WSJ News Exclusive | TravelCenters of America to Add EV Fast-Charger Stations

Many fuel retailers have been reluctant to invest in chargers because there aren’t enough EVs on the road yet for most locations to turn a profit, but U.S. electric-vehicle sales jumped in 2022 while the broader auto market contracted.

The TravelCenters-Electrify America investment represents one of the largest EV fast-charging build-outs in the U.S. today. Ohio-based TA operates one of the nation’s largest full-service truck-stop networks, selling diesel and gasoline and offering restaurants and stores along highways.

Jon Pertchik,

chief executive of TravelCenters of America, said increasing EV adoption and incentives from the federal government and many states are spurring the company’s investment. 

“We’re past an inflection point,” Mr. Pertchik said. For passenger vehicles, “EV is the thing, no question about it.” TravelCenters of America has around 280 locations in 44 states. 

Mr. Pertchik didn’t put a dollar amount on the investment, which will happen over a period of about five years, but he said each location could cost “anywhere from a couple of hundred thousand to around a million dollars,” adding “That’s a wide swath.” Many sites are likely to qualify for various federal or state incentives. The pace of the build-out will depend on expected driver use region-by-region.

The Biden administration has started giving states $7.5 billion to fund charging build-outs, money included in the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by Congress in 2021. Tax credits for installing EV chargers also were approved as part of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, and budget estimators expect around $1.7 billion in tax credits for chargers or other alternative-fuels equipment to be claimed over a 10-year period.

TravelCenters of America plans to purchase chargers from Electrify America, which will manage the design, permitting and build-out of the stations as well as maintenance, warranty and support for drivers who have trouble charging.

Fast-charger build-out is complex because of the large electric load and amount of infrastructure needed. The industry also faces supply-chain backlogs and a potentially long process to connect to the grid.

Still,

Giovanni Palazzo,

chief executive of Electrify America, said the first chargers should open at TravelCenters locations this year. Electrify America has nearly 800 locations now and had aimed for 1,800 by 2026 in the U.S. and Canada. The 200 locations with TravelCenters of America will add to that target, Mr. Palazzo said.

TravelCenters locations will be included on the Electrify America network, and drivers could pay for charging through the company’s app, though credit-card readers will also be available, Mr. Palazzo said.

While most EV charging takes place at home over a period of several hours, fast chargers can repower a car battery in about 30 minutes. The government wants more of them along major thoroughfares to address “range anxiety”—EV drivers’ fear that they will run out of power. While market leader

Tesla Inc.

built a fast-charger network for its own drivers, the U.S. has around 5,200 locations with 11,000 individual fast chargers that anyone can use, according to government data.

General Motors Co.

and Pilot Co. last year said they would add 2,000 fast-charging stalls to 500 Pilot and Flying J locations, with most completed by sometime in 2025. Car-rental company

Hertz Global Holdings Inc.

and

BP

PLC last year signed a deal to develop and manage a network of electric-vehicle charging stations across North America.

Write to Jennifer Hiller at [email protected]