Published on December 12th, 2015 | by Daniel Sherman Fernandez

BMW i receives “Momentum for Change” award from the United Nations

BMW i is shaping the future of individual mobility – not only with groundbreaking products and services, but also with a global involvement in the expansion of the publicly accessible charging infrastructure for electrically powered vehicles. The Express charging corridors, an initiative to increase access to DC fast charging launched by BMW i and ChargePoint, are now being honoured with a significant accolade – the United Nations “Momentum for Change” award. The program receives the award for the efforts in providing EV drivers access to fast chargers along the heavily populated and highly trafficked regions on the east and west coast of the United States. The project is a milestone on the way to a nationwide, brand independent, standardised charging infrastructure, thereby playing a crucial role in the transition towards electric mobility in the USA. The “Momentum for Change” award is presented within the framework of the UN Climate Conference COP 21 (Conference of the Parties) being held in Paris.

By the end of 2015, nearly 100 quick charging stations will have been installed alongside the US American West Coast between Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego and along the East Coast between Washington D. C. and Boston. The charging stations are being installed at a maximum distance of 50 miles from each other, usually in rest areas and in the vicinity of shopping centres, restaurants or leisure facilities. Each station features 50 kW and 24 kW charging respectively. In case of 50 kW the standard-charging cycle e.g. for the BMW i3 only takes around 20 minutes. Special attention was paid to the aspect that all charging stations meet the worldwide CCS Standard and are usable for a wide range of EV’s, so that they cannot be used just by models of one certain brand.

In addition to the initiative on the West and East Coast of the USA, which was honoured with the “Momentum for Change” award, BMW i is also supporting a wide range of fast charging infrastructure projects on a worldwide basis, currently with a focus on North America, Europe, South Africa, China and Japan. In total, more than 30 projects in more than 25 countries and in cooperation with more than 50 partners for more than 3.000 DC and more than 1.300 AC charging points have been initiated. Within the automotive industry, BMW i clearly leads by the multitude of pilot projects being involved. Furthermore, strategic investments by BMW i Ventures in leading brands within the charging infrastructure area, e.g. ChargePoint and Chargemaster underline the momentum of the brand for successful electro mobility.

On European level, the participation in various TEN-T (Trans European Network – Transport) projects with planned 429 rapid charging points in 10 European countries are part of the BMW i engagement. In Germany, BMW i is one of the initiators and managers of the SLAM (fast charging network for axles and metropolitan areas) initiative, which envisages the construction of 600 quick charging stations. The charging stations from the former research project with BMW i participation from the year 2012, “Fast charging of electric vehicles on the A9 motorway” between Munich and Berlin have meanwhile transferred into commercial operation.

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BMW i receives “Momentum for Change” award from the United Nations

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