GM to partner with EVgo & Pilot to put 3500 EV charging stations in truck stops.

[Passepartout]

This partnership will put high speed DC charging at about 50 mile intervals across the USA. More here: Will GM’s Charging Stations Jump-Start EV Efforts? (msn.com) The network is planned to be complete within 3 years.

 

[DrQ]

I think that Pilot and EVgo need to think of a destination to be a 30 minute event to hold the customer's attention. Also to think of services like concierge to park your car and have an attendant charge it while you are enjoying the facilities and maximize the chargers.

 

[HitchHiker71]

This is a good start - but IMHO having charging stations installed at truck stops for consumers - isn't the best move. How many of us hang out at truck stops and how often? Personally, that would be a big never for me. What we really need to see is charging stations installed at places where we're already going for 60+ minutes. Restaurant parking lots, grocery parking lots, mall parking lots, business parking lots, etc. Granted, 90% of your charging will be at home for daily driving needs - but when we do need to charge during roadtrips for example, being able to combine a full vehicle charge (up to 100%) with a road stop for food at a restaurant for example, is a win win in my book.

 

[DrQ]

This is a good start - but IMHO having charging stations installed at truck stops for consumers - isn't the best move. How many of us hang out at truck stops and how often? Personally, that would be a big never for me. What we really need to see is charging stations installed at places where we're already going for 60+ minutes. Restaurant parking lots, grocery parking lots, mall parking lots, business parking lots, etc. Granted, 90% of your charging will be at home for daily driving needs - but when we do need to charge during roadtrips for example, being able to combine a full vehicle charge (up to 100%) with a road stop for food at a restaurant for example, is a win win in my book.

That was kind of my point with it being a destination rather than a station. The model I'm thinking of is like Buc-ee's but on steroids:

 

[DrQ]

Somebody needs to hold a design contest on how to service EVs in the most efficient manner without the driver being there.

 

[Passepartout]

If consumers patronize places with amenities, believe me, those amenities- with commensurate charges will appear. But I suspect that since 90% of users will charge at home and these stations will only be used while people are traveling, a rest room & quick service restaurant will fill the bill.

The saying, "Build it and they will come" comes to mind.

 

[PigsDad]

This is a good start - but IMHO having charging stations installed at truck stops for consumers - isn't the best move. How many of us hang out at truck stops and how often? Personally, that would be a big never for me.

Truck stops are great for when you are on a road trip -- you should really try one.

Granted, 90% of your charging will be at home for daily driving needs - but when we do need to charge during roadtrips for example, being able to combine a full vehicle charge (up to 100%) with a road stop for food at a restaurant for example, is a win win in my book.

You just described a truck stop. They always have a restaurant (some quite good), lots of bathrooms, a convenience store, and many have a TV lounge. Seems like a perfect place to stop and spend a bit of time while charging your vehicle.

Kurt

 

[DrQ]

... these stations will only be used while people are traveling, a rest room & quick service restaurant will fill the bill.

That model works when it takes 5 minutes to "recharge" your car. What happens when that dwell time increases to 20-30-40 minutes and careless people leave their cars at the charge stations while they shop or whatever.

I don't think the "gas pump" paradigm works for BEVs. As you said, the majority will charge at home and will only need this type of facility while traveling. Buc-ee's has already shown that for regular petrol based travelers, you just need to have great bathrooms. For BEV's you need to offer a great charging experience.

 

[Passepartout]

That model works when it takes 5 minutes to "recharge" your car. What happens when that dwell time increases to 20-30-40 minutes and careless people leave their cars at the charge stations while they shop or whatever.

EVgo has those folks nailed. Since it's app driven, the drivers are notified when their car is charged, and after a short grace period, they are charged for taking up the charging stall.
What galls me is non-evs parked in charging spaces (called ICE-ing) those are the clods.

 

[DaveNV]

I think this is a fine idea. Truck Stops are great for truckers, but there is a HUGE underserved market for automobile drivers. At the Flying J truck stop at I-15 Exit 118 here in Mesquite, Nevada, (owned by the Pilot company), things are divided into two sides. One side is the trucker side, with anything and everything a trucker would probably want. On the auto side are a large numbers of gas pumps, a huge convenience store, and even a Wendy's restaurant with drive-through. The place is always busy, and I can see EV charging being a very handy thing to have there. (They may already have it - I've never checked.) It's a very convenient stop off the freeway in either direction, and would be a good place to top-up the EV batteries before driving across the desert to Las Vegas in one direction, or through the Virgin River Gorge to St. George, Utah, in the other.

Flying J Dealer in Mesquite, NV | 1057 S. Lower Flat Top Drive

Visit Flying J Dealer 1171 in Mesquite, NV for food, fuel, and more travel essentials

locations.pilotflyingj.com

Dave

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

Like DaveNV said, many Pilot and Flying J truck stops have either full-service or fast food restaurants (I have driven a semi for at least 18 years). If you see "dealer", that means it is a franchise, they may or may not have it. Same with One9, which is named after CB channel 19. As long as the chargers are in the car section and not tractor-trailer parking, fill the lot up!

TS

 

[dago]

Truck stops are great for when you are on a road trip -- you should really try one.


You just described a truck stop. They always have a restaurant (some quite good), lots of bathrooms, a convenience store, and many have a TV lounge. Seems like a perfect place to stop and spend a bit of time while charging your vehicle.

Kurt

LOL - I prefer stopping at truck stops whenever possible. Has everything you need. Ever stop at the I80 truck stop in IOWA (just west of Mississippi river)? I always made it a point to stop there on my trips out west.
I think it's great. Has everything you could want. The one in Oakley KS, aint bad either.

 

[dago]

Jimmy Haslem must need the extra revenue that that may bring in to pay for the contract (and legal expenses?) of his new quarterback.