Today, General Motors, Pilot and EVgo have announced plans to work together to create a nationwide DC fast charging network. The plan aims to create 2,000 charging stalls that can deliver up to 350 kW to be installed at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers in the U.S. the goal is to have DC fast chargers available in 50-mile intervals across the country.
The new charging stations will feature GM’s “Ultium Charge 360” branding and “Pilot Flying J” logos but will not be limited to drivers of GM EVs. The plugs will use CCS connectors and be available to anyone. GM EV owners can take advantage of benefits, including the ability to make exclusive reservations, get discounts on charging costs and streamline the charging process with Plug and Charge and in-vehicle apps that can provide real-time charger availability.
The first phase of intallation is to be taking place in 2023 and the majority of installations should be completed by 2025. Kathy Zoi, CEO of EVgo has commented saying: “we’re gonna get going immediately and commence all of that engineering and planning stuff, we’ve got a pretty orderly plan.”
“An average Pilot Flying J location is about 10 acres,” said Pilot CEO Shameek Konar.
“This will be in addition to all of our gas pumps. The way I think about it is, this is a new source of energy that is going to coexist with gas for quite some time. We can debate how long, but we need to serve both groups of customers.”
While the exact amount of time it will take to charge an EV using these new stations will vary on the EV and its current state of charge, most EVs can refill from a low state of charge to around 80 percent in 20-30 minutes on a fast charger. The new stations are future-proofed to deliver up to 350 kW, a charge rate that few EVs today can handle.
“One of the strengths of this partnership is the fact that we’ve got site hosts, and installers and OEMs,” said Travis Hester, GM’s chief EV officer.
“All of us are on board together to help make this network a reality as fast as we possibly can. [By] early 2023, you should see this moving faster than normal progress in other areas where you’re negotiating on a site-by-site basis.”
GM said the partnership with Pilot is the latest in the automaker’s nearly $750 million investment in EV charging infrastructure. Other aspects of this plan include the ability of GM EV drivers to access over 100,000 Ultium Charge 360 charge points in the U.S. and Canada.
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