Virginia utilizes VW payments to set up charging network

The US state of Virginia has decided to use their funds from the Volkswagen diesel scandal to set up a new vehicle charging network. The partner chosen to implement the initiative is EVgo.

EVgo has HQs in Los Angeles and is currently operating more than 1,000 charging stations in 34 US states. Exactly how many will be built in Virginia has not been published yet. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is allowed to 15% of the 93.6 million dollars that VW will be paying to the state for EV charging networks. This corresponds to about 14 million dollars.

The 8.5 million resident state currently operates about 100 fast-charging DC stations, but the state plans an EV rate of about 15% by 2027.

Update 18 October 2020: EVgo says they tripled the number of EV public fast chargers across Virginia’s statewide network. The company has completed Cycle One of the fast charger deployment plan for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

Since September 2019, EVgo has deployed five new chargers each month in Virginia, totalling 24 fast-charging site locations and 76 chargers.

The company says their network in Virginia now covers “the state’s key regions, with stations in Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke”.

EVgo also announced to further grow the Drive Electric Virginia network over the next 18 months. Forthcoming stations will continue to be located in highly visible, convenient areas, mostly shopping malls and close to stores.

EVgo stations feature fast-chargers capable of delivering 50-150kW charge rates and belong to the existing portfolio of more than 800 station locations across the United States.

The company is, of course, not alone in the endeavour. In Virginia, Electrify America – another outcome of Volkswagen’s diesel-gate scandal – operates EV 20 charging hubs with 96 individual fast-chargers. Virginia has now joined the growing list of states where the new pricing per kilowatt-hour applies at Electrify America stations.

Giovanni Palazzo, president and chief executive officer of Electrify America, said: “We are delighted to add Florida and Virginia, two key EV markets, and will continue working to expand kilowatt-hour pricing to even more states.”

Rates start at $0.31 per kilowatt-hour. Adding Virginia and Florida now increases the number of states where new pricing apply to 25, up from the 23 announced at launch.

Additional reporting by Nora Manthey, London.

governor.virginia.gov, wtop.com, augustafreepress.com, virginiabusiness.com, prnewswire.com (update EVgo), electrifyamerica.com (update Electrify America)