Good day, fellow gasoline quitter ⛽👋

This will be an abbreviated edition as we’re in transit this week. Unfortunately not to EVCS, due to a schedule conflict, but if you’re heading to Vegas have a great event!

Let’s dive straight into the latest EVI developments across the US and Canada ⤵️

News - San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie unveiled legislation that creates a permitting path for widespread expansion of the city’s curbside charging pilot with it’s electric.

Numbers - 70%. That’s the level of utilization that San Francisco has recorded over the first 10 months of operation. This is a familiar number for curbside charging, as New York City’s equivalent pilot program with FLO recorded 72% utilization in 2025.

Nuance - Across the United States, around two-thirds of the population can charge at home, which makes EV ownership a much more compelling, convenient proposition. But in major metro areas that number flips, and in San Francisco it’s estimated around 70% of residents live in multi-unit dwellings, many of which don’t yet offer AC charging as an amenity, nixing one of the core advantages of an EV: charging where you park. Curbside charging remains one of the most promising solutions to bridge that gap and open up a new wave of EV purchase interest, from a group who could clearly benefit from the technology.

Next Up - The permitting process is fraught with complexities, especially in densely populated metro areas with competing infrastructure priorities. Although the announcement this week targets only 100 curbside chargers by 2030, which would be a relatively insignificant number compared to the city’s renter population of 500,000+ residents, it’s easy to see the number proliferating as unobtrusive charging solutions like the it’s electric bring-your-own-cable system deliver wider success.

News - In a week when Rivian revealed more details about its crucial R2 model, we catch up with the charging network that the EV-only automaker hopes will support the vehicle’s success. That includes the increasing need to integrate NACS-J3400 connectors, which will be the R2’s native port from launch.

Numbers - 948 ports across 142 RAN locations in 39 states, but no Canadian provinces. The network that once served only Rivian owners is now open to 94% open access, according to Rivian Roamer, for EVs with a CCS1 port or a suitable adapter. RAN is also beginning the transition to NACS-J3400 handles, with 27 locations and 58 ports using the connector at the time of writing.

Nuance - Rivian is moving more quickly than most established charging providers to switch out a portion of its existing locations to NACS-J3400. All were deployed with CCS1 connectors until Rivian began to switch out handles last year. Most locations that incorporate both connector types are split 75% CCS1 and 25% NACS, although we can expect that to even out as R2 sales begin and new sites are energized.

Next Up - Given the higher price point of Rivian’s flagship models, the R1T and R1S, the R2 is a sink-or-swim moment for the company. Without greater sales volume and access to mainstream car buyers, Rivian won’t be able to sustain the cash burn it has needed to get to this point. The Adventure Network is a relatively small but nonetheless important aspect of the R2’s potential success, as it gives Rivian another lever to pull if additional incentives are needed to attract buyers. A period of complimentary charging - or even just the preferential charging rates that Rivian owners already receive - could tip prospective buyers towards the R2 if they’re on the fence.

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News - A steady week for AC charging additions, with the usual suspects delivering the kind of sites we’ve come to expect from them over the early days of this section. The absence of Flo and BC Hydro somewhat dents Canada’s numbers, but other networks step in to take the strain, especially with 17 new L2 sites across Québec.

Numbers - Exactly 500 L2 charging ports added to the Alternative Fuels Data Center this week, spread across 27 states and five Canadian provinces.

Notable New L2 + AFDC Additions:

🟠 ChargePoint added 375 ports across the United States and Canada, or three-quarters of this week’s additions. Notable sites appear in 20 new L2 spaces for the City of San Luis Obispo, CA, and 25 new ports to upgrade aging hardware in the Seattle Center parking garage in Washington state.

◾ Blink Charging added 22 new ports at six locations this week. Eight stalls energized at Vivid Avenue residences in Venice, FL, provide the most notable activation for the network this week.

🔴 Tesla provided an update on its Wall Connector for Business program, adding 557 ports over the past two weeks, at 87 sites in 25 states. The largest deployments of this batch are at The Barcelona Tower in Los Angeles, CA (62 ports), The Reserve at Clarkstown in West Nyack, NY (30 ports), and the 415 Colorado building in Austin, TX (28 ports).

🔷 Circuit électrique replaced FLO as the most active provider north of the border this week, adding 44 AC ports at 17 locations, all in Québec.

📍 ViaLynk energized 13 new L2 ports across three locations, 12 of which were in Long Beach, NY. The last adds a single port to WEX HQ in Portland, ME, which appears to be a test charging location.

News - A slow week for fast-charging additions in the United States, though Canada posted some solid numbers without relying on any individual vendor or province. Less active provinces like Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia make the list this week, for example, thanks to deployments via ChargePoint.

Numbers - 174 DC charging ports at 36 charging locations added to the Alternative Fuels Data Center this week, spread across 24 states and three provinces.

Check out the DCFCtracker.com site to see a map of the latest AFDC additions, which can also be filtered down to the past week or month, as seen below. Credit: AlejandroEV66.

Notable New Locations + AFDC Additions:

🪙 Francis Energy furthered the NEVI side of its expansion once again, energizing Maryland’s seventh site opening funded by the program. Four stalls at a Sheetz in Taneytown, MD, deliver the highest-power charging in the county, according to Tyler at The Average EV channel, whose review of the site you can see below in the pricing section. Another Francis location in Glasgow, KY, also looks to be online as of this weekend, but details are limited so we’ll save that one for the next edition. 📢👀

🔴 Tesla Charging opened seven new Superchargers across five states (no Canadian sites this week from Tesla), two of which were Supercharger for Business locations. Of the Tesla-owned sites, 16 stalls in Chula Vista, CA, is the largest location.

⚪ Another new white-labeled Supercharger for Business (SfB) energized this week in Fredericksburg, TX, bringing an impressive 12 stalls to the center of the city. Francis Energy was also active on the SfB side, though these are upgrades rather than new locations. The latest upgrade to Tesla hardware is in Lawton, OK.

📍 Pilot-Flying J opened two new travel center sites with EVgo eXtend this week, bringing four stalls each to Fernley, NV, and Junction, TX. The P-FJ project’s first location with NACS-J3400 connectors has also appeared, at an existing site in South Bay, FL.

🟦 EVgo also opened a dedicated site of their own, with a solid eight stall addition at a Home Depot in Poway, CA. The site is an example of what the company continues to build out for its own network expansion: plenty of stalls with fast-charging in a California retail location that will serve local EV owners who can’t charge at home, as much as travelers passing through the area.

⚡ bp pulse opened another TA fast-charging location in Hillsboro, TX, bringing 12 more stalls capable of up to 400kW for this stretch of I-35, on the way to Dallas.

🟢 Electrify America opeed at The Cove Hotel in Long Beach, CA, bringing eight stalls to this retail location. Moving into 2026 planning, expect to see larger locations like this one, as EA edges towards a minimum of 10 stalls per site.

⭕ Red E set their sights on another municipality in Massachusetts this week, with two new DCFC sites in Franklin, MA. The network builds on a strong start to the year that has seen it energize 152 ports across 40 sites, primarily in its core markets (MA and MI). Those numbers set Red E as the third most productive fast-charging provider YTD, behind only Tesla and ChargePoint so far in 2025.

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

📢 Pennsylvania is walking and chewing NEVI gum at the same time, with $9M in funding for 12 new corridor DCFC sites announced through the federal program this week. Simultaneously, the state has pulled out a commanding lead on NEVI locations open, passing 30 with recent activations, and has more than 50 more in various stages, from planning to construction. The latest sites span gas station, hotel, and dining site hosts.

📝 In permitting news, we have new Superchargers found by MarcoRP1 for Calimesa, CA, Wilmington, NC, and Oak Grove, MO. The stars are also starting to align for Semicharger permits, with a location in Tulare, CA, identified as one of the early HDEV charging locations arising from the recently announced partnership with Pilot-Flying J.

⚪ New white-labeled Tesla locations - aka Superchargers for Business (SfB) - are being cued up thick and fast, with five SfB locations in the pipeline for the ambitious team at EVODS. In addition to the site at SeaTac, which we covered late last year, locations at Seattle's Boeing Field Airport (8 stalls) and Wenatchee (6 stalls) will keep Washington EV drivers interested in their progress. Down in California, the company also plans SfB installations in Santa Ana (16 stalls) at the MainPlace Mall, and Huntington Beach (12 stalls) at the Bella Terra Mall.

🛠️ On the renovation side of SfB clients, Francis Energy has upgrades underway for its latest batch of sites in its home state of Oklahoma. Keep an eye on Antlers, Davis, OKC (North Lincoln Blvd site), and Shawnee for Tesla hardware coming soon.

👷‍♂️ Walmart now has almost 100 charging locations in the near term pipeline, to go along with hundreds in permitting. The update below from Landon at The Arkansas eTraveler channel is your best bet for all the latest plans, permits, and building activity.

🚧 Although IONNA itself hasn’t confirmed any “fences up” for a couple of weeks, AlejandroEV66 keeps us moving with permitting for a new Rechargery in Allen, TX.

🪙 Finally, the NEVI program has been quietly ticking along since passing 150 sites open in January, with Michigan one of the states that has progressed locations from contract to construction to charging EVs with little fanfare. Another location in Reed City, MI, joins sites already underway in Bear Lake, Flint, and Wayland in the “in progress“ category this week. Another 20 sites are in the design phase, according to MDOT.

Is there an upcoming site in your area that the EV community needs to know about?

Reply to this email with the location and charging provider (if known) and we’ll add it to the next edition 🙌🏻

News - The first quarter of 2026 is proving to be a transformative one for the Francis Energy network, as prices start to drop at key locations, even as site upgrades and new hardware initiatives get underway.

Numbers - In Oklahoma, prices have already dropped by 15.4% at upgraded locations where Tesla Supercharger for Business hardware has been installed, setting rates at $0.44 per kWh. The good news is that recently activated sites far from Francis Energy’s home market are also coming in below the national average, such as the new site featured below in Taneytown, MD, which launches at $0.46 per kWh.

Nuance - The price drops aren’t limited to new site activations. Existing sites that date back more than a year have also come down notably. For example, Byesville, OH, rose as high as $0.56/kWh last summer, but today sits at just $0.38/kWh (down 32.1%). Similarly, Chambersburg, PA, started life at an eye-watering $0.66/kWh, but today it’s priced at a reasonable $0.42/kWh (down 36.4%). Not all regions have shed those highs of 2025, however. Francis sites in Texas and New Mexico are often still set the wrong side of 0.60, like Colorado City, TX, at $0.62/kWh, and Artesia, NM, at a whopping $0.78/kWh, at the time of writing.

Next Up - As we shared in edition 61, Francis Energy is leaning towards Tesla for its hardware needs at non-NEVI funded locations. It’s likely the company sees the lower associated costs and increased utilization as a way to keep prices down for customers and shed a reputation for high rates outside of Oklahoma. The key question now will be whether Francis can take those more affordable rates network-wide, as IONNA has done, or if regional disparities will persist due to higher operating costs in some areas. Watch this space.

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:

WattUp USA secures $130M for West Coast retail site fast charging network

TurnOn Green plans new 240kW charging locations at select locations in Indiana

Green NCAP and CharIN Partner on charging interoperability program

Propulsion Québec finds minimal DCFC needed to electrify QC-ON freight route

Maryland’s round 3 NEVI solicitation opens for applications this week (3/17/26)

Minnesota’s 3rd round NEVI RFI is open (through 4/30/26) for 74 DCFC sites.

Efficiency Maine is seeking qualified bidders for L2 charging (up to $120K per site)

Pennsylvania offers $100M for community EV charging projects, with different 2026 NOFO windows across the state. Start with the Interested Organizations Survey here.

$10 million available for hotel charging sites via NJ EV Tourism Corridor Charging

California’s third round NEVI funding is open for applications (deadline: 3/25/26 at 11:59 PST)

California’s Clean Bus & Truck Voucher program is also open for applications

The latest round of Colorado’s DCFC Plazas Program is targeted for “Spring 2026” — use the general info page to see previous recipients or sign up for the latest dates/news

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See you next week ⚡

Cheers,

Steve / Plug & Play EV