To get more consumers comfortable with driving electric vehicles, General Motors and Pilot Company have pledged to build a "coast-to-coast" EV charging network at Pilot Flying J travel centers across the U.S.

The network is intended to eliminate battery "range anxiety" for drivers taking their EVs on the road. Electric vehicles now account for 4.6% of all passenger vehicles being sold in the U.S., and registrations for new EVs soared earlier this year.

When finished, the network will include 2,000 direct current fast chargers across 500 Pilot and Pilot Flying J locations, company leaders said Wednesday.

"We are targeting 50-mile intervals to make convenient, reliable, and safe coast-to-coast EV travel a reality," Pilot CEO Shameek Konar said.

The rollout of charging stations, which will be scattered across the U.S., begins in early 2023, and the charging network could expand as demand increases.

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Creating reliable charging infrastructure is key to convincing customers to buy EVs as primary vehicles. GM has committed to an electric future with its Ultium battery platform and models like the GMC Hummer EV Pickup, the Cadillac Lyriq and the Chevrolet Equinox EV.

"We think this is a bit of a natural evolution of where product is moving where customer behavior is going," Chief GM EV Officer Travis Hester said. "And we're ahead of it a little bit, quite frankly, and that's what we want to be."

The partnership builds on Pilot's $1 billion initiative to transform its travel centers into a "destination" stop for travelers, with upgraded restrooms, more food offerings, and free Wi-Fi in some locations.

EVgo, already helping GM expand its network of more than 100,000 charging stations, will supply, install and maintain the charging stations at Pilot locations.

How will the Pilot EV chargers work?

The chargers will be co-branded as Pilot Flying J and Ultium Charge 360, but any vehicle compatible with the Combined Charging System network can use the system, not just GM EVs.

The units will charge vehicles at a rate of up to 350 kilowatts. Hester estimated it would take about 10 minutes to charge for 150 miles.

The cost to charge an EV at Pilot will depend on the location and the price of electricity. Hester said GM EV drivers would receive a discount, along with access to exclusive reservations and a "streamlined" charging experience through GM's app.

Many of the charging stalls will include features like canopies or pull-through capability for EVs pulling trailers.

GM is investing almost $750 million to expand charging across urban and rural communities. This is its first partnership with a retailer like Pilot, which gives it access to prime real estate along travel corridors nationwide.

“We are committed to an all-electric, zero-emissions future, and ensuring that the right charging infrastructure is in place is a key piece of the puzzle,” Mary Barra, GM Chair and Chief Executive Officer, said in a press release. “With travel centers across North America, Pilot Company is an ideal collaborator to reach a broad audience of EV drivers.”

Pilot travel centers serve an estimated 1.3 million guests per day. It is ranked No. 7 on Forbes' list of largest private companies in the U.S. and is headquartered in Knoxville.

EVgo has more than 850 charging locations across 30 states and serves more than 375,000 customers.

USA TODAY reporter Jayme Deerwester and USA TODAY Network reporter Eric D. Lawrence contributed to this story.

Brenna McDermott can be reached at brenna.mcdermott@knoxnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: GM, Pilot Flying J will build EV charging station network across US