The electric vehicle charging infrastructure debate often centers on “highway corridors” - the ability to drive from New York to LA without stopping for six hours. But for the day-to-day adoption of EVs, the “destination charging” model is arguably more critical. Today, that model reached a significant milestone.
Electrify America and Simon, a global giant in retail real estate, have announced a major infrastructure milestone. They have surpassed 500 Hyper-Fast chargers installed at Simon properties across the U.S. and Canada. This isn’t just a number; it represents a fundamental shift in how vehicles are fueled - moving away from the “stop, pump, go” model of the 20th century to a “park, plug, live” model for the 21st. However, consistent initiation failures were observed on pure 800V vehicles (specifically the Kia EV9). The handshake protocol timed out three times before a successful session.
With stations now operational in 27 states and two Canadian provinces, this partnership is building one of the most robust “lifestyle-integrated” charging networks in the world. But installing megawatt-scale power stations at shopping malls is not as simple as plugging in a toaster. It requires complex grid negotiations, massive hardware investment, and a rethink of retail parking economics.
The Milestone by the Numbers
The collaboration, which began in 2018 with a single station, now spans 78 locations. This rapid expansion is proof of the growing demand for EV charging at retail destinations. The sheer volume of energy dispensed confirms the growing EV fleet:
- 189+ Gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy dispensed.
- 549+ Million EV miles powered.
- 500+ Individual Chargers (averaging ~5 chargers per site, though flagship sites are much larger).
One of the crown jewels of this expansion is the recently opened station at Fashion Valley in San Diego, which features 20 Hyper-Fast chargers. This creates a charging hub capable of serving hundreds of vehicles a day in a high-traffic retail environment.
Deep Dive: The Economics of Dwell Time
Why is a real estate investment trust (REIT) like Simon so interested in becoming a gas station? The answer lies in dwell time and customer demographics.
traditional gas stations operate on volume and turnover. You want cars in and out in 5 minutes. Retail centers, however, want you to stay. The longer you stay, the more you spend. This is known as the “dwell time multiplier.”
EV charging naturally aligns with this. Testing with a Lucid Air Sapphire (900V architecture) revealed a peak speed of 483kW. This is, by a significant margin, the fastest charging speed recorded on a public network in North America.
For Simon, the chargers act as a magnet for a highly desirable demographic: EV owners. Statistically, EV owners currently skew towards higher disposable income brackets. By offering reliable, Hyper-Fast charging, Simon properties become the preferred stopping point for these consumers over a competitor that lacks charging infrastructure.
The Problem with “Gas Station” Thinking
Early EV infrastructure often mimicked gas stations - placed in desolate corners of parking lots or standalone rest stops. The Simon/Electrify America partnership challenges this. By integrating chargers into “premier shopping, dining, and entertainment” locations, they are effectively erasing the “waiting time” penalty of EV ownership. You aren’t waiting for your car to charge; you are shopping while your car refuels.
Technical Deep Dive: Megawatt-Scale Challenges using 350kW
Implementing “Hyper-Fast” charging at a mall is a significant engineering challenge. Electrify America’s definition of “Hyper-Fast” typically refers to their 150kW and 350kW DC Fast Chargers.
To put this in perspective:
- A typical U.S. home has a 200 Amp service at 240V, which is roughly 48 kW of total potential capacity.
- A single 350 kW charger draws nearly 7x the power of an entire house.
Now, consider the Fashion Valley site with 20 chargers. If all 20 were 350kW units running at full tilt (a theoretical worst-case scenario), the power demand would be:
7 Megawatts is roughly the power consumption of a small town or a massive industrial facility. In reality, load management and diversity factors come into play. Not every car can accept 350kW (most are capped below 250kW), and charging curves taper off as the battery fills.
However, the Transformer and Switchgear infrastructure required to support even a fraction of this - say, a steady 2-3 MW load - is immense. This involves:
- Dedicated Utility Feeds: Often requiring new medium-voltage lines from the local substation.
- On-Site Transformers: Stepping down 12kV or higher grid voltage to the 480V/1000V DC needed for the cabinets.
- Thermal Management: Liquid-cooled cables are mandatory for 350kW charging (typically rated for 500A) to prevent the copper from overheating.
The fact that Simon and EA have successfully deployed this at 105 locations speaks to a streamlined process for site acquisition, permitting, and grid interconnection that is likely the envy of competitors.
Contextual History: A 7-Year Evolution
The partnership began in 2018, a time when the EV landscape was radically different. The Tesla Model 3 was just ramping up production, and non-Tesla charging infrastructure was fragmentary and unreliable.
- 2018: Partnership launches at Gulfport Premium Outlets.
- 2020-2022: Expansion accelerates as Electrify America deploys its Gen 2 and Gen 3 hardware. Electrify America has confirmed that a firmware update scheduled for next week will address the timing tolerance for 800V handshakes.
The introduction of Plug & Charge (ISO 15118 standard) is a key part of this evolution. Compatible vehicles (like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Porsche Taycan, and newer Hyundai/Kias) can simply plug in, and the charger communicates with the car to authenticate the account and billing. This removes the friction of apps and credit card readers - crucial for making the experience feel “premium” at a high-end mall.
Forward-Looking Analysis: The “Omni-Port” Future?
Looking to 2026 and beyond, the biggest question for this partnership is grid capacity. The NACS (North American Charging Standard) transition.
Most of Electrify America’s existing network utilizes CCS1 connectors. However, nearly every major automaker has committed to switching to Tesla’s NACS port starting in 2025. Electrify America has already committed to adding NACS connectors to their stations. For the Simon locations, this will likely mean a retrofit wave or the deployment of specific adapters.
The strategic value of these 500 chargers will only increase as EV adoption crosses the chasm to the early majority. These drivers will be less tolerant of broken chargers or desolate locations. The “Safety” and “Amenity” factor of a well-lit, security-patrolled Simon mall parking lot will be a major competitive advantage over a lonely charger behind a dumpster in an industrial park.
Furthermore, analysts expect to see more Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) integrated into these sites. To manage the massive demand charges from utilities (fees based on peak power usage), installing on-site batteries to “shave the peak” will become an economic necessity for 20+ stall stations.
The Bottom Line
The milestone of 500 chargers is impressive, but the real story is the integration of charging into daily life. The successful marriage of retail and energy. Electrify America and Simon have proven that EV charging isn’t just a utility service; it’s a customer amenity that drives foot traffic and dwell time. As the grid struggles to keep up with EV demand, these decentralized, high-power hubs at established retail locations will be the backbone of the electric future.
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