ChargePoint, NATSO to expand EV charging for highways and rural areas

ChargePoint, the electric vehicle (EV) charging network, and NATSO, which represents America's travel plazas and truck stops, announced a partnership to create a National Highway Charging Collaborative to extend EV charging to every corner of the nation. Over the next decade, the Collaborative will leverage $1 billion to deploy charging at more than 4,000 travel plazas and fuel stops that serve highway travelers and rural communities.

This expansion will link America’s drivers to a vast and growing charging network in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, increasing access to charging as EV adoption accelerates and enabling long distance electric travel.

“ChargePoint is proud to partner with NATSO to significantly expand access to charging along America’s highways while also ensuring that the implementation of charging infrastructure in rural areas accelerates in the years to come,” said Pasquale Romano, president and CEO, ChargePoint. “We are embarking on a major shift in transportation, with electrification poised to fundamentally transform mobility. Collaborations like this are vital for the rapid expansion of charging around the country and will ensure that the United States remains at the forefront of the EV revolution.” 

“NATSO for the last 20 years has successfully advocated for incentives to enable our members to profitably incorporate renewable fuels into their fuel supply,” said NATSO President and CEO Lisa Mullings. “We look forward to building on these successes so that the travel center industry can continue to play a leading role in bringing alternative fuels to its customers. Our collaboration with ChargePoint will undoubtedly help us do that.”

By 2040, some analysts expect that 40 percent of new vehicle sales will be electric with at least 100 new EV models expected to hit American roadways within the next five years. This collaborative will not only increase access to charging for drivers but will help improve mobility on America’s highways and connect existing Federal Highway Administration-designated FAST Act corridors.

“Range anxiety continues to rank as one of the biggest concerns among consumers who are considering purchasing an electric vehicle,” Mullings said. “NATSO has been working with the Federal Highway Administration since 2016 to expand the use of alternative fuels and infrastructure under its Alternative Fuels Corridor Program. The MOU announced today will help to establish public-private partnerships at off-highway fuel retailers across the nation, which will help to mitigate range anxiety and expand the Interstate network of charging facilities under the current program.” 

The partnership was formalized as part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed today by Pasquale Romano, President and CEO of ChargePoint, and Lisa Mullings, President and CEO of NATSO.  As part of the MOU, the two organizations agreed that the National Highway Charging Collaborative will, by 2030: 

• Deploy charging infrastructure at 4,000 travel centers and fuel stops, leveraging $1 billion in capital. 
• Provide charging infrastructure at fueling locations across the United States with a focus on connecting rural communities. 
• Expand availability of charging infrastructure and connect existing Federal Highway Administration-designated FAST Act corridors.
• Work together to achieve policy outcomes to support each of these objectives. 

The organizations will identify public and private funding sources that may be available to support the expansion of EV charging at strategically determined locations, including Volkswagen Settlement Appendix D Funds and other dedicated resources available to NATSO members.