Pilot is Moving Forward with EV Charging and Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure
Article created for the digital issue of the 黑料社区Foundation鈥檚 magazine.
Energy needs for passenger and commercial vehicles are shifting as manufacturers roll out low- and zero-emission solutions, and of , said the task ahead for fueling providers is daunting but doable if all stakeholders work together and share best practices and risks.
鈥淲e are embarking on a once-in-a-century energy transition that will take all of us drawing on our strengths,鈥� Wright said while offering a keynote address at . 鈥淚f we鈥檙e going to move forward, we each have to find our own moments to go first over and over again.鈥�
Pilot operates more than 800 fueling stations nationwide and has an in-house fleet of 1,400 trucks. The company already offers electric vehicle charging at 35 locations and has plans to roll out 2,000 charging stalls at 500 locations.
Pilot’s Electric Vehicle Charging Plans
So far, Pilot has focused on autos, but Wright said Pilot is already seeing light and medium duty vehicles show up.
鈥淣o matter where we are on the super charger network, folks who own EVs want to take vehicles outside of urban setting,鈥� Wright explained.
The product mix inside the store becomes even more important as electric vehicle charging increases to help draw customers inside.
So far, Wright said EV charging customers aren鈥檛 leaving their vehicles. 鈥淧eople are sitting in their car watching Netflix, which tells me we don鈥檛 have the right product mix for that type of customer.鈥�
Pilot’s Hydrogen Plans
Pilot is also working on hydrogen solutions. The company is currently delivering hydrogen to customers, and has delivered more than 2.5 million kilograms, and has projects in California it is looking to bring online in 2026.
Wright said finding land, infrastructure, piping and electricity can be a challenge, but Pilot already has a leg up.
Hydrogen is the most like diesel in terms of performance of the truck and weight, but is expensive, Wright said, costing about $25 per kilogram. One kilogram of hydrogen contains about as much energy as one gallon of diesel.
鈥淭he production of hydrogen is also a challenge,鈥� he said, adding that one of the newest hydrogen facilities being built is costing around $1 billion and can produce 70,000 kilograms of hydrogen a day. 鈥淥ne of our locations does 60,000 gallons of diesel per day.鈥�
Infrastructure Takes Partnership
Changing anything at scale takes a massive amount of infrastructure, and Wright said he is surprised it hasn鈥檛 come to the forefront sooner.
鈥淚t is fascinating that we鈥檙e just now really starting to put the accelerator down and talking about infrastructure,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are a few steps we can all take to help usher in this new era of energy. We can partner to share risk to allow economies of scale to be achieved sooner.鈥�
Partnerships between fueling providers, carriers and equipment manufacturers will play an important role as more commercial come to market.
Ultimately, Wright said Pilot will provide whatever fuel customers want to buy.
鈥淒emand is king. What people are demanding and what our customers want is the intersection where we want to play,鈥� he told attendees. 鈥淥ur ambition is simple but complicated: to be the leading energy and experience provider people rely on to fuel their journeys. We know we can鈥檛 accomplish that if we don鈥檛 do it alongside others.鈥�
// This article was created for聽, the magazine of the 黑料社区Foundation.听罢丑别听聽is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The 黑料社区Foundation provides programs and products to strengthen travel plazas鈥� ability to meet the traveling public鈥檚 needs through improved operational performance and business planning. Visit聽聽for more information.聽()
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