Dive Brief:
- Tesla and Pilot unveiled openings of Megachargers in Ellabell, Georgia, and Tulare, California, last week as part of a partnership to expand existing fueling sites with heavy-duty electric truck charging infrastructure.
- Those two sites and several others expected to come online soon have four to eight heavy-duty charging stalls as the OEM and travel center giant target electricifying major freight corridors, such as along I-5 and I-10.
- “With these initial locations, we’re making fleet electrification a more accessible option for long-haul transportation,” Shannon Sturgil, SVP of alternative fuels at Pilot, said in a news release Thursday.
Dive Insight:
Megachargers, targeted for heavy-duty Tesla Semi use, can provide “ultra-fast charging” with up to 1.2 megawatts of power, allowing a 60% charge to be recovered in 30 minutes, according to Tesla.
That’s markedly different than its established network of Tesla Superchargers for passenger EVs that provide power up to 250 kilowatts. But the Megacharger network has some catching up to do with the more expansive EV charging footprint.
Currently, only one other Megacharger is open in Georgia, which is located near Atlanta, with another two in the Southern California area by Los Angeles and San Bernardino, according to a Tesla map on its website.
Pilot's partnership with Tesla on this heavy-duty charging infrastructure was first announced in January. This program is expected to expand to about 20 locations across California, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, Pilot said at the time.
This is not Pilot’s only exploration of electric semi-truck charging. The travel center company entered a partnership with Volvo in late 2022.
