General engines
General Motors is transforming itself into an electrified automaker as entire brands like Cadillac and Hummer switch their lineups to all-electric vehicles. To aid the EV adoption process, the automaker is also investing in charging infrastructure across the country. On Thursday, it announced it is working with the Pilot Company to install 2,000 DC fast chargers at Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the US.
The chargers will be served by EVgo, which is already working with GM on a fast charger expansion program – initially 2,700 and now 3,250 – to be completed by 2025.
The travel centers should have at least four charging machines each — GM and Pilot say they want to place a total of 2,000 chargers in up to 500 locations. And the companies say many of the installations will have canopies to protect EV drivers from the elements and be designed to work with EVs that pull trailers.
It seems likely that some of the funding for this expansion will come from the federal government’s recently announced interstate charging network program. This allocated $5 billion between now and fiscal year 2027 to build a network of highway chargers with at least four fast chargers every 50 miles.
“GM and Pilot Company designed this program to combine private investment with planned government grants and utilities to reduce range fears and significantly close the demand gap for long-haul EV chargers,” said Shameek Konar, CEO from Pilot. “Our travel centers are well equipped to allow for electric vehicle charging with 24/7 facilities and convenient proximity to major roads across the country. We look forward to working with GM and the U.S. Department of State. Transport to make easy coast-to-coast EV travel a reality through our national network of travel centers.”
