Electrify America EV fast chargers at 50-mile intervals.
Electrify America announced Monday that it has reached an agreement with TravelCenters of America (TA) to install EV fast chargers at TA rest stops.
According to a joint press release, TA and Electrify America hope to install 1,000 individual DC fast charging stations at 200 locations along major highways over a five-year period, with the first stations to be operational in 2023.
According to the two companies, the initiative will install "next-generation fast chargers at 50-mile intervals across the United States."
TA will purchase the chargers from Electrify America, which will install, operate, and maintain them. Customers will also be able to locate these chargers through the Electrify America app, as well as other chargers wholly owned by Electrify America, and pay for their charging sessions.
Like other chargers, the units installed at TA locations will provide up to 350kw of charging power and a Plug & Charge connection, and drivers of compatible vehicles will simply plug in to initiate a charging session and be automatically charged.
Initiated as part of the Volkswagen diesel emissions cheating settlement, Electrify America aims to install a total of more than 1,800 charging sites and more than 10,000 individual chargers in the United States and Canada by 2026. To accomplish this, the company is seeking outside funding from Siemens and other supporters to supplement the $2 billion contributed by VW.
Travel centers have proven to be well suited for EV charging. This is because they occupy a necessary spot on the side of the road and provide an amenity for drivers waiting to charge. Electrify America has announced a contract to install EV chargers at Love's Travel Stops in 2020, albeit on a smaller scale than the new TA contract. General Motors is partnering with rival charging network EVgo to install 2,000 chargers at 500 Pilot and Flying J locations starting this year.