Tesla Secures Major Deal to Expand Heavy‑Duty EV Charging with Pilot Travel Centers

We’re growing the Semi Charging network, including at Pilot Flying J locations across the US https://t.co/dn440xeXfO

— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) January 27, 2026

On January 28, 2026, Tesla announced a significant partnership with Pilot Travel Centers to expand high‑power charging infrastructure for heavy‑duty electric trucks. The move comes as Tesla accelerates efforts to address one of the biggest challenges facing electric Class 8 trucks: reliable public charging.

Currently, Tesla has 46 public Semi Charger sites either in progress or planned across the United States, strategically located along major trucking routes and industrial areas. Early adoption of EVs has always faced a key bottleneck, access to charging, and Class 8 trucks are no different. These vehicles simply need convenient, high‑power locations to recharge.

The latest partnership with Pilot shows Tesla is gaining allies in its mission to expand Semi charging availability. The plan calls for the installation of 1.2 MW “Megawatt” chargers at select Pilot locations along major interstates, including I‑5 and I‑10, targeting states such as California, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. Each station will host four to eight charging stalls, enabling a Semi truck to regain a significant portion of its range in roughly 30 minutes, coinciding with standard driver rest periods.

Tesla is aiming to produce 50,000 units of the Tesla Semi over the coming years. With early adopters like PepsiCo, DHL, and other fleets already contributing millions of miles of operational data, public charging infrastructure will be critical to support these commercial vehicles at scale.

Shannon Sturgil, Senior Vice President of Alternative Fuels at Pilot, said that the collaboration represents a major step toward providing fleets with reliable, high‑power charging along key freight corridors. “Heavy‑duty electric charging is a growth area in alternative fuels, and partnering with Tesla allows us to deploy solutions quickly for commercial fleets,” Sturgil stated.

This expansion reinforces Tesla’s broader goal of making Semi trucks practical for real‑world operations while addressing a key adoption barrier: access to consistent, high‑power public charging.