General Motors and the popular Pilot and Flying J truck stops have reportedly brokered a deal to install 2,000 charging stations across 500 facilities. The deal would reportedly increase the number of fast-charge locations in the U.S. by upwards of 20 percent.
Although the initial stations appear focused on passenger vehicles, the infrastructure lays a foundation for battery-electric Class 8 rigs that are expected to grow in numbers in the near future. The so-called fast-chargers have the capacity to re-power an EV vehicle in 30 minutes.
“We are committed to an all-electric, zero-emissions future, and ensuring that the right charging infrastructure is in place is a key piece of the puzzle,” GM Chief Executive Mary Barra reportedly said.
The buildouts are expected to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2025. The charging equipment would reportedly support wide-reaching EV passenger vehicles. But in a move that appears designed to compete with Tesla, GM vehicle owners would enjoy the option of reserving charging stations in advance.
Details of the plan were not immediately available, but GM spent upwards of $750 million on charging infrastructure in 2021. Pilot officials reportedly indicated the EV stations are part of a larger $1 billion plan to overhaul various locations.
The White House is also planning to dole out $7.5 billion to states in an effort to build a comprehensive national network of charging stations across the country. The infrastructure grants are expected to roll out over the next few years and may be available to Pilot and GM.
“We are at the point where customers are looking for electric charging, and so we feel this is an appropriate time really to focus on solving range anxiety,” Pilot CEO Shameek Konar reportedly said.
Pilot and GM officials plan to install a minimum of four charging stations along major highways within 50 miles of each other. The White House issued the 50-mile standard as a necessary element to gaining grants.
Elon Musk has gone on the record indicating his “Megachargers” use solar energy to power up semi-trucks in 30 minutes as well. Tesla, the leader in EV car sales in the U.S., built a charging network that includes 10,000 stations across 5,000 locations.
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