Technology

An EV Charging Station CEO Plans to Electrify the Roads

Cathy Zoi of EVgo says government subsidies are needed to speed the transition from the internal combustion engine.

Cathy Zoi, chief executive officer of EVgo Services.
Photographer: Aaron M. Sprecher/Bloomberg

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By Kyle Stock

July 29, 2020 at 9:00 AM UTC

Updated on

July 29, 2020 at 9:45 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the August 3, 2020 issue of businessweek.

EVgo Services LLC, the decade-old electric-vehicle charging network, has a simple strategy for building stations in the U.S.: Put them where people spend time (think suburban Whole Foods), and make juicing up fast. Chief Executive Officer Cathy Zoi talks about weathering the Covid-19 lockdown, preparing for electric pickup trucks, and the case for stimulus funds.

Cathy Zoi
● CEO, EVgo ● Co-founder and executive chairman, Odyssey Energy Solutions ● Former partner, Silver Lake Kraftwerk, a venture between Soros Fund Management and Silver Lake Partners ● Former assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, U.S. Department of Energy

We’ve had 25 new station openings, even with shelter-in-place. We’re an essential service, which is a good sign that electrification is mainstreaming. Not only are gas stations essential, but charging stations are, too.