GM to Install Fast-Chargers at 500 Pilot Flying J Truck Stops

Remember the Smokey and the Bandit song about a 28-hour bootleg road trip, “Eastbound and down, loaded up and EVing”? Wait, those aren’t the lyrics. But they could be in the near future, as GM looks to make cross-country travel in an electric car easier. And who better to do that with than the country’s largest truck stop chain? The American automotive giant is partnering with Pilot Company, the majority owner of Pilot Flying J, to build 2000 DC fast-chargers capable of delivering up to 350 kilowatts, at 500 Pilot and Flying J truck stops.

Pilot Company CEO Shameek Konar said that the joint initiative was designed “to help reduce range anxiety and significantly close the gap in long-distance EV charger demand.”

EVs’ U.S. market share doubled from the start of 2021 to the start of 2022, and that figure keeps growing. However, existing charging infrastructure heavily favors metropolitan areas, and a limited quantity of rural and highway-side fast-chargers hinders EV owners’ ability to drive cross-country. GM and Pilot Company want to alleviate that, as they intend to install their 2000 chargers at 50-mile intervals along highways.

They’re Joining the EVgo Charger Network

To do so, GM and Pilot Company are employing EVgo, which, with over 850 locations, is the most extensive fast-charging network in the country. EVgo will install, operate, and maintain GM and Pilot Company’s charging network through its eXtend program, with the first wave of chargers expected to be operational by 2023. Along with the EVgo logo, the chargers will be branded with both the Pilot Flying J logo and GM’s charging brand, Ultium Charge 360.

The charging network is part of greater initiatives from both GM and Pilot Company. GM has pledged to invest nearly $750 million, alongside public grant money, into improving EV charging infrastructure, especially, as they said in 2021, in “underserved, rural, and urban areas where EV charging access is often limited.” This goes hand in hand with the automaker’s goal of only producing zero-emissions vehicles by 2035.

Meanwhile, Pilot Company is in the process of updating its Pilot and Flying J truck stops with expanded seating, nicer restrooms, free Wi-Fi, and more. Both these initiatives are good news for EV owners, as it means more charging locations and cushier amenities while you wait, even if the chargers’ 350-kilowatt capacity will only keep you there for a few minutes.

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