Dive Brief:
- General Motors is turning to artificial intelligence and machine learning to find the optimal locations to install new electric vehicle chargers to best serve drivers, the company announced in a Jan. 8 blog post.
- As part of the project, data scientists at GM are using predictive analytics and geospatial algorithms to evaluate EV traffic patterns in the U.S. to determine where additional EV chargers might be needed.
- The work is supporting GM’s collaboration with public charging infrastructure operator EVgo to build 2,850 DC public charging stalls in major metropolitan areas across the U.S., including 400 flagship destinations featuring high-power 350 kw chargers.
Dive Insight:
Although GM’s EV sales reached an all-time high in 2024, the company says uncertainty about how to find charging stations remains a hurdle for many prospective customers. It’s one of the reasons the automaker is collaborating with industry partners EVgo, Pilot Flying J travel centers and ChargePoint to build hundreds of new public charging stalls.
Partnering with Pilot and Flying J contributes to GM’s goal of helping EV owners find chargers faster along major highways where the travel centers operate. Using AI will aid GM in determining optimal locations to best serve EV drivers.
GM’s data scientists are approaching site selection as a “mathematical optimization problem.” First, detailed maps are created to illustrate the AI-powered model’s decision-making process. Then the model’s recommendations are combined with expert insights to finalize the optimal charger placement. Once the data analysis is complete, the company collaborates with Pilot Flying J and EVgo to install the chargers.
In addition to offering more convenient charging locations, GM is also working to improve the overall charging experience as part of its collaboration with EVgo.
Future GM charging sites will feature pull-through layouts for easier maneuvering. Many of the flagship locations, which will be co-branded by EVgo and the automaker’s subsidiary GM Energy, will also have all-weather canopies and bright lighting, and be located near amenities such as shopping, dining and coffee shops that drivers can visit while their EVs recharge.
GM is also one of seven OEMs partners in EV charging joint venture Ionna. The joint venture plans to install 30,000 high-powered chargers in North America that the EV customers of each automaker can use.
