EVgo, an electric vehicle (EV) fast charging network, and IONNA, an electric charging network created by eight automakers, have made headway on plans to offer more charging options for drivers.

Concerns remain about the lack of charging stations, often keeping drivers from switching to electric or considering switching back to internal combustion engine vehicles.

EVgo has received a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $1.05 billion of debt financing from the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office under the Title 17 program aimed at accelerating the expansion of the fast-charging network in community locations across the U.S.

The low-cost financing would boost EVgo’s efforts to scale its charging footprint and increase nationwide access to convenient, reliable public charging stations, a press release from the company states.

EVgo has planned the buildout of 7,500 fast-charging stalls nationwide, with the top state markets anticipated to be Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

If finalized, EVgo expects to complete the new stalls by 2030.

While this conditional commitment indicates DOE’s intent to finance the project, EVgo must satisfy certain technical, legal, environmental, and financial conditions before the department enters into definitive financing documents and funds the loan, the release says.

“The network expansion will complement the corridor charging being deployed through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program by creating localized, community charging stations with an emphasis on increased access and availability in areas that serve multifamily housing residents and others who rely primarily on public charging for their needs,” the release states.

“In alignment with the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 initiative, over 40% of stalls to be built pursuant to the financing, if finalized, are anticipated to be in marginalized areas that have been overburdened by environmental impacts. EVgo also plans to leverage the 30C tax credit, which was expanded as part of the Inflation Reduction Act and supports the buildout of public EV charging infrastructure with a focus on driving investment to rural and lower-income communities.”

The proposed financing will be provided directly by the Federal Financing Bank as a loan, guaranteed by DOE, and structured as a limited recourse project financing, according to the release. EVgo will not need to raise any third-party equity — public or private.

“EVgo shares the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of increasing EV charging access in the communities that need it most,” said Badar Khan, EVgo CEO, in the release. “This historic investment would meaningfully accelerate our network expansion to provide public charging to EV drivers across the United States.”

EVgo estimates the project buildout will create more than 1,000 jobs, over 700 of which will be contracted roles in construction, engineering, development, and operations and maintenance.

EVgo says it will continue to collaborate with utilities and state agencies to leverage incentives and funding programs that help to accelerate infrastructure deployment.

EVgo continues to invest in developing next-generation charging infrastructure that will enhance customer experience and expects to begin rolling out this new infrastructure in the second half of 2026, according to the release.

IONNA, the charging network founded by BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Stellantis, and Toyota, announced Thursday that they have broken ground on the network’s first “Rechargery.”

In Apex, North Carolina, just a few miles from IONNA’s previously announced headquarters and customer experience lab, the Rechargery will include 10 covered parking bays with CCS and NACS. The charging ports will be capable of up to 400kW and more than 800 volts.

In keeping with the town’s evolving transportation roots, and almost 100 years after one of Apex’s first gas stations opened to the community, IONNA says it will restore a historic gas station building and its land to bring the “Apex of charging” to the “Peak of Good Living,” the town’s present-day motto.

An indoor driver’s lounge will have bathrooms, coffee service, food and beverages, and WiFi. Outdoor and pet-friendly amenities will also be provided.

In Franklin, Tennessee at its headquarters, Nissan America has found a second-life use for EV batteries.

The OEM is adding two second-life battery systems to help offset building power consumption and extend the use of EV batteries.

Managed in partnership with Middle Tennessee Electric, 7 States Power Corp., and the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, the Battery Energy Storage Solution (BESS) project repurposes Nissan LEAF batteries to supply energy to the building during peak demand and charge during off-peak times, according to a Nissan news release.

The process, called “energy peak shaving,” is like storing rainwater after a downpour to use in a garden during a drought.

The project consists of two shipping container-like housings. One uses LEAF 40 kilowatt-hour (kWh) packs and has a capacity of 500 kWh. The other uses LEAF modules and is rated for one megawatt-hour of energy capacity. In total, batteries from about 50-60 LEAF vehicles are used for the two assemblies.

The release says these batteries come from within the Nissan network and are collected after a service replacement.

“Nissan Americas Headquarters typically sees two energy demand peaks, depending on the season,” said Chris Goddard, Nissan regional energy and environmental manager, in the release. “In winter, that’s first thing in the morning when employees arrive and the building’s electric heating is in high demand. In the summer, peak usage comes in late afternoon, when the air conditioning is cranked up to keep things cool.”

It’s at those times that the BESS project could supply stored power to complement what the building draws from the grid, the release says.
Overnight, surplus power makes it cheaper and greener to charge the batteries, reducing reliance on CO2-intensive generators during peak times.

While the Middle Tennessee region doesn’t have extremely high demand charges like other coastal regions in America, this project is testing the concept of turning demand reduction into dollars and carbon savings.

The BESS project is expected to reduce the office’s annual CO2 emissions by 3.7 tons per year, contributing to global Nissan efforts to reduce emissions, the release says.

Additionally, in partnership with Middle Tennessee Electric, the team will investigate Demand Response (DR) program scenarios and opportunities.

“This project is about more than just technology — it’s about rethinking how we use resources to build a more sustainable future,” said Goddard. “We’re not just powering a building, we’re powering a vision of what’s possible.

The two battery installations will be extensively studied for at least a year as the team compiles data.

Images

EVgo fast charging station installed near multifamily housing (Credit: EVgo/Business Wire)

Rendering of the future Apex, North Carolina “Rechargery” by IONNA. (Credit: IONNA)