-time positions created once the facility is up and running.

🎧 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 the Inside EVs “Plugged-In” podcast for an in-depth chat with Rivian CEO, RJ Scaringe:

🎧 RJ Scaringe on the origins of Rivian and the developing EV industry 🌄

In New York state for the opening of Rivian’s latest Charging Outpost in Southampton, NY, Rivian’s leader reflects on this important charging location, the need for new EV models, battery technology, and the early days of modern EVs in North America.

🔋💯 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:

Blink Charging stock down on Q225 report, despite partnership with Presto

$46 million in charging infrastructure support for central/western Massachusetts

Gravity Charging wins $18.3 million to expand into Connecticut

Lincoln Electric bolsters mobile charging with powerful portable DC unit

Nova Scotia’s CHARGED program is accepting applications for up to 50% of funding for L2 and DC fast charging projects

California’s Hybrid/ZEV Truck & Bus Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP) will be refreshed and open for applications from September 9th, 2025

California’s FCCP incentives program is open for applications (deadline: 10/29/25)

Latest round of grant applications from Charge Ahead Colorado opens 9/15/25

If you found this edition useful, share the love by passing it on to a friend, colleague, or family member with an interest in electrification.

And if deeper analysis of EV charging prices is your thing, don’t forget to sign up for our founder list to lock in free lifetime updates on the new email track (one week only!)

See you next week ⚡

Cheers,

Steve / Plug & Play EV

🔔 Essential EV Follow - Theo Reichgelt

📍Charging Site of the Week: Gravity Charging Hub, (New York City, NY)