In the U.S., a major hurdle that’s hampering the broader adoption of electric vehicles is our iffy public charging infrastructure. Many drivers are concerned about the availability – and reliability – of EV chargers, and rightfully so. There are countless horror stories about damaged cables, overcrowded locations, and flat-out broken hardware. Numerous companies, like Ionna, for instance, are working to address these issues, and so is Toyota. The gigantic Japanese automaker just announced that, in partnership with EVgo, it’s opened two new charging stations in California.

A Step In The Right Direction
Located in Sacramento, and Baldwin Park, these new co-branded locations are the first to be built through Toyota’s Empact vision, a program that was inaugurated in 2023 and aims to help make electrified transportation more available to motorists in underserved communities. According to the automaker, Empact has three primary areas of focus, “[increasing] access to charging, providing affordable mobility solutions, and reducing carbon emissions,” admirable goals to be certain.

Co-branded with Toyota, these newly opened stations are operated by EVgo, and each can serve up to eight electric vehicles at once. All the charging cabinets are rated at 350 kilowatts, meaning even the fastest-charging EVs, like Hyundai’s E-GMP-based models and hulking GMC Hummers can juice up in short order. Afterall, nobody wants to spend hours and hours sitting around while their electric vehicle juices up, though a little waiting might not be terrible.

These new locations are located in areas with shopping malls, restaurants, and grocery stores. Further enticing motorists, EVgo also provides one year of complimentary charging for drivers that purchase or lease a 2025 Toyora bZ4X all-electric utility vehicle.

Increasing Access To Quality EV Chargers
“Together with EVgo, we are supporting broader access to charging infrastructure for all battery EV drivers, including those driving Toyota and Lexus BEVs (battery electric vehicles),” said James George, Toyota’s general manager of EV charging solutions in a media release shared by the automaker. “We aim to ensure that customers find the newly opened stations both convenient and efficient for their charging needs,” George also noted.
“Collaboration with automakers has been core to our expansion over the last several years, and EVgo is grateful for the continued support from Toyota,” said executive vice president of growth at EVgo, Scott Levitan. “Availability of charging is essential as consumers consider buying or leasing an EV. As automakers offer more electric vehicle choices, EVgo will continue deploying fast chargers for current and prospective electric vehicle drivers.

In the grand scheme of things, adding two new charging stations in California probably isn’t that a big deal, but this is still a step in the right direction. Hopefully, EVgo and Toyota will continue opening new charging stations to help drive the adoption of electric vehicles.