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GM, Pilot will build EVgo fast chargers at 500 truck stops across U.S.

All of our maps showing electric vehicle charging stations across the U.S. are going to need an update. Today, General Motors, Pilot and EVgo announced plans to work together on a nationwide DC fast charging network. The plan calls for 2,000 charging stalls that can deliver up to 350 kW to be installed at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers in the U.S. The goal is to have DC fast chargers available in 50-mile intervals across the country. The new charging stations will feature GM's "Ultium Charge 360" branding and "Pilot Flying J" logos but will not be limited to drivers of GM EVs. The plugs will use CCS connectors and be available to anyone. GM EV owners can take advantage of benefits, including the ability to make exclusive reservations, get discounts on charging costs and streamline the charging process with Plug and Charge and in-vehicle apps that can provide real-time charger availability. The first installation phase will take place in 2023, and "the bulk of the installations" should be completed by 2025, EVgo CEO Kathy Zoi said during a conference call with reporters announcing the plan. "We're gonna get going immediately and commence all of that engineering and planning stuff," she said. "We've got a pretty orderly plan." Pilot CEO Shameek Konar said the company expects the new EV charging stations to coexist with the current fuel infrastructure. "An average Pilot Flying J location is about 10 acres," Konar said. "This will be in addition to all of our gas pumps. The way I think about it is, this is a new source of energy that is going to coexist with gas for quite some time. We can debate how long, but we need to serve both groups of customers." Installing DC fast chargers at hundreds of Pilot's travel centers — aka truck stops — means there should be food, drinks, restrooms, WiFi and even showers available while you wait for an EV to charge. Pilot recently announced its “New Horizons” plan that will invest $1 billion in upgrading Pilot travel centers with more premium amenities, including expanded seating and lounge areas. While the exact amount of time it will take to charge an EV using these new stations will vary on the EV and its current state of charge, most EVs can refill from a low state of charge to around 80 percent in 20-30 minutes on a fast charger. The new stations are future-proofed to deliver up to 350 kW, a charge rate that few EVs today can handle.

Recharge Wrap-up: U of M wins Solar Challenge, family attempts record-breaking e-bike ride

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team has won the 2014 American Solar Challenge. It is the team's eighth national championship, its fifth in a row, and its first using Siemens' product lifecycle management (PLM) software. The race took place over 1,722 miles and seven days traveling across eight states. The team's car, called "Quantum," outpaced the nearest competitor by four hours. Looking forward, Michigan Solar Car Project Manager Pavan Naik says, "The switch to Siemens tools will give us the ability to model and simulate everything and truly allow us to optimize the performance of our new vehicle. As we start on our quest to win the World Solar Challenge in 2015, we'll be leveraging a full complement of PLM solutions." Read more in the press release below. The EcoCar3 competition, in which teams will convert Chevrolet Camaros into hybrid electric cars, begins in September. The various college teams will have four years to lessen the car's environmental impact as much as possible while maintaining performance and, of course, that cool Camaro design. EcoCar3, which is put on by the US Department of Energy and General Motors, kicks off with a workshop in Novi, Michigan from September 16 - 18. Read more at the DOE website at the dedicated EcoCar3 site or watch the announcement video at our previous post. Zap and Jonway Auto are shifting to a high rate of EV production. Zap already has two lines creating the Urbee EV to met demand, and is switching over a third to make electric minivans and SUVs. The company aims to produce 30,000 EVs by 2015 for the Chinese market. Zap says it has a backlog of 25,000 Urbee orders. Read more in the press release below. A family of four hopes to make a world record-breaking, 6,000-mile electric bike journey this fall. The family, which recently drove from Argentina to Montana in a pickup with a camper, will ride from Montana to Maine, then down the East Coast to Florida in an attempt to break the record for longest electric bicycle ride. They'll use two bikes. The Father, Thomas, will ride one of the bikes carrying one of the children, while the rest of the family rides in a support vehicle, with the mother, Dylan, riding the second bike when they can find others to drive. They have started a crowdfunding campaign for some of the equipment needed to document the trip. See the video below or read more at Treehugger.

Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon get trim levels reworked again

GM Authority reports that GM has fiddled with trim packages on the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon for the 2021 model year, eliminating the base trims on both pickups and implementing small price changes. When the new model year goes on sale, the Chevy will lose the rear-wheel drive Base Extended Cab with the automatic transmission that starts at $22,395 after a $1,095 destination charge. The new entry-level is going to be the Work Truck model with the extended cab in rear-wheel drive, starting at $26,595 assuming the destination charge holds steady. That represents a $4,200 jump over the base 2020 model. MSRPs for the entire Work Truck lineup, from base to the Crew Cab Long Box, rise by $400. Elsewhere in the Colorado line, the four Z71 trims go down by $100, while the two ZR2 trims increase by the same amount. Only the six LT trims don't see any change.  The GMC side is a bit more involved due to previously announced changes. The 2020 Canyon comes in SL, Base Canyon, SLE, SLT, All Terrain, and Denali steps. Last month, GM Authority reported the 2021 Canyon would give all that up for the new names Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4, and Denali. Since the SL base model retires in 2021, the Elevation Standard takes over at the entry level. Unlike on the Colorado, which sheds one trim, the Canyon lineup gets pared from 20 total combinations of trims, cab sizes, and bed lengths, to 14 total combinations. But like the Colorado, due to the loss of the cheapest configuration, the least expensive 2021 Canyon becomes $4,200 more expensive than in 2020, assuming the destination price remains the same. What's more, the 2021 Elevation Standard pricing adds $700 or $800 to the prices of the 2020 Canyon base and SLE models. There are more increases up the range. The 2021 Elevation trim replaces a combination of SLE and SLT models, bumping prices up by up to $900. In 2020, the least expensive All Terrain model is the Extended Cab Cloth for $37,695. For next year, the least expensive AT4 trim is the Crew Cab Short Box for $39,295. Like-for-like, though, the AT4 represents a $300 premium over the 2020 All Terrain Crew Cab Short Box. Three Denali trims will still stand at the top of the heap, each one going up by $400 in 2021. Until GM details the equipment changes, we won't know how the new pricing equates to value.