Electrify America, which describes itself as being the largest open DC fast charging network in the United States–until Tesla opens the floodgates to the Supercharger network, at least–will turn the lights on at its first flagship indoor charging station in the country tomorrow.
Located at 928 Harrison Street in San Francisco, EA’s facility has 20 hyper-fast chargers that can dispense up to 350 kilowatts of power per vehicle, as well as two temperature-controlled lounges with food and beverage vending options, complimentary Wi-Fi, and restrooms.
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More charging choices for EV drivers living in the city
EV drivers who live in apartment buildings have a pretty hard time recharging their battery-powered cars because a lot of residential buildings don't have any sort of charging infrastructure available. Electrify America wants to change that by opening the first so-called flagship indoor charging station in San Francisco.
Think of it like a fancy gas station, but because there are no nasty fumes, everything is inside, including the cars. Electrify America says that the San Francisco facility has round-the-clock monitoring and security and that customers will have access to the chargers and lounge 24/7.
Electrify America, which is owned by the Volkswagen Group, already has two outdoor flagship charging stations in the United States–one in Baker and one in Santa Clara, California–each offering at least ten hyper-fast chargers.
The San Francisco indoor station is just two blocks away from the Bay Bridge, so it’s a solid choice for EV drivers who are in the South Market (SoMa) neighborhood–either living there in apartment buildings or simply passing through.
“We're committed to making EVs accessible to all, particularly in dense urban areas like San Francisco,” said Robert Barrosa, president and CEO of Electrify America. “Our expertise in building over 250 stations in California and more than 900 in North America uniquely positions us to bring high-quality charging infrastructure directly into communities where people live and work and support EV adoption across the state.”
Gallery: Electrify America's First Flagship Indoor Charging Station Located In San Francisco
A similar approach to EV charging was implemented by Mercedes-Benz, which has some charging hubs scattered across the country, each capable of delivering up to 400 kW of power to each connected car, as well as offering an indoor lounge where customers can more comfortably wait for their EV to top-up.
Last year, EA pledged to upgrade 600 DC fast chargers across 130 cities in California as part of its so-called “Cycle 4” regional investment plan that will see roughly $172 million spent on updating, maintaining, and expanding the company’s network of fast chargers in The Golden State.
More recently, the VW Group-owned operator updated its smartphone app, making it easier for customers to see which chargers are offline.
