General Motors is making life on the road easier for owners of its electric cars with a new feature called Energy Pass. Integrated into the MyChevrolet, My Cadillac, and MyGMC smartphone apps, Energy Pass enables seamless access to the biggest EV charging networks in the United States, eliminating the need for separate apps and accounts for each network.
At launch, GM EV drivers will have access to Tesla Supercharger, Ionna, and Electrify America stations through Energy Pass, with ChargePoint and EVgo soon to follow. The automaker says that together, these stations cover nearly 70% of all DC fast chargers in the U.S., plus many Level 2 chargers.
View Price on AmazonThrough the car brands’ smartphone apps, drivers can start and end charging sessions, check live charging status updates, see their charging history and receipts in one place, and unlock exclusive discounts at some networks. As a reminder, Ionna recently started offering a 10% discount on charging for all GM EVs when using the apps provided by the three brands.
That’s not all, though. GM’s new Energy Pass feature supports Plug & Charge, which means owners need to set up a payment method in their account, and then they can just pull up to a stall and start charging without having to mess with the app or the dispenser’s screen.
For now, Plug & Charge is supported at Ionna Rechargeries and EVgo stations, but starting this summer, GM plans to bring the same functionality to ChargePoint locations, while cars with a native Tesla-style NACS charge port will get to enjoy Plug & Charge at Tesla Superchargers. The company said that an over-the-air software update will enable Plug & Charge capability on the Tesla Supercharger network for NACS-equipped EVs later this year.
Speaking of NACS ports, the American automaker will ditch the CCS1 connector for all its 2027 models in favor of the more compact North American Charging Standard inlet. The 2026 Cadillac Optiq and the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt already come with a NACS port from the factory, but all upcoming 2027 EVs from Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac will get it between now and December.
This is all good news. As seasoned EV drivers know, having to shuffle through several smartphone apps just to top up the battery is not exactly a great experience. With this latest update, General Motors is smoothing things out, offering a single interface and a single account that can handle the majority of charging networks.
Source: insideevs.com
