ChargePoint is Installing EV Chargers at 4,000 Truck Stops Across America

author: FutureCar Staff    

The interstate highways across North America are lined with truck stops, so that drivers of big semi-trucks can stop to refuel, grab something to eat or just take a break as they make their way across the country.

Given their convenient locations along America's interstates, the truck stops are an ideal location for electric vehicle drivers to stop and recharge their vehicles. A new partnership will expand the EV charging network in the U.S. at many of these locations.

ChargePoint, the one the biggest EV charging operators in the U.S., has announced a new partnership with the National Association of Truck Stop Operators  (NATSO), a company representing America's vast network of travel plazas and truck stops, to create a "National Highway Charging Collaborative." The partnership will extend EV charging locations to every corner of the United States, the companies said.

The partnership was formalized as part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed today by Pasquale Romano, President and CEO of ChargePoint, and Lisa Mullings, President and CEO of NATSO.

Over the next decade, the collaborative will leverage $1 billion in capital with the goal of  installing more than 4,000 EV charging sites at more than 4,000 travel plazas and fuel stops across all 50 states in the U.S. The network of EV charging locations will serve both highway travelers and rural communities.

The money will be raised through private operators, state and local governments, private infrastructure funds and others, Romano said to Reuters.

The expansion will help support the adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S. Once the network is built out, EV drivers will no longer have to worry about finding an EV charging site, as they will be located along the most well traveled routes in the U.S.

"ChargePoint is proud to partner with NATSO to significantly expand access to charging along America's highways while also ensuring that the implementation of charging infrastructure in rural areas accelerates in the years to come," said Pasquale Romano, President and CEO, ChargePoint. "We are embarking on a major shift in transportation, with electrification poised to fundamentally transform mobility. Collaborations like this are vital for the rapid expansion of charging around the country and will ensure that the United States remains at the forefront of the EV revolution."

To date, ChargePoint's network has grown to more than 108,100 EV chargers.

The partnership will also help support the rollout of fully-electric trucks that may one day stop to recharge instead of filling up with diesel fuel.

NATSO has been working with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) since 2016 to expand the use of alternative fuels and infrastructure under the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Natural Alternative Fuels Corridor Program. 

The DOT program designates national plug-in electric vehicle charging sites and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling corridors in strategic locations along major highways to support the adoption of electric and alternative fuel vehicles in the future.

By 2040, some analysts expect that 40 percent of new vehicle sales will be fully electric models. 

Automakers are already beginning their transition to battery power. U.S. automaker General Motors, for example, plans to introduce more than 20 new electric models by 2023, so demand for EV charging along heavily traveled routes is expected to increase.

NATSO is headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C. and has been representing travel plaza and truckstop owners and operators for nearly 60 years. The organization is the only national trade association representing the travel plaza and truckstop industry. 

NATSO advances the industry's interests by influencing government action and public opinion on highway issues such as commercialization, tolling and truck parking. It also represents the industry on environmental and energy issues, primarily diesel fuel.

Silicon Valley-based ChargePoint also partners with automakers, providing access to its EV charging station map data that integrates with the vehicle's in-dash navigation unit. The company has partnered with General Motors, Toyota, Nissan BMW and others so drivers of their electric vehicles can always find a place to charge.

FutureCar Staff