Skip to main content

Electrify America turns its network of high-power EV charging stations back on

Electrify America charging stations
Electrify America

Volkswagen-funded Electrify America temporarily shut down its high-power electric car charging stations after uncovering a problem with a charging cable provided by a third-party company. Most of the high-kilowatt network remained offline during the three days it took the company to fix the problem, but electric car owners likely didn’t notice the disturbance.

“Extensive testing throughout the weekend and Monday showed that the cables have met all industry standards for use, and as a result, we are bringing our entire network back to full capacity,” wrote Electrify America CEO Giovanni Palazzo in a statement published online. Volkswagen founded the company he runs to create a nationwide, multi-million-dollar network of charging stations not unlike Tesla’s Supercharger network.

Recommended Videos

Electrify America blamed the problem on the liquid-cooled cables that electric car owners use to plug their vehicle into a charging station. The firm called the problem “a potential safety issue,” but it didn’t reveal the cause or the effect of the problem. It noted that only stations built to dispense 150 or 350 kilowatts were down; the slower, 50-kilowatt stations remained operational. The L2 chargers and the CHAdeMO connectors weren’t affected by the issue, either.

Huber+Suhner shed light on the matter shortly after Electrify America’s original announcement. It explained a cable used at a charging station in Germany short-circuited. No one was injured during the incident, and the cable was a first-generation prototype so problems weren’t inconceivable, but the company decided to ask customers to stop using its cables while it looked into the matter. It put the series-produced cable through extensive tests and found no problems, so everything is back to normal.

We doubt anyone noticed the stations were down: As of January 2019, none of the electric cars sold in the United States are compatible with 150- or 350-kilowatt charging. The first models able to take advantage of super-fast charging speeds will be the 2020 Audi E-Tron, which is scheduled to arrive in American showrooms in the summer of 2019, and the Porsche Taycan, which hasn’t been fully unveiled yet and won’t land until later in the year. To add context, Tesla throttles the output of its Supercharger stations when it approaches 120 kilowatts. In simple terms, the higher the kilowatts, the faster the charge.

Electrify America isn’t the only company that experienced problems with Huber+Suhner charging cables. The Verge reports Amsterdam-based Fastned shut down the 175-kilowatt chargers it operates in Holland and Germany after encountering cable-related problems.

Updated on January 30, 2019: Added information about Electrify America fixing the problem.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.
costco ev charging us electricera fast station 1260x945

Costco, known for its discount gas stations, has left EV drivers in need of juicing up out in the cold for the past 12 years. But that seems about to change now that the big-box retailer is putting its brand name on a DC fast-charging station in Ridgefield, Washington.
After being one of the early pioneers of EV charging in the 1990s, Costco abandoned the offering in 2012 in the U.S.
While opening just one station may seem like a timid move, the speed at which the station was installed -- just seven weeks -- could indicate big plans going forward.
Besides lightening-speed installation, Electric Era, the Seattle-based company making and installing the charging station, promises to offer “hyper-reliable, battery-backed fast charging technology in grid-constrained locations.”
Its stalls can deliver up to 200 kilowatts and come with built-in battery storage, allowing for lower electricity rates and the ability to remain operational even when power grids go down.
If that sounds like it could very well rival Tesla’s SuperCharger network, it’s no coincidence: Quincy Lee, its CEO, is a former SpaceX engineer.
Costco also seems confident enough in the company to have put its brand name on the EV-charging station. Last year, the wholesaler did open a pilot station in Denver, this time partnering with Electrify America, the largest charging network in the U.S. However, Costco did not put its brand name on it.
In an interview with Green Car Reports, Electric Era said it was still in talks with Costco about the opening of new locations. Last year, Costco said it was planning to install fast chargers at 20 locations, without providing further details. It has maintained EV-charging operations in Canada, the UK, Spain, and South Korea.
Meanwhile, the wholesaler’s U.S. EV-charging plans might very well resemble those of rival Walmart, which last year announced it was building its own EV fast-charging network in addition to the arrangements it already had with Electrify America.

Read more
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.

Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.

Read more
2025 Porsche Macan EV first drive: electrifying a bestseller
2025 Porsche Macan

Porsche is giving EVs a major vote of confidence. While the brand will continue to sell non-EVs for many years, including the emblematic 911, it developed the second generation of the Macan exclusively with electric power in mind. You won’t find a twin-turbocharged V6 or a plug-in hybrid system on the specifications sheet; it’s all electric, all the time. That’s a bold move -- we’re talking about one of Porsche’s bestselling models, not a niche car that has a greater effect on image than on sales. Was it the right move? Join us as we find out.
Subtly electric

There’s no mistaking the new Macan for its predecessor when you walk past it. It’s characterized by styling cues that align it with the Taycan sedan, which was the first series-produced electric Porsche. Up front, rectangular lights are accented by four individual LEDs; in back, there’s a light bar that makes the SUV appear wider than it actually is. Nothing about the design screams “I’m electric!” but there are relatively subtle hints if you know where to look. Here’s a cheat sheet: the front overhang is shorter than the original Macan’s and the wheelbase is nearly 4 inches longer. That’s because engineers had to package a massive battery pack rather than an engine.

Read more