Love's Truck Stops Adding EV Charging Stations

Electrify America, the U.S. company Volkswagen had to create as part of its diesel emissions penance, announced Wednesday that it will work with Love’s Travel Stops to bring ultra-fast electric vehicle charging stations to seven locations in half a dozen states.

While much of the group’s work has revolved around servicing areas (often through business partnerships) where EVs tend to proliferate, the plan has also been to bolster the national charging infrastructure by providing routes that could help facilitate long-distance travel.

The new charging stations — located in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Florida, New York and Arizona — will account for a combined 28 EV chargers and should available for public use by early 2021. In its announcement, Electrify America said previous work with Love’s allowed it to complete a cross-country route between Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.

While a drop in the bucket in terms of nationwide charging coverage, partnering with Love’s seems a wise move. With over 500 locations in most American states, the travel stops tend to be among the better options for those journeying long distances. They’re also usually designed with sufficient distractions and amenities to make waiting for a recharge easier to endure. The deal is good for Love’s as well, since EV drivers will be required to linger a bit longer than their gasoline-dependent contemporaries — likely leading to additional purchases.

“As we continue building charging stations at accessible sites, Love’s Travel Stops was a perfect fit because of its convenient locations near major highways,” said Rachel Moses, senior manager for site acquisition, development and strategy at Electrify America. “Providing EV drivers with the opportunity to charge their vehicles at Love’s locations will help instill confidence for longer interstate trips, and can encourage more consumers to consider making the switch to electric.”

Electrify America said Love’s customers will have access to chargers ranging in power from 150 kilowatt (kW) to 350 kW — depending on location. Five of the sites are already open, with the planned stations in New York and Arizona being added “soon.”

While taking a company at its word is always perilous, Electrify America has done a pretty good job at establishing functional charging routes between states. Granted, you’re totally out of luck if you happen do be driving through North Dakota. Yet a cross-country journey is still possible with a little advanced planning, and coastal trips (which have the highest density of chargers) should be easier still.

The company also has helpful map of its station locations one could peruse before setting out, and the map proves that it’s been quite busy over the past few years. But it’s still only a sliver of what the country needs before EVs can be driven around as carefree as gas-powered automobiles. Large gaps in the nation’s charging infrastructure remain, and many more rural and remote charging sites will need to be added if electrification is ever to go mainstream.

[Image: Electrify America]