The Volvo Group and Pilot Co. have signed a Letter of Intent to develop a national, public charging network to support the scaling of battery-electric Volvo VNR Electric trucks. To accelerate development of the charging network, Pilot Co. intends to install high-performance charging infrastructure at selected existing network of Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the U.S. and will be open to heavy-duty vehicles of all brands.
Through its collaboration with Pilot Co., Volvo will help identify which of the existing Pilot and Flying J travel centers should be prioritized for high-performance charging infrastructure based on current and anticipated battery-electric truck deployment volume, customers charging needs and patterns, and the availability of federal and state funding to support capital costs. This partnership places Pilot Co. and Volvo at the forefront of accelerating electrification adoption and developing sustainable and reliable transportation solutions for generations of battery-electric trucks to come.
The Volvo VNR Electric, which has a current range of up to 275 miles, was designed by Volvo Trucks North America to enable fleets to perform urban and regional distribution with zero-tailpipe emissions. To date, early adopters of VNR Electric trucks have utilized depot charging to support their daily routes, where trucks return to one location to charge. The introduction of public charging infrastructure that can accommodate medium- and heavy-duty fleets goes hand-in-hand with recent bipartisan support of the goal to increase BEV charging capabilities and reduce the carbon footprint of the transportation industry.
Pilot Co. operates a network of more than 750 travel centers throughout North America, covering 44 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces. The company is focused on providing its guests with comprehensive amenities to make road travel easier—including restaurants, shopping, Wi-Fi, and restrooms—and the installation of high-performance charging infrastructure helps further extend the benefits offered to the trucking community.
