Electrify America Reopens Fast-Charging Stations

Following a temporary shutdown, Electrify America LLC has reopened all of its fast-charging stations in the U.S.

The company shut down most of the 150- and 350-kW stations it operates in the U.S. last Saturday due to potential safety problems. Concerns were prompted when a high-powered liquid-cooled cable, similar to the ones used in the U.S., short-circuited at a test facility in Germany.

Electrify America says it restored full capacity to its entire network this week after the charging cables passed extensive testing. The defective unit was a first-generation prototype that is no longer used, according to supplier Huber+Suhner.

The issue didn’t affect Electrify America's less-powerful charging stations, which remained opened throughout the process. High-capacity units allow for much faster charging, but only a few EVs currently are designed to use them. Among them are such next-generation models as the Audi e-tron and Porsche Taycan electric sports car, which will come with three years of free-charging through Electrify America.

Electrify was established in 2017 as part of a settlement stemming from Volkswagen AG’s diesel emission scandal. The company plans to have 3,000 charging stations operating across the U.S. by year-end.