US fuel retailer Pilot Travel Centers said Tuesday it has agreed with Tesla to install Semi Chargers at select travel center locations across major highway corridors.
The charging stations will be constructed along Interstate 5, Interstate 10, and other corridors where heavy-duty charging demand is highest, the company said.
The first sites are expected to open in summer 2026, with construction beginning in the first half of that year.
Initial locations are planned across California, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.
Next-Gen Semi
Tesla was spotted earlier this month testing a redesigned Semi for the first time in Fremont, California. The updated truck features a Model Y-style light bar, improved efficiency, and increased payload capability.
The next-generation Semi achieves 1.7 kWh per mile, a 15% improvement over the original version, while maintaining a 500-mile range. The truck delivers 800 kW of drive power and supports peak charging speeds of 1.2 MW.
Pilot x Tesla
Each Pilot travel center equipped with Tesla Semi Chargers will feature four to eight charging stalls using Tesla’s V4 cabinet charging technology, delivering up to 1.2 megawatts of power per stall.
“Heavy-duty charging is yet another extension of our exploration into alternative fuel offerings, and we’re happy to partner with a leader in the space that provides turnkey solutions and deploys them quickly,” said Shannon Sturgil, senior VP of alternative fuels at Pilot.
The network will initially focus on providing charging infrastructure for Tesla‘s Semi trucks. Tesla has stated that the majority of a Semi truck’s 500-mile range can be recovered in a 30-minute charge session.
The company indicated the network may be expanded in the future to accommodate heavy-duty electric vehicles from other manufacturers.
Pilot operates travel centers across North America and has been expanding its alternative fuel offerings, including electrification, hydrogen, renewable diesel, and higher-blend biodiesel options.
Production Timeline
Tesla is preparing for volume production of the Semi at its Northern Nevada factory later this year after several delays.
“The factory is going on schedule. We’ve completed the building and are installing the equipment now,” VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy said during the company’s October earnings call.
Tesla was set to “have larger builds toward the end of this year,” with real volume “coming in the back half of the year,” Moravy said.
CEO Elon Musk reiterated the timeline during the Annual Shareholder Meeting, noting that Tesla already had “a lot of prototype Tesla Semis in operation,” with PepsiCo Inc. as an example.
“We will start volume production at our Northern Nevada factory in 2026,” Musk stated.
An updated timeline is expected during January 28’s earnings conference call.
Earlier this month, Tesla was spotted testing a redesigned Semi for the first time in Fremont, California.
DHL Expansion
Deutsche Post AG’s logistics unit DHL is adding more Tesla Semi trucks to its fleet as part of its long-term decarbonization strategy.
In an interview with Transport Topics published in the final days of 2025, DHL Supply Chain executive Stephan Schablinski said the firm has “more than just a handful” of trucks on order with Tesla and “can’t wait to put them into operation.”
“One hundred fifty trucks is not the end of our story,” Schablinski said, referring to its overall electric truck fleet. “We want to scale it up even more.”
DHL plans to operate the Semi trucks beyond California, where it was first tested, with Schablinski mentioning Ohio and Pennsylvania as potential locations.
Deliveries to DHL are expected to begin in the second half of 2026 onward, the executive said.
By 2030, DHL aims for 66% of its last-mile delivery fleet to use battery-electric or other zero-emission technologies.
DHL first included a Tesla Semi in its fleet in 2024 with a pilot in Livermore, California, where the truck covered more than 3,000 miles of regular routes.
