RESTON, Va. -- Audi’s first fully electric vehicle (EV) will be plugging into Electrify America’s charging network, including at stations hosted by convenience-store chains, as part of a new nationwide charging plan.
Electrify America LLC, Reston, Va., was established in 2017 by Volkswagen to manage its $2 billion, 10-year investment in zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, in its settlement with the United States in response to the diesel emissions cheating scandal. The company aims to have nearly 500 EV fast-charging locations installed or under development in 40 states by July 2019. This includes 160 stations in six markets in California through a separate settlement with the state.
Audi is debuting the e-tron SUV—its first fully electric vehicle—in 2019. Owners of the SUV will receive 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of charging at Electrify America locations for four years. The Ingolstadt, Germany-based automaker is currently taking reservations for the SUV, which starts at $74,800 and will be a competitor to Tesla’s Model X and the Jaguar I-Pace. Its range is about 160 miles. This is the first such charging partnership between Electrify America and an automaker. The Audi brand is owned by Volkswagen Group, Wolfsburg, Germany.
“The arrival of the e-tron is timed perfectly with a 10-year, $2 billion investment being made in this country's charging infrastructure by Electrify America," said Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America, Herndon, Va.
According to Electrify America, about 15 of its charging stations are up and running, including at a Casey’s General Store in Lebanon, Mo. Additional new stations will soon be coming online at c-store sites owned by Casey’s, Sheetz Inc., Global Partners LP’s Alltown chain, Kum & Go LC, Stinker Stores and Pilot Flying J, among other retailers.
Electrify America aims to have more than 2,000 chargers installed an average of 70 miles apart on highways crossing the United States. Each would supply up to 150 kW of charge, which could deliver an 80% charge to e-tron’s 95-kilowatt battery in about 30 minutes. In April, Brugh’s Mill Country Store in Fincastle, Va., became the second site in the country to host one of Electrify America’s ultra-fast charging stations, which can deliver up to 20 miles of range per minute, or seven times faster than a typical 50-kW DC chargers.
Photograph courtesy of Electrify America
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