General Motors and Pilot Company, also known as Pilot Travel Centers LLC and having a network of more than 800 retail and fueling locations under the Pilot and Flying J brands, are collaborating on a national DC fast charging network that will be installed, operated, and maintained by EVgo through its eXtend offering.

The partners are aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of EVs by increasing access to charging and help enable long-distance electric travel of people and vehicles across the U.S. Third-party research like Escalent’s “2021 EV Adoption Barriers” study shows that widespread access to highway charging, particularly in underserved urban and rural areas, is a significant barrier to mass EV adoption.

“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 Chief Executive Officer. “With travel centers across North America, Pilot Company is an ideal collaborator to reach a broad audience of EV drivers.”

They say that the project demonstrates how public and private entities can come together to build out the nation’s charging infrastructure, particularly along American highways, connecting urban, and rural communities, the East and West Coasts, and different metropolitan areas.

“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 CEO. “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.”

The network of 2000 charging stalls, co-branded Pilot Flying J and Ultium Charge 360, will be powered by EVgo eXtend and open to all EV brands at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers. GM customers will receive special benefits like exclusive reservations, discounts on charging, a streamlined charging process through Plug and Charge, and integration into GM’s vehicle brand apps providing real-time charger availability and help with route planning.

Plug and Charge streamlines the EV charging process. Drivers with an EVgo account, active OnStar connected services, and the GM brand app for their vehicle perform a one-time activation of Plug and Charge within the app. Once activated, they can plug in a charging cable and energy starts to flow to their vehicle, with no additional steps needed.

The Pilot and Flying J travel centers will have fast chargers provided by EVgo including high-power versions offering up to 350 kW.

GM says that EVgo was chosen as a strategic collaborator due to its expertise in building, operating, and maintaining DC fast charging infrastructure. Many of its sites will feature canopies to help protect customers from the elements while charging as well as a pull-through capability allowing convenient charging for large vehicles like electric pickup trucks and SUVs pulling trailers.

“EVgo, GM, and Pilot Company share a commitment to building an electric fueling network that increases access and makes the shift to electrification as frictionless as possible for all,” said Cathy Zoi, CEO of EVgo. “Through EVgo eXtend, we are demonstrating yet another innovative pathway to help America electrify—and showcasing why EVgo’s technology and industry leadership make us the partner of choice to site hosts, automakers, and drivers alike as we work together to deliver a cleaner future of transportation.”

The collaboration is targeting the installation of charging stalls at 50-mi (80-km) intervals across the U.S.

For GM, the development is one more step of its nearly $750 million investment in EV charging infrastructure. This includes enabling access to more than 100,000 charge points in the U.S. and Canada through its Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem. The company is also collaborating with EVgo to add more than 3250 fast chargers in U.S. cities and suburbs by the end of 2025. It is installing up to 40,000 chargers in local dealer communities through GM’s Dealer Community Charging Program, focusing on underserved rural and urban areas.

The new project builds on Pilot Company’s recently announced New Horizons initiative to invest $1 billion to fully upgrade its travel centers with more premium amenities that it says aren’t typically available at EV charging locations. Guests will have access to free Wi-Fi at most locations, expanded seating and lounge areas, modernized restrooms, on-site restaurants, and shopping while their vehicles are charging.

Beyond this program, GM and Pilot Company plan on continuing their work with key stakeholders to use new and existing public-private programs to accelerate the development of more public EV charging infrastructure.