Up until now, most of the high-power DC fast chargers that Electrify America has installed for electric-car drivers have been at Walmart stores and big shopping centers. But soon the charging network will look to a new venue: the bank. 

By the end of 2020, Electrify America will make available about 40 DC fast-charging stations (locations), with a total of 140 chargers, at Bank of America financial center locations in California, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington.

The new hardware will offer a range in power from 150 kw to 350 kw—hardware that should allow most of the latest electric vehicles using the CCS standard, like the Audi E-Tron, to charge at or near their peak rate. Electrify America confirmed to Green Car Reports that it would keep with its practice of having one CHAdeMO connector at each station, for compatibility with the Nissan Leaf and other models. 

Electrify America charging at Bank of America

The installations mark both the first collaboration Electrify America has done with a financial institution, and they’ll be the first chargers that Bank of America has installed at any location. 

Although large shopping-center parking offers large amounts of space—and perhaps easier siting of cables and transformer boxes—big-box lots can be a challenge to navigate on a road trip when you just need a charge. Bank parking lots tend to be secure, with a lot of cameras, and security guards on duty. This could be a step in the right direction.  

The addition will likely fit in as part of Electrify America’s Cycle 2 plan to include more metro-area charging. The network itself was created and funded by Volkswagen’s 2016 diesel emissions settlement, for four different 2.5-year cycles, and the second started this past July 1.