Pilot and Flying J travel centers, in partnership with GM, are getting ready to install more than 2,000 EV chargers across the country, including trailer-ready pull-through stations.
Get ready for a whole lot more electric vehicle charging while you’re on the road. GM and Pilot are planning to add 2,000 stalls at up to 500 truck stops across America. They’ll be open to all, but with special deals for customers driving GM vehicles.
Fast Charging, Plenty to Do
Adding 2,000 charging stalls at Pilot and Flying J travel centers might be the biggest deal to hit EV charging since Tesla began building out its network of Supercharger stations. Why? Because with more than 500 locations, Pilot Flying J is the biggest chain of truck stops in America.
Pilot knows how to help you find things to do when you’re on a road trip break. The company’s travel centers have restaurants, hot and cold deli services, coffee, and plenty of snacks — plus enough shopping to keep travelers busy for hours.
Tow-Friendly EV Stations
The network of EV chargers will be travel-friendly as well. They’ll offer amenities we don’t typically see at charge sites, like the ability to pull through to charge without unhitching if you’re towing a trailer with your electric truck as well as canopies to keep you out of the weather.
Pilot is already planning to add free Wi-Fi at most of its locations and add more seating and lounge areas. This is part of a $1 billion investment it calls New Horizons.
EVgo eXtend will provide the charge stations, which will offer Level 3 charging at up to 350 kW. That’s enough to boost the fastest-charging EVs from 10% to 80% in as little as 20 minutes.
GM is already working with EVgo to add 3,250 fast chargers to its network by the end of 2025, with those stations mostly located in cities and suburbs.
“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,” said Mary Barra, GM chair and CEO.
“With travel centers across North America, Pilot Company is an ideal collaborator to reach a broad audience of EV drivers.”
Perks for GM Owners
The charging stations will be co-branded Pilot Flying J and Ultium Charge 360 — the latter being GM’s charge network brand. They will be open to charging for all brands of electric vehicles, but GM customers, like GMC Hummer EV owners, will get some perks.
Benefits like reservations not offered to other brands, as well as charging discounts, are part of the plan for GM owners. The stations will also integrate into the real-time charger availability in GM’s vehicle apps as well as offer Plug and Charge streamlined charging compatibility.
Pilot Company CEO Shameek Konar had this to say:
Our travel centers are well-equipped to accommodate EV charging with 24/7 amenities and convenient proximity to major roadways across the country. We look forward to collaborating with GM and the U.S. Department of Transportation to make convenient coast-to-coast EV travel a reality through our national network of travel centers.
GM and Pilot provided a map showing the charging stations it expects to have operational next year. The map shows hundreds of truck stop charging locations located along nearly all major U.S. interstate corridors.
It’s just a small part of the overall GM Ultium Charge 360 plan. The company is looking to have fast-charge sites every 50 miles across the U.S. It also intends to install up to 40,000 chargers in urban areas in collaboration with its dealers and enable access to more than 100,000 charge points in the U.S. and Canada.
