TravelCenters of America Breaks Ground on Truck Charging Station
WESTLAKE, Ohio — TravelCenters of America Inc. (TA), a bp brand, broke ground on one of the country's first publicly accessible medium-and heavy-duty (MHD) truck charging stations on July 24 at its TA Ontario, Calif., travel center.
The charging station is a pilot project enacted in collaboration with the California Energy Commission and supports delivery of bp's convenience and electric vehicle (EV) charging strategy.
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The truck charging station will have four 400kW chargers, set to go live in early 2025, and one additional MW charger set to go live the following year.
The Ontario location will also serve as an innovation site that allows bp to test and demonstrate the effectiveness of new technologies, including deploying one of the first available megawatt charger systems, an integrated microgrid generating reliable, renewable power from 250 kilowatts of canopy-mounted solar panels, and a battery energy storage system for up to 1 megawatt hour of power.
"This truck charging station is strategically located at the intersection of two of the nation's busiest highway interstates and is a prime location to serve early-adopter electric truck fleet operators," said Debi Boffa, CEO of TA. "We are proud to take a leading role in bringing this infrastructure to our fleet customers and other professional drivers."
The project is in line with the strategic goals that led to bp's 2023 acquisition of TA, which was critical to its transition to an integrated energy company. TA's strategically located network of highway sites complements bp's existing predominantly off-highway convenience and mobility business, enabling TA and bp to offer fleets a seamless nationwide service, the company said.
"Charging for trucks and passenger cars at TravelCenters of America locations is a key part of bp pulse's strategy to bring ultra-fast EV charging to major metros and along key highway corridors across the U.S.," said Sujay Sharma, CEO, bp pulse Americas. "This project further demonstrates bp pulse and TA's commitment to support fleet customers and is just the beginning of our endeavors in truck charging to build fast and reliable charging infrastructure to support our EV drivers."
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TA, the California Energy Commission and the Electric Power Research Institute first started designs for building an electric truck charging station at TA Ontario in 2021. The project's goal is to demonstrate the effectiveness of public-access charging for battery-electric heavy-duty trucks.
bp pulse, the company's global EV charging business, and TA plan to develop projects at other southern California locations while also looking at developing other corridors in the United States to support demand for EV truck charging.
Westlake-based TA, part of the bp portfolio, is a full-service travel center network operating under the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express brands. Founded in 1972, TA's nearly 19,000 team members serve guests in more than 300 locations in 44 states. Offerings include diesel and gasoline fuel, truck maintenance and repair, full-service and quick-service restaurants, travel stores, and car and truck parking.