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Good day, fellow charge port peruser🔌⚡🚘

Florida stole focus this week, with North America’s first third-party Supercharger opening (congratulations to Suncoast Charging🎉) and the first appearance of Walmart Energy on the East Coast. It was also the finishing point for an enjoyable north-to-south US road trip by Electrify America’s Rachel Moses, which is worth a watch this weekend.

Meanwhile, on the left coast, IONNA was busy staking a claim for Californian EV charging with a Grand Tour of future Rechargeries stretching from San Francisco to San Diego. The company also confirmed $250M for EV infrastructure in the Golden State through 2028.

With EVI-friendly headlines from sea to shining sea, here’s your digest of this week’s charging infrastructure developments across the US and Canada ⤵️

📢 NACS Transition Nears Final Stretch with VW Supercharger Access & BMW + Subaru Close

News - Volkswagen officially gained access to Tesla Superchargers this week, as you can see tested by Tyler (The Average EV channel) in the video below. Around the same time, laggard Stellantis also confirmed that its upcoming models would add the NACS/J3400 charging port, although no timeline for Supercharger access was included.

Numbers - 18 OEMs have now become official NACS Partners, with two more on Tesla’s “Coming Soon” list. BMW owners have been reporting fleeting access, which typically means final testing is underway, which then leaves Subaru to make a round 20.

Nuance - While Supercharger access brings an instant security blanket for non-Tesla EV drivers, other networks are quickly adding the mix of NACS and CCS1 handles that serve everyone at a single location, removing the need for pulling out an adapter. It will be fascinating to see how drivers make charging decisions over the holiday period: whether to opt for the safety and sheer stall count of Superchargers, or to give a third-party with 1,000V hardware and both connector types in one site a try.

Next Up - Watch for BMW to gain access before the end of the year, with Subaru likely to follow very soon in early 2026. Stellantis… possibly some time before the decade is done?

🔍 Charging Vendor Spotlight: Rivian Adventure Network (RAN)

News - The last time we checked in with the network for a spotlight segment in the spring, Rivian was about halfway through upgrading its network for universal access by all CCS1-compatible EVs. That overhaul is almost complete, with 92% of the RAN now open according to Rivian Roamer’s tracking.

Numbers - 861 stalls at 133 RAN locations are now open across 39 states. The majority (23) are in California (17.3%), as expected, with Oregon the only other state in double digits with 10 RAN locations (7.5%). The remainder breaks fairly evenly across the US, including a newly-opened location in Brewer, ME, this week.

An interesting gathering for the Brewer RAN opening day… watch your YouTubes for more soon 👀 | Credit: PlugShare

Nuance - One year ago, RAN was unavailable to anyone but the tens of thousands of Rivian models traversing the nation. The first handful of “gen 1.5” locations with taller dispensers and longer cables opened to other models in December 2024, and the company has been on an upgrade spree ever since. Only 11 locations remain to be upgraded.

Next Up - The last RAN locations on the upgrade list in CA, CO, FL, LA, OR, RI, and WA. Expect to see most of those completed by the end of 2025, at which point we’ll return to see how the Adventure Network has progressed, and what we can expect from Rivian Charging in 2026.

🔌AC/DC: Tesla Ramps Destination Charging Deployments with 3rd Party Site Hosts

News: In the same week that the first third-party Supercharger opened in Florida, Tesla reminded us that destination charging matters as well, with a Wall Connector for Business update. As usual with AC, there are many more locations than DC charging options.

Numbers: 130 Tesla wall connectors deployed across locations in 18 states, with the majority in Georgia (17.2%), Texas (13.8%), and California (10.3%).

Credit: Tesla Charging

Nuance: Most of the deployments listed are at hotels, resorts, and high-end apartments, demonstrating the continuing alignment of Tesla’s charging solutions with premium destinations. These properties require a turnkey solution for the majority of guests, which a universal connector (serving NACS and J1772 port types) and management by one of the most experienced names in charging appears to deliver.

Next Up: Despite being a ubiquitous presence across all forms of North American charging for more than a decade, both of Tesla Charging’s “___ for Business” initiatives are just starting to take flight in the United States. The destination charging side holds particular promise for hospitality and property hosts in the New Year, addressing widespread interest in winning new guests and tenants, and lingering questions over management and maintenance.

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🛣️ On the Road: This Week in DCFC

News - A fairly standard week for DCFC activations, with most players adding to their maps and a handful of standout stations among the regular candidates.

Numbers - 316 DC charging ports at 60 charging locations added to the Alternative Fuels Data Center this week, spread across 29 states and provinces.

Notable New Stations + AFDC Additions:

🔵 Flo Charging had a big week, adding 21 fast charging ports across eight different locations in the US and Canada. The largest is a six-stall location with pull-through stall options at a Canadian Tire in Montréal, with other locations added in British Columbia and Ontario, as well as two new small-format locations in Washington state.

🔷 EVgo opened an impressive 62 stalls across 10 locations this week, with half of them under the Pilot-Flying J banner. The largest EVgo-owned/operated station is a 12-stall site at Crossroads Shopping Center in Bakersfield, CA. On the P-FJ side, new travel center locations opened in the following states: Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, and Ohio.

☀️ As predicted in last week’s edition, Suncoast Charging broke cover to bring Floridians the first “Supercharger for Business” location in North America, which are made and managed by Tesla but owned by a third party. The eight-stall V3.5 installation (V4 posts with V3 power cabinets) at the Hub at Bexley in Land O’Lakes, FL, has several unique aspects, from the single flat fee for all EV drivers (no Tesla discounts) and the wide range of activation methods, to the fetching local wildlife wraps that adorn the dispensers.

Suncoast Charging opens the continent’s first third-party Supercharger location | Credit: PlugShare

🛒 Walmart Energy continued to roll out ABB’s new A400 units into the field, the first US charging vendor to do so, with the network’s debut location in Florida. Supercenter 779 in Lakeland gets four of the 400kW all-in-one dispensers to serve eight stalls. It is the first of almost 40 Walmart locations identified in the state with DCFC coming soon, according to project tracker Landon at the Arkansas eTraveler channel.

⚡ A new Francis Energy location in Mercer, PA, marks the state’s 24th active NEVI station. It adds four ports up to 400kW across two dispensers at a Shell fueling station right off I-80 on the western side of the state.

🌵 bp pulse added another TravelCenters of America (TA) map pin in the desert southwest with a new 16-stall station in Eloy, AZ. The activation is the fifth charging station at a TA site for bp pulse, following recent openings in El Paso, TX, and Hebron, OH.

Eight shiny new Alpitronic HYC400s serve 16 stalls in Eloy, AZ | Credit: bp pulse

🔴 A relatively quiet week for Tesla, by their standards, with 72 new stalls across five new Supercharger locations in five states. The largest is a 24-stall site in Houston, TX, while a 12-stall site in Ghent, WV, adds valuable options for all EV drivers traversing the notoriously underserved state.

🟢 ChargeSmart EV opened up another two 8-stall fast charging locations in New York state, one in Rochester and another at a Days Inn in Brewerton, near Syracuse. The network’s blanketing of upstate NY hospitality sites continues apace.

⭕ Red E added 22 DCFC stalls across four new locations in as many states (FL, IL, MA, NY). The largest is an 8-stall station that marks the latest site in a growing partnership with Aldi, this time in Ballston Spa, NY.

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, or Under Construction

📝 As the Grand Tour of California played out this week and shared a series of fences up confirmations across the state, AlejandroEV66 unearthed permits for new Rechargeries in Baltimore, MD, Beaverton + Portland, OR, and El Paso, TX, as well as full site plans for a previously identified location in Sandy, UT.

🚧 Construction is progressing well at several Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging locations across New England, with sites in Wrentham, MA, and Kittery, ME, appearing close to activation. Further Massachusetts locations in Holyoke and Braintree (pictured below) are also in advanced states of construction and have charging hardware on site.

MB-HPC charging sites like this one in Braintree are popping up across New England

🔴 New Tesla permits spotted by MarcoRP on X/Twitter for Gates, NY, Austin, TX, and Los Gatos, CA. The Tesla Charging team itself also identified a variety of upcoming Superchargers in the US and Canada, announcing voter-led sites in: Banff, AB, Courtenay, BC, Globe, AZ, Half Moon Bay, CA, Buena Vista, CO, Blue Ridge, GA, Munising, MI, Norman, OK, and Toquerville, UT.

🪙 New NEVI sites were shared by Georgia and Wisconsin. That’s $14 million awarded for 26 new fast charging locations in Wisconsin (many of which again went to Kwik Trip) and the same number of stations will be added with Georgia’s federal spend of $24.4 million. Rising charging provider PowerUp America scored 11 of those awards, marking the company’s prominent expansion in the region alongside hardware partner, Kempower.

💲Pricing: Universal Charging Flat Fee Structure Aligns with Hotels + Holiday Travel

News - Fresh from scooping many of Maryland’s round 2 NEVI awards, Universal Charging’s flat fee structure holds the potential for EV drivers visiting Illinois to keep travel charging costs down during the holidays.

Numbers - $15 for a single session at most of Universal’s 42 charging locations in Illinois. That rises to $20 for the network’s locations in Ohio, which are fewer in number but still represent an affordable price point for a full charge.

Nuance - Not all sites align with Universal’s flat fee structure. Some in other states, such as Virginia and New Jersey, operate on a more familiar, energy-based pricing system, typically set around the $0.49/kWh mark.

Next Up - Universal has more than 40 active awards from the NEVI program to work on in 2026. Spread across eight states, successfully deploying these sites would see the network grow in the middle of the US to the mid-Atlantic, with locations stretching from Kansas and Wisconsin to Maryland and Virginia.

🚛🚖 Fleet Focus: New PowerUp Point Hubs Launched in Pittsburgh and Kansas City

News - Inspiration Energy and taxi fleet operator zTrip confirmed new charging hubs for their fleet EV drivers in Missouri (Kansas City) and Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh). The two PowerUp Point (PuP) locations focus on adding metro fast charging for both fleet and public use, citing a dearth of downtown DCFC options for drivers.

Numbers - 18 new fast charging ports across the two locations, with six dispensers in Kansas City and three fast chargers in Pittsburgh. In KC, four of the units are 180kW and two more at 120kW, for slower-charging but popular electric fleet vehicles like the Chevy Bolt EV and Kia Niro EV.

Kansas City PowerUp Point charging fleet Chevy Bolt EVs | Credit: Inspiration Mobility

Nuance - Inspiration specializes in EV-first fleet management, and zTrip builds out electric taxi options in underserved city markets, giving both companies insight into the needs of operating electric fleet vehicles in metro areas. The two partnered a year ago to develop city charging options, with these early PuP sites a glimpse at what they’ve been working on since then.

Next Up - More PuP locations are planned for 2026, all of which are expected to bring DCFC to downtown areas that lack sufficient fast charging to sustain electric fleet operations. Some of the often EV-overlooked states in which zTrip operates, such as Alabama (Birmingham), Arkansas (Little Rock), and Nebraska (Omaha and Lincoln), would surely welcome their arrival!

🎧 Amped Up for Audio 🔌

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

This week, we check in with the Field Frequency podcast for more on the trend towards hotels and resorts hosting everything from a couple of L2 chargers to becoming fully-fledged fast charge hubs.

Host Jason Cortes is joined by Evolve’s founder, Raul Dominguez, to unpack the origins of the company and how EV charging is quickly moving from an upscale offering to an essential amenity for hotels, resorts, and other hospitality-related site hosts.

🔋💯 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:

🪙🛠️ Funding Opportunities

MCPA Minnesota corridor DCFC grants are open with a $1.89M budget - Apply here (deadline: 12/9/25)

NMDOT opened up the state’s third phase of NEVI funding (deadline: 12/31/25) - Full application details here.

California’s FCCP incentives program application period remains open (deadline: 1/29/26) — assistance with applications is available here

Michigan’s DTE is now accepting applications for grants from its Emerging Technology Fund through January 31st, 2026

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

See you next week, with a slightly abridged version of The Weekly 1.21⚡ for the US Thanksgiving break.

Cheers,

🔔 Essential EV Follow - Maythem Alsodani (EV Pin)

As founder of charging site assessment and design platform EV Pin, Maythem builds the digital tools that help charging vendors build the stations we want to use as EV drivers.

He also posts valuable takes on what brings business to those charging locations, and how the industry can develop to better meet the needs of its customers.

📍Charging Site of the Week: On the Run Charging (Delta, BC)

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