General Motors has announced a handy new EV charging app for its electric vehicle portfolio. This could just be the tip of the next generation EV charging iceberg for GM fans. A new patent application suggesting that GM is also considering a new charging architecture that allows two EVs to share the same port at the same time. Wait-what?
Make EV charging as easy as a pie
The new GM announcement aims to encourage drivers interested in EVs to actually drive and own them by removing all guesswork and extra steps from EV charging.
The company is working with leading company EVgo to add a new “plug and charge” app-based service to the Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem.
The system works on many public EV charging networks in North America, and GM is clearly the first OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to offer app-based compatibility.
As an app-based service, Plug and Charge provides EV drivers with a single familiar interface for EV charging. Setup is a bit complicated — GM drivers require an EVgo account, OnStar services, and GM apps (myChevrolet, myCadillac, myGMC) that apply to the vehicle, but once that’s done, the rest is easy. The driver only has to do the plugin, and the app does the rest each time it charges.
The new announcement builds on GM’s ongoing relationship with EVgo on public DC fast charging stations.
“Plug and Charge works with all current and future GM EVs built on the Ultium platform, such as the GMC HUMMER EV and Cadillac LYRIQ. It also works with Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV with DC fast charging capability. These are two of the most affordable EVs currently available in the United States, “says GM.
“In time, GM plans to expand its service to include all DC fast charging stations that are compatible across the Ultium Charge 360 network,” the company adds.
More renewable energy for DC fast charging
The collaboration between GM and EVgo includes generous support for renewable energy for EV charging stations as the value chain side of the broader 100% renewable energy target.
Renewable energy angles are also part of GM’s plans to tighten the cost of electric vehicles by focusing on energy input and waste management, and battery manufacturing mashups with Honda. Chevrolet Bolt was a good start. Despite some issues, the price of the sticker can attract drivers who aren’t ready to fire for the next Tesla.
So far, all that effort seems to have paid off. Commodity prices are rising, but GM caught the media’s attention earlier this month when it lowered the price of Bolt.
“General Motors drastically reduced the price of its 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV on Wednesday, making it probably the cheapest electric car on the market in the United States,” he enthusiastically said. CNBC June 1.
One EV charging port that dominates all of them
GM is slashing its job as new low-cost electric vehicle makers like Xpeng and Vinfast are looking to the US zero-emission mobility market. However, the focus on EV charging, such as GM’s laser, can give GM an edge.
As electric vehicles become mainstream, 2EV households will become the norm. Households with one EV charging station must find a place to install another EV charging station or endure the inconvenience of car juggling and EV charging time. Or you might not buy another EV at all.
Bengt Halvorson Green car report I found a solution in my work last month. He dug up a GM patent application for some kind of daisy chain arrangement that could connect one car to the EV charging port and the other car to the first car, charging both at the same time.
If you are familiar with car-to-grid technology, the idea of connecting one electric car to another and charging both from the same EV charging port sounds very easy. The basic idea is to take advantage of the EV battery’s capabilities to charge another device.
Car and driver Reporter Sebastian Blanco took up the story over the weekend and expanded the idea of leveraging EV batteries to provide new services to car owners.
“Electric vehicles have the ability to provide features not possible with simple petrol cars and trucks. From the possibilities of more flexible interior layout designs to regenerative braking that turns deceleration into electrical energy, we are still in the future. I’m learning what EVs can do, “Blanco writes.
“The daisy chain system works depending on how GM configured the battery in future models such as the Hummer EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and GMC Sierra EV,” he adds.
Of course, the devil is in detail, so far this is a patent application, not a rubber-on-the-road technology. Still, the spread of ideas can have widespread impact on business fleets, employee workplace charging, and other situations where doubling the charging port is beneficial and feasible.
Self-driving car connection
The concept of daisy chain EV charging could also spread to the field of self-driving cars. This is interesting given that GM acquired the ride-sharing AV company Cruise in 2016.
On June 2, Cruise CEO Gil West up-to-date with the public about the progress of Cruise’s commercial operation.
“Today, I received my first unmanned driving permit from the California Public Utilities Commission, which allows me to charge for the unmanned driving car I am offering to the general public here in San Francisco. Means that Cruise will be the first and only company to operate self-driving commercial ridehail services in major cities in the United States, “West wrote in a blog post.
“With this approval, we will gradually roll out fare vehicles to match the smoothest customer experience possible. As always, our focus is on rider magical safety. It’s about providing good service, “he added.
The magic test has already begun.last week Detroit News Cruise reported that it collected the first toll for a small deployment of San Francisco’s AV fleet.
Expect more from where it comes.In an interview with CNBCCruise CEO Kyle Vogt said, “We’ve expanded to cover the entire San Francisco area and you’ll see hundreds of vehicles offering vehicles every night … that could happen at the end of the year.” I predicted.
If you want to be on the waiting list for vehicles, (of course) online getcruise.com..
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Photo: EV charging provided by General Motors.
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