Dive Brief:
- Ford Pro, Ford Motor Company’s commercial arm, is partnering with utility provider Xcel Energy to install 30,000 EV charging stations by 2030, according to a press release sent to Automotive Dive.
- The initiative, titled 30x30, will roll out in Xcel Energy service areas in Colorado and Wisconsin in 2024. The companies plan to expand into Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas over the next six years, pending state regulatory approval.
- The partnership follows news from July that seven automakers, Ford excluded, will work together to install more than 30,000 public EV charging stations nationwide.
Dive Insight:
Over the last six months, plans to boost electric vehicle charging infrastructure have ramped up as automakers look for ways to capture the EV market. For Ford, growing its commercial arm is a key part of the company’s electrification plan.
“[T]ogether we’re creating a new model to help eliminate barriers for businesses in their electrification journey,” Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis said in a statement. A press release suggested the partnership may provide “energy and utility companies a template for future collaboration.”
The 30x30 initiative will operate within Xcel Energy’s existing Electric Vehicle Supply Infrastructure program, which provides eligible business customers with no-cost installation of charging infrastructure.Xcel Energy’s commercial EVSI participants will use Ford Pro Charging equipment and have the ability to buy a subscription to the automaker’s commercial EV software. Ford Pro will also provide customer support services after installation.
Xcel’s transportation electrification plan is currently before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Originally, the utility provider proposed owning EV chargers outright in Colorado, but after business pushback and market changes, the utility company shifted gears. The most recent plan Xcel submitted to the state commission proposes that charging stations themselves will be owned by private businesses. The 30x30 initiative better fits this latter strategy.
As part of the partnership, businesses involved in the 30x30 initiative will provide Xcel and Ford Pro with data on their charging, which the companies may use to “monitor and influence charging behavior” according to a press release, such as encouraging charging during off-peak times. Ford Pro’s software offerings are another pillar of the commercial-side business.
Ford has made several EV investments in the last few years. In 2021, it acquired Electriphi, a provider of charging management and fleet monitoring software for EVs,, to integrate into Ford Pro. It also bought EV charging tech developer Auto Motive Power last month, which it plans to use for its new Model e division. In addition, Ford is building out its own charging ecosystem called the BlueOval Charge Network, which it plans to expand in North America by 25% to more than 106,000 chargers.
