General Motors and Pilot Travel Centers announced Tuesday that the first 17 locations of their national EV charging network are up and running.
The initial locations span 13 states and include multiple stalls at each site with chargers that can deliver up to 350 kw. As the companies note, many of the locations include canopies, pull-through stalls for towing, and access to restrooms, food, and wifi.
Eventually, the new network, co-branded “Pilot Flying J” and “Ultium Charge 360,” targets the installation of up to 2,000 fast-charging stalls at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers in the U.S. The companies are aiming for 25 locations by the end of 2023 and about 200 locations by the end of 2024. The rollout is based around “highly traveled corridors,” but GM also made clear to Green Car Reports when the network started to take form that it’s reaching out to its dealerships for input.
The EVgo-supported network is Plug and Charge compatible, meaning many drivers with compatible EVs can simply plug in for a charge and not worry about inputting separate billing info.
Thank the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and its $7.5 billion of funding toward a federal EV charging network for the creation of this network, at least in part. The companies have said that while the idea is created with their own funds, it was also conceived to take advantage of grant and utility programs.
GM and Pilot Company's EV charging network
The GM-Pilot network, which was announced in July 2022, is just one of several automaker funded networks in the works. Mercedes-Benz last month unveiled the first U.S. charging hub that sets the template for a network of 400-kw DC fast chargers. GM is also part of seven automakers that have banded together for what could be the first true rival for Tesla’s Supercharger network.
As recent studies of shopper priorities have suggested, public charging remains an EV dealbreaker. So, while deliveries of GM EVs may not be moving at the pace the company previously announced or intended, this on-pace installation of DC fast-charging infrastructure could end up being a blessing for when it can ramp up.
