Search: Electrify America

Octopus Energy US has introduced Octopus Charge, a single app offering access to tens of thousands of charging stations across the United States and Canada. The programme builds on the success of the company's Electroverse platform in the UK and Europe, which since 2020 has grown to provide access to more than one million public charge points across more than 40 countries. Notable networks including Tesla, Electrify America, IONNA and Walmart are not yet listed among participating charge point operators.

Why it matters: A unified payment and access platform could simplify procurement decisions for fleet operators managing multi network charging needs and reduce driver friction at public infrastructure. The absence of major US networks limits immediate utility, but the model's European scale suggests potential for broader North American interoperability if adoption grows.

Convenience retailer Wawa will deploy Wawa-branded DC fast chargers at eight Pennsylvania stores this year, using Electrify America's white-label platform. Five sites will offer both NACS and CCS connectors with speeds up to 400 kW, while three will feature CCS-only chargers at up to 350 kW. The rollout follows Wawa's earlier launch of self-branded Tesla Superchargers and serves as a test of retailer-owned charging across its 14-state footprint.

Why it matters: White-label partnerships like Electrify America's deal with Wawa let non-traditional operators enter the charging market with turnkey infrastructure, expanding site procurement opportunities for CPOs and equipment suppliers. Retailer-owned charging also signals a shift in control over reliability and customer experience, potentially reshaping competitive dynamics for third-party network operators.

Walmart has launched its own branded EV charging network, opening approximately 46 high-speed stations through June 2025, including four in Bentonville, Arkansas since January. The retailer, which previously hosted third-party chargers from brands like Electrify America since 2018, now operates all stations under its own brand as of March 2024. Industry observers note Walmart has overtaken Costco and established charging operators in deployment speed.

Why it matters: A major retailer entering the charging market as an owner-operator shifts competitive dynamics for CPOs and could pressure pricing across public networks. Walmart's property portfolio and capital give it advantages in site control and deployment pace that pure-play charging companies must now counter in procurement bids.

The Illinois Department of Transportation cut the ribbon on 22 July 2026 on the state's first charging station built through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, a four-port DC fast-charging site in Casey funded by an $854,641 grant to Phillips 66, Meyer Oil and Electrify America. IDOT simultaneously announced $23.5 million in Round 3 NEVI awards for 29 additional projects along interstate corridors, with more stations expected online this summer.

Why it matters: The Casey opening marks Illinois's first delivery under the federal NEVI programme, signalling procurement momentum for CPOs and contractors bidding on the 29 newly funded sites. The Phillips 66 partnership model and sub-$1 million grant size offer a template for future interstate corridor builds in the state.

The United States now has nearly 252,000 public EV charging ports across roughly 81,000 locations, marking a 79% increase in total ports and a 50% rise in charging sites since July 2023, according to federal data cited by Cars.com. The network includes more than 178,000 Level 2 chargers and over 73,000 DC fast chargers, with Tesla operating around 40,000 Supercharger ports and contributing approximately 1,600 of the DC fast chargers added this year. California led state level growth with about 1,300 new DC fast chargers since January, while Florida, Texas, Illinois and New York also recorded significant gains, alongside expansion by Electrify America, EVgo and Ionna.

Why it matters: The near doubling of charging infrastructure in 12 months signals accelerating deployment opportunities for CPOs and contractors, particularly in DC fast charging where port counts grew substantially. State level data highlighting California's 1,300 unit addition and growth in Florida, Texas, Illinois and New York point to where procurement pipelines and site development work remain most active.

Walmart installed 368 new fast-charging ports in Q2 2025, ranking second behind Tesla's 1,185 and ahead of ChargePoint (333), Red E (315) and Electrify America (202), according to EV charging data platform Paren. The retailer accounted for 8.4% of new public fast-charging stations in the US during the quarter, despite holding below 1% all-time market share. Walmart jumped from ninth place in Q1 deployments, leveraging its 3,500-plus Supercenters footprint to avoid lease negotiations.

Why it matters: Walmart's rapid scaling demonstrates how retail site control can accelerate deployment timelines, offering a model for CPOs seeking anchor tenants with existing real estate. The retailer's Q2 velocity signals a major new competitor in the US charging infrastructure market, potentially reshaping procurement dynamics for equipment suppliers and installation contractors.

Electrify America has opened a public charging station in downtown Santa Barbara featuring 20 chargers at 350 kW each and a 1.9 MW battery energy storage system, its largest public BESS deployment to date. The site, located on Carrillo Street at a former Greyhound depot, is one of four large format stations (20 or more chargers) in the company's network and its second location in Santa Barbara. CCS connectors will be partially converted to NACS later in summer 2026 as part of an ongoing pilot programme.

Why it matters: The deployment demonstrates how battery storage can enable high power charging in grid constrained locations, a key consideration for CPOs planning urban hubs. The 20 charger format and BESS integration signal a shift toward larger, more resilient sites as operators prepare for rising EV adoption.

ShopRite of Yardley opened a 10 charger Electrify America fast charging station at its 1603 Big Oak Road location in Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, with a ribbon cutting ceremony held on Earth Day. Each charger can deliver up to 350 kW. The installation is part of a wider rollout by Wakefern Food Corp., the New Jersey based retailer owned cooperative, to expand EV charging across ShopRite locations.

Why it matters: The deployment shows grocery retail continuing to adopt high power charging as a customer amenity, with Wakefern's multi site programme signalling further procurement opportunities across its ShopRite network. The 350 kW specification indicates demand for ultra rapid infrastructure in suburban retail settings.

Vartan Badalian, a New York attorney, posted a LinkedIn account detailing a problematic EV charging experience at Yosemite National Park, where two of four Rivian L2 chargers showed as available but failed to function. The incident, which reached thousands of readers, exemplifies recurring infrastructure issues including non-functional chargers, app failures and authentication problems that the automotive journalist describes as routine rather than edge cases. The experience mirrors previous reports of rental EV drivers stranded for hours due to Electrify America app access blocks.

Why it matters: The account underscores persistent reliability and user experience failures in deployed charging infrastructure that deter EV adoption, highlighting the gap between installation numbers and functional, accessible charging points. For CPOs and procurement teams, it reinforces the need to prioritise operational reliability, simplified access systems and robust maintenance protocols over pure network expansion.

Italian hardware provider Alpitronic is testing its HYC1000 megawatt chargers at its Charlotte, North Carolina headquarters, delivering up to 1,000 kW for semi trucks and 600 kW for passenger EVs. The technology can charge batteries from 10% to 80% in 7 minutes or less, though current US market EVs cannot accept these charging rates. Alpitronic has secured supply deals with Ionna, Walmart, Mercedes Benz High Power Charging, Electrify America and BP Pulse.

Why it matters: Megawatt charging hardware is now available in the US market ahead of vehicle capability, giving CPOs and site hosts early access to future proof infrastructure that may accelerate procurement decisions as automakers develop compatible models. The technology addresses a key adoption barrier by promising refuelling parity with petrol stations.

A ShopRite supermarket in Paramus, New Jersey, has opened an Electrify America fast charging station on site. The deployment adds public charging infrastructure at a retail location in the United States. ROI-NJ reported the opening, though specific charger counts and power ratings were not disclosed.

Why it matters: Grocery-anchored charging sites offer dwell-time alignment for DC fast charging and signal continued retail-property partnerships for network operators. The Paramus installation reflects Electrify America's strategy to place chargers at high-footfall commercial destinations.

The 2026 BMW i3, built on the Neue Klasse platform with 800 volt architecture, can accept 400 kW DC fast charging to add 250 miles of range in 10 minutes. However, the vast majority of the United States' roughly 60,000 DC fast charging ports cannot deliver that speed, with Tesla Superchargers capped at 250 kW and Electrify America standardising at similar levels as of early 2026.

Why it matters: The mismatch between vehicle capability and installed infrastructure highlights a critical procurement gap for charge point operators: networks must upgrade hardware to 400 kW outputs or risk losing custom from next generation EVs that can charge significantly faster than current plugs allow.