BP on Monday unveiled the first of more than 40 planned electric-vehicle charging hubs to be co-located with TravelCenters of America (TA) highway rest stops.
Located in Jacksonville, Florida, along the busy I-95 corridor, the first site features six CCS DC fast-chargers, configured into 12 “bays ” that each offer a connector.
BP Pulse EV fast-chargers at TravelCenters of America
BP, which acquired TA in 2023, currently has 31 U.S. charging locations operated by its BP Pulse division, with over 100 sites planned nationwide including the TA sites. BP also last summer announced that it would build what it called the first publicly accessible truck fast-charging station, also in conjunction with TravelCenters of America.
The new TA travel center location will offer 400-kw connectors, and BP told Green Car Reports that it’s planning to build up that capability at its other sites as well. While it’s only using CCS connectors at the moment, BP has also placed a large order for Tesla fast-chargers.
BP to purchase Tesla chargers
BP said in 2022 that its fast-chargers were almost as profitable as gas pumps; and at that time it saw its entire charging operation as being profitable by 2025. Before it was acquired by the oil company, TA was set to partner up with Electrify America, announcing plans in early 2023 for about 1,000 individual chargers at 200 different sites, set to be installed over five years, but this new arrangement with BP Pulse supersedes that.
TA isn’t the only chain of traditional travel centers investing in EV chargers. Love’s announced in 2024 that all of its future travel stops will have EV chargers as well.
Recent studies have suggested that Americans don’t need or expect EVs to charge as quickly as gas vehicles can fuel up. But they do want amenities; so this could be one of the templates that works well in the near future.
