A New Milestone in Los Angeles Charging Infrastructure
The electric vehicle landscape in Los Angeles just received a significant boost with the opening of a massive new charging facility by EVgo. Located strategically near the Santa Monica Freeway in the Mid-City neighborhood, this site stands out as the largest non-Tesla fast-charging station in the city. The facility is designed to serve a high-traffic urban corridor, providing a convenient stop for drivers as they navigate the busy metropolitan area to run errands, dine, or commute.
The installation features 10 dedicated stalls equipped with a total of 20 charging ports. By placing the site within walking distance of grocery stores and various retail outlets, EVgo is emphasizing the "charge while you shop" model that has become increasingly vital for urban EV adoption. This development represents a key expansion for the company, which currently manages over 5,000 public ports across the United States, further reinforcing its position as a dominant player in the independent charging network space.
High-Voltage Power and Flexible Distribution
The station boasts a sophisticated power distribution system capable of delivering up to 350 kilowatts to compatible vehicles. The hardware is segmented to optimize efficiency across different vehicle needs: five stalls offer the full 350-kW punch, three stalls are rated at 200 kW, and two offer 100 kW. This tiered power delivery ensures that the site remains relevant for both the latest long-range EVs capable of ultra-fast charging and slightly older models that require more modest current flow.
While the industry is collectively pivoting toward the North American Charging Standard (NACS), this site relies on CCS cables for its high-speed output. For NACS-equipped vehicles, users can bridge the gap using standard CCS-to-NACS adapters. Furthermore, the facility supports EVgo’s Plug & Charge technology, allowing for a seamless, automated payment experience for registered users, effectively removing the friction of manual authentication at the charger.
The Legacy Support Surprise: CHAdeMO Integration
Perhaps the most unexpected feature of this state-of-the-art site is its commitment to legacy hardware. Despite the industry moving rapidly toward CCS and NACS, EVgo has integrated two CHAdeMO connectors into this new location, each capable of delivering up to 100 kW. This connector type, once the standard for vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and various Japanese plug-in hybrids, is becoming increasingly difficult to find as older infrastructure is decommissioned.
By including these ports, EVgo is ensuring that owners of earlier-generation EVs remain supported. This is a critical move for the secondary EV market, where older, affordable vehicles provide a vital entry point for new electric car owners. Unlike CCS or NACS, which can be easily adapted, CHAdeMO is notoriously difficult and prohibitively expensive to convert for use on modern infrastructure. By embedding this support directly into their largest urban hub, EVgo is extending the usable life of thousands of older vehicles, proving that the transition to electric mobility involves looking backward at existing fleets just as much as it does looking forward to new technology.
