GM announces plans to build ‘coast-to-coast’ network of 2,000 EV chargers at truck stops

The EV charging company EVgo will manage the network of fast electric vehicle charging stations. Legacy automakers will need to spend their own money to shore up the EV charging infrastructure in order to build customer demand for new plug-in vehicles, according to the announcement.

The new network will include up to 500 truck stops and travel centers with fast charging stations that can offer speeds of up to 350 kilowatts. The purpose of the charging stalls is to meet the needs of long haul trucking and road-trippers.

The 3,250 EVgo charging stations that GM is currently installing will be finished by the end of the year. The company said it would invest $750 million in EV charging infrastructure.

canopies will be used to protect EV owners from the elements. Pull-through capabilities for electric trucks and SUVs will be included in the stations.

Two companies that will be funding the project will have their own logos on the chargers. The new stations will be some of the few in the US that do not have a logo from an automobile manufacturer. GM wouldn't talk about its investment in the charging network.

Utium is the name of GM's electric vehicle technology. The company said last year that the Ultium Charge 360 network would be the name given to GM's own vehicle apps and software with a variety of third-party charging services.

GM doesn't own its own charging network. The patchwork of third-partychargers that owners of GM's electric vehicles must rely on are each with their own software and membership requirements.

Although they still only represent a fraction of overall car sales, there has been a spike in electric vehicle sales in the US. The Biden administration, fueled with $5 billion in funding as part of the president's infrastructure plan, is embarking on a plan to build 500,000 EV charging stations by 2030.

EV charging in the US is hard for people who don't own a car. There are more than 100,000 charging stations in the US. It can be difficult to find one that works in a gated parking garage.