Ford Electrifies North America: Offers 12,000 Electrical Charging Stations Free For Two Years

To help persuade more consumers into electric vehicles, Ford (F) is making it easier to find a charging station to keep these drivers on the road. The automaker announced that has partnered with Greenlots to provide more than 12,000 charging stations and more than 35,000 plus across the U.S. with its FordPass Charging Network.

Ford said it wants to make “public chargers as common as some of the most popular pharmacy or coffee chains.” In order to do so, the company is offering two years of free access to its electrification network.

Ford is also working with Electrify America to offer access to 150-kW DC fast chargers, which it said can charge up to a 47-mile driving range in 10 minutes. An 80 percent charge can be achieved in 45 minutes with the charging system, the company said.

“The fact that most of our customers will plug in at home is a key advantage to an all-electric vehicle,” Matt Stover, Ford director of charging, energy services and business development said. “We will deliver a charging experience that is hassle-free whether you’re at home or on-the-go.”

Beyond the on-the-road charging network, Ford is also providing at-home charging options including the Ford Mobile Charger that uses 240 V electrical outlet. This charger offers 22 miles of driving in an hour’s worth of charge for an EV. The charger also works on 120 V electrical outlets for three miles per charging hour.

Ford has also teamed up with Amazon Home Services for the installation of its home charging systems. This is in addition to the FordPass app that provides an array of features to charge and drive the company’s all-electric vehicles, including state of charge, charge point locations, points of interest, alerts, charging schedules, and more.

Ford made the announcement about its charging options as it looks to address “many customer hesitancies surrounding electric vehicle ownership.”

“Among people who already own or want to purchase electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, 48 percent say that a lack of charging stations is one of their main concerns,” Ted Cannis, Ford director of global electrification, said.

“By offering industry-leading charging access we are dismantling those barriers, allowing more customers to confidently enjoy the benefits of owning an electric vehicle,” he added.

Shares of Ford stock were up 0.77 percent as of 11:18 a.m.