ChargePoint, Optimus Energy plan to expand EV charging network in Southeast US

If you drive an electric vehicle in the Southeast, public charging is about to get a bit easier to find. ChargePoint and Optimus Energy Solutions, a Florida-based clean-energy company, are partnering to add 200 new charging ports across the region. ChargePoint will supply the charging hardware and software, while Optimus will own and run the stations. Many of the new chargers are planned near restaurants and shopping centers, spots people already tend to visit while their car charges.

This is part of a broader push to fill gaps in public charging, which has been one of the main reasons some people hesitate to buy an EV. Other companies are making similar moves: Circle K plans 350 charging sites with the automaker-backed network Ionna, and General Motors recently launched a tool called Energy Pass that lets its EV owners pay for charging at different networks, including Tesla Superchargers, through one app. GM says it plans to add ChargePoint and EVgo to that platform soon.

None of this changes anything about your home charging setup or any rebates you might use for a home charger. It mainly affects where you can plug in while out running errands or traveling through the Southeast. A recent industry satisfaction survey found that public charging availability was the most improved factor in EV owner satisfaction this year, so more stations like these could make road trips or errands in an EV a bit less stressful if you live in or travel through the area these companies are targeting.