Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt celebrated the groundbreaking of the first National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) electric vehicle charging site in the southeastern U.S, at the Circle K in Richmond, Ky., along the Interstate 75 corridor.
The site will be built with ABB E-mobility Terra 184 chargers, which are Build America, Buy America (BABA)-compliant, meet the NEVI technical minimum standards, and are “National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS)-ready.” Each charger can provide up to 180 kW of power to Circle K’s customers, allowing them to charge quickly and get back on the road.
As one of the first states to deploy EV fast chargers under the NEVI program, Kentucky and the FHWA showed leadership and commitment to the economic benefits of electric transportation nationwide. ABB E-mobility shares this commitment, providing NEVI-compliant T184 fast chargers to partners awarded NEVI funding in over a half dozen states across the U.S.
ABB E-mobility is a charging partner for convenience and fueling retailers that want to partner with a reliable technology provider throughout the lifecycle of their charging infrastructure. This new fast-charging site in Richmond adds to Circle K’s global EV charging footprint, which the company expects to expand to 200 sites in North America in 2024.
With EV adoption figures continuing to break records in the U.S., the NEVI program and convenience store operators are key enablers of the e-mobility economy. In 2023, annual EV sales reached 1.2 million units, representing a 50% increase year over year.
“Our customers and drivers expect that charging infrastructure works, and we provide reliable and convenient charge-and-go technology,” says Chris Nordh, head of ABB E-mobility in North America. “ABB E-mobility is committed to helping partners like Circle K achieve their EV charging goals by delivering reliable, seamless, efficient and flexible charging solutions.”
“At Circle K, we are committed to providing a full range of mobility solutions that fuel our customers’ journeys, no matter how they power their vehicles, which is why are bringing EV fast charging to key sites across our U.S. network where we can meet growing demand,” says Aaron Smorodin, head of Business Development for Circle K. “We are pleased to partner once again with ABB E-mobility, honored to be a part of this milestone development supported by the commonwealth of Kentucky and the NEVI program, and look forward to being a preferred destination for EV drivers along the I-75 corridor.”
Terra 184 chargers manufactured at ABB E-mobility’s South Carolina-based operations meet BABA’s Phase II requirements for 55% U.S. components, which is applicable to multiple federal programs including NEVI.
Later in 2024, ABB E-mobility will add high-power J3400 connectors to the chargers in Richmond, enabling Tesla vehicles and future NACS vehicles to charge without the need for adapters.