GM drivers will have access to a streamlined electric vehicle charging experience and bring business to fast food and retail outlets at the stations through exclusive discounts.
Prior to starting at PCMag, I worked in Big Tech on the West Coast for six years. From that time, I got an up-close view of how software engineering teams work, how good products are launched, and the way business strategies shift over time. After I’d had my fill, I changed course and enrolled in a master’s program for journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago. I’m now an Editorial Intern writing for the news, features, and product reviews teams.
One Big Mac with a side of kilowatt-hours, please. Battery- and gas-powered driving experiences are about to get a lot more similar with a new network of 2,000 electric vehicle chargers coming to 500 Pilot gas stations and rest stops from coast to coast.
The project was designed and funded in a four-way partnership between automaker GM, Pilot, the US Department of Transportation, and charging company EVGo in the hopes of “accelerating widespread adoption of EVs,” according to a press release(Opens in a new window) .
The first of these charging stations, as shown in the map below, are expected to come online in 2023. EVgo has also been working with GM to add more than 3,250 fast chargers in American cities and suburbs by the end of 2025.
The focus is fast charging, meaning up to 350kWh of power per station. In 30-45 minutes, drivers should be able to reach a full battery in most vehicles. Even a 15-minute top-off will make a noticeable increase in range. EVGo, which has the largest network of fast chargers in the nation, will provide the stations, which will be located at 50-mile intervals along major highways that run through rural and urban communities.
Since powering up typically takes longer than most drivers would like, Pilot will enhance the experience with premium amenities such as free Wi-Fi, canopies to protect from the elements, indoor lounge areas, modernized restrooms, on-site restaurants, and retail shopping outlets customers can explore while charging. The stations, called “Pilot Flying J travel centers,” will be open 24/7.
Once drivers complete a one-time activation of GM's Plug and Charge(Opens in a new window) feature within a mobile app, drivers can immediately plug in the cable and begin charging without tapping through the station’s setup and payment screens.
Expanding charging access – and making it as similar to topping off a gas tank as possible – is key to driving sales for GM’s slate of upcoming electric vehicles. The company debuted the all-electric Chevy Bolt in 2016, and by 2023, GM will have 12 electric vehicles, Car and Driver reports(Opens in a new window) . This includes an electric Hummer pickup truck and SUV.
The Pilot station partnership represents one portion of GM’s $750 million investment in charging infrastructure on its path(Opens in a new window) to an “all-electric, zero-emissions future.” For those who purchase a 2022 Chevy Bolt, the company will install a level two home charger for free. While drivers are on the road, a new partnership(Opens in a new window) with seven major charging companies will allow access to real-time information from nearly 60,000 charging stations.
These represent major steps forward, but national standardization for all automakers, charging companies, and gas stations, remains a moving target. The Biden Administration recently released standards for federally funded charging stations, which requires a certain type of charging plug and space for a minimum of four vehicles.
The GM and Pilot partnership announcement does not spell out how the Department of Transportation contributed, but it does reference government grant and utility programs. That likely means the new stations abide by the federal standards as well.
“GM and Pilot Company designed this program to combine private investments alongside intended government grant and utility programs to help reduce range anxiety and significantly close the gap in long-distance EV charger demand,” said Shameek Konar, Pilot Company Chief Executive Officer.
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Prior to starting at PCMag, I worked in Big Tech on the West Coast for six years. From that time, I got an up-close view of how software engineering teams work, how good products are launched, and the way business strategies shift over time. After I’d had my fill, I changed course and enrolled in a master’s program for journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago. I’m now an Editorial Intern writing for the news, features, and product reviews teams.
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