TravelCenters of America has forged an agreement with Electrify America, a major open direct-current fast-charging network, to offer electric vehicle (EV) charging at select TA/Petro locations, with the first charging stations from the deal to be deployed in 2023.
- TravelCenters of America is No. 28 on CSP’s 2022 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by company-owned store count.
With a goal of installing approximately 1,000 individual chargers at 200 locations along major highways over five years, TA will purchase Electrify America’s DC fast chargers.
Electrify America will install, operate and maintain the charging stations at TA/Petro locations through its Electrify Commercial business unit. Electrify America will manage the entire process to design and develop the charging stations—obtaining permitting approvals, providing warranty and 24/7 support services and conducting onsite maintenance.
TA’s site amenities and Electrify America’s abilities offer solutions to EV drivers, including convenient locations along major highways and close to exits, access to Wi-Fi at TA locations, modern restrooms, hyper-fast charging speeds up to 350 kW for capable vehicles, seamless Plug & Charge payment technology and operations backed by 24/7 customer support and a 24/7 network operations center.
The network of charging stations will be open to almost all brands of EV vehicles. As part of the Electrify America charging network, TA/Petro customers can access and pay for charging through the Electrify America app.
“TA’s large locations with expansive amenities are attractive to EV motorists, and we are committed to expanding our EV charging infrastructure to accommodate this growing number of EV drivers over time,” said Jon Pertchik, CEO of TravelCenters of America. “Our agreement with best-in-class Electrify America provides an unmatched offering of excellence in locations, service and support.”
Giovanni Palazzo, president and CEO of Electrify America, said, “Electrify America is pleased to collaborate with an industry leader like TravelCenters of America to provide the critical infrastructure needed for EV drivers of today and tomorrow.”
Electrify Commercial, the business unit from Electrify America designed to deliver turnkey EV charging solutions to businesses, utility companies, fleet owners, travel centers and convenience stores, is developing EV charging programs tailored to fit customers’ individual needs. Electrify Commercial presents an opportunity for businesses like TravelCenters of America to own their own charging stations while leveraging Electrify America’s experience building a large open, DC-fast charging network.
Electrify America LLC, Reston, Va., is investing more than $2 billion in zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure, education and access, it said. This investment will support the build-out of a nationwide network of ultra-fast community and highway chargers. Electrify America and Electrify Canada expect to have more than 1,800 total charging stations with more than 10,000 individual chargers in the United States and Canada combined by 2026. During this period, Electrify America will be expanding to 49 states and the District of Columbia, it said.
TravelCenters of America Inc. is the nation's largest publicly traded full-service travel center network. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, it has 281 locations in 44 states, principally under the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express brands. Offerings include diesel and gasoline fuel, truck maintenance and repair, full-service and quick-service restaurants (QSRs), travel stores, car and truck parking and other services. TA also operates more than 600 full-service and quick-service restaurants and nine proprietary brands, including Iron Skillet and Country Pride.
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