Enel X Way Plans at Least 2M Fast EV Charge Ports by 2030

Enel X Way, an e-mobility subsidy of Italy-based energy giant Enel that operates in 29 countries, announced plans to add more than 2 million electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the U.S. and Canada by 2030, according to a press release. These would include home, commercial, and public charging stations and add to the more than 170,000 the company says it has sold in North America to date.

Announcements like this are important to commercial real estate, which has long needed to accommodate the needs of car owners. CRE properties frequently offer parking. Increasingly, that is coming to mean facilities to allow tenants and others to charge EVs.

Planning for such capabilities depends on projections of  EV use. A number of factors currently constrain consumer and commercial adoption of the technologies. One of them is the availability of a fueling station infrastructure, just as the adoption of internal combustion engine vehicles need gas stations. As more public charging locations come online, that particular barrier to adoption lowers, meaning that CRE owners and operators will have to consider the rate at which they need to invest in their own EV charging capabilities.

Enel X Way partners with charger operators and electric utilities to add fast EV charging locations. It has also expanded its services, which now include EV infrastructure installation; has service provider partners that can offer operations and maintenance; and also has financing and leasing options.

This is also tied in with federal government investment in environmental initiatives. The company has said that it plans to “take advantage of funding from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and $5-billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program as part of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA),” according to the release.

“Additionally, Enel X Way recently entered a cooperative contract with the Purchasing Cooperative of America (PCA), enabling public entities the opportunity to purchase EV charging products, software, and services from the company without having to go to bid,” they added.

“While the government is pouring billions of dollars into developing a national highway charging network, many companies aren’t sure how they will make money off the nascent business,” said a Wall Street Journal report. “Fast charging requires expensive utility infrastructure and projects often encounter supply chain hang ups and long wait times to connect to the grid. Because of that, fast charging providers must try to time a Goldilocks build-out, not so early that equipment goes unused, or too late to frustrate or dissuade drivers in search of a charge.”