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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.

Mary Barra thinks GM is a leader in autonomous tech

Saying General Motors is "among the leaders" in autonomous vehicle technology, CEO Mary Barra rapped about her company's driverless work in an interview with USA Today. Barra covered a number of topics, including well-known efforts, like Cadillac's upcoming Super Cruise technology, as well as hinting at "a lot of efforts that are confidential." "Things are moving quickly in autonomous [cars] because there's so many different pathways and the standards aren't even set. A lot of people can claim leads because people are making advancements in different areas," Barra said. "Next year we're going to have Super Cruise on one of our Cadillacs. On highways you'll be able to take your hands off the wheel and feet off the pedals – with a very creative way to make sure the driver is alert and involved in the driving process." As for those "confidential" efforts, feel free to speculate. GM has recently confirmed that it'd be running autonomous Volts at its Warren, MI tech center, which certainly indicates that the company is playing with much more than Super Cruise. GM will need to continue to embrace autonomous driving, owing to both traditional competitors like Toyota, as well as non-traditional opposition, like Google and Apple. Speaking of its competition from Silicon Valley, Barra was asked about two of the region's biggest names – Apple's Tim Cook and Tesla boss Elon Musk. "I have tremendous respect for Tim Cook, and I don't really think he needs advice from me," Barra told USA Today with a laugh. And when asked about Apple's future as a "viable competitor," she said, "I have no insights other than what I read in the papers. But it would be foolish for me not to assume that they're going to." As for Mr. Musk's openness about future products and how it contrasts with GM's relatively closed attitude, Barra also gave a chuckle. "I'm sure you would like me to say yes. I think we're fundamentally different. Look at our volume and look at the segments where we compete. His product line – his two products – his scale, it's completely different." The rest of Barra's interview is certainly worth a read, and includes talk about the Volkswagen diesel scandal, GM's changed relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Uber. Head over to The Detroit Free Press website for the full story from USA Today.

Cadillac XT5, XT6, GMC Acadia recalled for two issues

General Motors is recalling three model years of the Cadillac XT5 and XT6, and the Cadillac's GMC sibling, the Acadia. The first recall has to do with the rearview camera. On 2020- and 2021-model-year XT5s, XT6s, and Acadias optioned with Surround Vision, insufficient crimping for the coaxial cables could cause a degraded signal from the rear camera, or cause the signal to fail. With all passenger vehicles required to have a working rearview camera, that's not an ideal situation. Only crossovers with Surround Vision are affected. The population at issue counts 95,231 vehicles, build dates being: XT5s produced from May 1, 2019 to June 23, 2021 XT6s built from February 25, 2019 to June 24, 2021 Acadias built from May 6, 2019 to June 24, 2021  The automaker hasn't been informed of any crashes or injuries related to the problem, and will begin mailing letters notifying owners of the issue on November 7. The fix is a trip to the dealer to have the cables inspected and replaced if necessary. Concerned customers can contact Cadillac customer service at 800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, then refer to GM's recall number, N222378380. Alternatively, they can get in touch with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov, and refer to campaign number 22V709000. Another recall concerns just the 2023 Cadillac XT5 and XT6 and 2023 GMC Acadia units that were built on August 9, 2022. That day, a printer in the Spring Hill, Tennessee, Assembly Plant malfunctioned, producing vehicle labels for the driver's side B-pillar with illegible tire size information. That's a violation of a subsection of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110. Only 24 units are affected, the fix being a jaunt to the dealer for a label with readable information. Owners who don't want to wait until November for letters from GM can contact Cadillac customer service at 800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 800-462-8782, and mention recall number N222381690. Or they can head to the NHTSA Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 800-424-9153), or www.nhtsa.gov, and refer to campaign number 22V708000.