Sparks are flying in the electric vehicle space as major gas station retailers are expanding into EV charging. Learn more about the top 10 gas station retailers that now offer EV charging.
1. Select ExxonMobil Stations
One holdout that has shown promise in the last few years is ExxonMobil. Even though ExxonMobil corporate hasn’t yet hopped aboard the electric vehicle charging train, some of its individual stations have begun to chip away at the Exxon C-suite’s resistance, especially on the country’s East and West Coasts.
For example, the Exxon station at Big Pool, Maryland, partnered with EV Connect to add electric vehicle charging to its slate of amenities. With the station’s ideal location – about 1-1/2 hours from Washington, DC on bustling I-70 – it simply makes sense to offer fuel to all travelers coming into and going out of the nation’s capital.
On the other side of the country, Olancha, California’s Exxon station provides EV charging for Rivian EVs. With a mini-mart and snacks, the ChargeHub-affiliated station is a welcome oasis for EV drivers traveling along the long desert stretch of US-395.
The Olancha station’s rural location bodes well for other underserved areas. Should ExxonMobil scrub its plans not to pursue EV charging, its vast network of gas stations along rural roads could prove profitable as more rural drivers begin to see the benefits of EV ownership.
And, in the Manufacturing Belt, an Exxon station in the Pittsburgh suburb of McCandless partnered with ChargeHub to offer EV charging along with gasoline and diesel fuel. With Level 3 charging, this station broadened its customer base for its wide range of amenities.
Exxon’s corporate headquarters should take note. Its gas stations should be able to expand their customer base to include EV drivers. Since convenience store purchases make up the bulk of a station’s profits, it only makes sense to broaden its stations’ reach into the American driving public.
Formerly Casey’s General Stores, this Midwestern gas station chain has jumped feetfirst into the EV charging space. With 42 EV charging stations scattered throughout 13 states, Casey’s plays a major role in electrifying the heartland’s highways.
Casey’s offers DC fast charging at all locations that have EV chargers. Some stations also provide Level 2 charging options.
With seven types of fuel for internal combustion engine-powered vehicles and two charging choices for EVs, Casey’s has positioned itself as the fueling stop of choice for travelers throughout the Midwest.
It’s no wonder. In addition to a broad range of fueling options, Casey’s stores provide customers with plenty of things to do while they fuel their vehicles and relax between long stretches of road trips.
Snacks, beverages, and, according to one reviewer, the “best pizza you’ve never heard of,” all await customers who pull into each location. By cornering the Midwest fueling market by attracting drivers of all kinds of vehicles, Casey’s has positioned itself for success at scale.
One of the top challenges EV charging stations face is the high cost of electricity that charging vehicles incur from demand charges, according to the Smart Electric Power Alliance. As the article points out, these fees could put a massive damper on a station’s profit.
Utilities often bill commercial customers for the “highest level of electricity used during a billing period,” as a Plug In America post states. Since some commercial and industrial companies, including most EV charging stations, consume a hefty portion of the grid’s energy, utilities charge supplemental fees, called “demand charges,” to offset the strain on the electrical grid.
What Is a Demand Charge?
Companies trigger demand charges when they require large amounts of energy “at once,” as an EcoFlow post advises. Since charging an EV does precisely that, demand charges pose a massive challenge to businesses that want to add EV charging to their amenities – especially if they plan to install the increasingly popular DC fast chargers.
Let’s say that a DC fast charging station with a 350 kW peak demand incurs demand charges of $20 for each kilowatt it uses when charging a car, it would incur $7,000 in demand charges plus what the utility bills for its energy usage. That’s precisely the issue the Smart Electric Power Alliance piece cited earlier warned charging station owners about.
Kum and Go, a Colorado-based gas station chain, discovered a way to beat the high cost that demand charges could levy on its EV charging stations. After its leadership team discovered how demand charges could drain its profits, it partnered with electric utility Xcel to procure electricity at affordable rates, as a Politico piece reports.
Those partnerships have paid off in spades, allowing the company to fuel both EVs and combustion engine vehicles. And, to offer even more fueling options, the chain also sells diesel and compressed natural gas. It’s a genius move – one that makes a Kum and Go station the place to refuel, no matter what type of vehicle a customer drives.
In addition, charging stations that sell retail products can increase the prices of those products to make up for the lost revenue from demand charges. Kum and Go has gone all in on the retail end of things, selling not only meals, snacks, and soft drinks but also branded merchandise, and even alcohol to offset the high cost of charging.
With its partnership with local utilities and its retail offerings, the iconic Midwestern fueling station chain has found a way to increase its profitability while providing a full range of fueling options for its customers.
After a successful rollout of 27,000 charge points, BP revealed that it had ordered $100 million in Tesla ultra-fast EV chargers to add to its network. The company’s October 2023 announcement revealed BP’s plans to invest $1 billion into EV charging technology nationwide by 2030.
However, an even better opportunity presented itself when Tesla announced its plans to scale back its Supercharger network early in May 2024. Having stocked up on Tesla fast chargers, BP is planning to expand its own network of North American Charging Standard (NACS)-equipped chargers.
The company has already pounced on real estate Tesla “abandoned” to plant its new stations and has aggressively pursued even more locations. These stations will join the brand’s “bp pulse” network, including not only BP stations but also at Amoco, ampm, Thorntons, TravelCenters of America, and Gigahub™ EV charging stations. With their NACS connectors, these new stations should be able to charge most EVs sold in the US.
With today’s longer-range EVs, Texas drivers can roam the wide-open spaces of their home state with confidence that they won’t run out of range before they find a charging station. To take advantage of the extra business EVs bring to the table, Texas-based Buc-ee’s has partnered with the Mercedes-Benz EV charging network to expand Buc-ee’s growing collection of EV chargers.
Beginning in November 2023, Mercedes installed fast chargers in several locations in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Those stations have expanded northward into the Carolinas, as one F-150 Lightning owner observed.
As of early June 2025, the number of locations offering EV charging has ballooned to 51 and is expanding rapidly, according to a New York Times report. These stations join Buc-ee’s already-existing network of Tesla Superchargers in 24 locations throughout the Southeast.
Legendary for its mascot, Texas barbecue, and house-made fudge, Buc-ee’s first earned its sterling reputation among travelers for its clean restrooms and cheap ice. As it expanded into its current iteration as a “mega-convenience store,” it became a must-visit stop for tourists. Now that it has opened up fueling options to EV drivers, even more travelers can enjoy its unique appeal.
As iconic as the road it took its name from – the historic Route 66 — the Phillips 66® gas station chain has expanded its reach into the EV charging market. Stocking its stations with “state-of-the-art ultra-fast EV chargers,” the gas station giant promises its customers a “full charge in as little as 30 minutes.”
Two features make the Phillips 66 EV charger lineup a standout among gas and diesel stations that want to expand into EV charging.
First, the company chose to partner with a provider – FreeWire – that integrated battery storage into its charging technology, as a Phillips 66 press release stated. Battery storage enables customers to charge their vehicles even during grid outages. More importantly, it also allows charging stations to take advantage of peak shaving and avoid demand charges for a more cost-effective operation year-round.
Secondly, the FreeWire solution allows stations to connect their chargers to existing infrastructure. That capability helps stations avoid “burdensome construction costs and permitting restraints,” as the Phillips 66 press release pointed out.
With its commitment to renewable energy and sustainability, Phillips 66’s move into EV charging represents the next step toward fulfilling its four-pillar business strategy, “renewable fuels, batteries, carbon capture, and hydrogen.”
Will fueling hydrogen-powered cars be its next step to capture more of the American market? Phillips 66 has already launched hydrogen fueling stations in Switzerland with its affiliate, COOP. If that initial offering proves to be a success on the other side of the Atlantic, it might be a prudent investment on this continent as well.
In early December 2023, Pilot Flying J launched its first 17 EV charging locations, as PC Mag’s Emily Price reports. As part of its long-term plans to install 2,000 charging stalls in 500 of its travel plazas across the US, this launch resulted from a partnership among Pilot Flying J, GM, EVGo, and the US Department of Transportation.
Like Pilot Flying J’s gas pumps, the company’s pull-through EV chargers also feature a canopy to shelter EV drivers from inclement weather. The pull-through design “accommodate[s] EV towing and allows drivers to access free WiFi while they charge,” Price said.
That number has grown considerably since the initial launch. As of March 26, 2025, Pilot Flying J has expanded its charging network to 130 locations in 25 states, as a National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) post reported.
The new stations serve customers traveling along major interstates and other well-traveled routes. By 2026, Pilot Flying J plans to have installed nearly 2,000 ultra-fast chargers at 500 Pilot Flying J stations.
These chargers enable drivers to charge in almost half the time that it takes some current DC fast-charging models. Some cars can recharge “in as little as 15 minutes,” the NACS post reports.
With its significant presence in the Midwest, South, and Southwest, Pilot Flying J has positioned itself to be a major force in EV charging throughout these regions. Its “premium amenities,” such as full-service restaurants, fast food options, groceries, lounges, free WiFi, and 24/7 accessibility, will make its charging stations a formidable competitor in those regions.
Shell got into the EV game relatively early when it acquired Greenlots, a West Coast EV charging infrastructure provider, in 2019, according to a Good News Network report. Beginning with its first US EV charging station at Boston’s Logan Airport, Shell has expanded its charging network to meet increasing demand from US electric vehicle drivers.
The company’s European branch, Royal Dutch Shell, launched its EV network even earlier, in 2017, when it acquired EV charging company NewMotion. With that acquisition, it took ownership of 30,000 charging nodes capable of serving more than 80,000 EV owners.
That 2019 start led to the company’s partnership with Volta Charging to install over 2,000 charging stations throughout the United States. Now, however, Shell plans to dismantle those stations before the end of 2025 to make room for a network of DC fast chargers located at its service stations.
Instead of installing the Volta chargers at its gas stations, Shell installed them in retail locations like supermarkets and shopping centers. Its new strategy, focusing on fast charging for long-distance travelers, mirrors that of its closest competitors and should result in more revenue and better customer service.
Long-distance drivers can’t waste driving time waiting for slower Level 2 chargers to top off their charge. Although they might use Level 2 chargers at home, they want a fast charging experience on the road. Shell’s new plan delivers just that.
The Good News Network article cited earlier also featured Chevron for its efforts to add EV chargers to its existing gas stations. In 2019, the company launched the first of its EV chargers at five California gas stations in partnership with EVgo. Chevron plans to expand its network into “major metropolitan areas” to meet the growing demand for conveniently located EV charging stations.
Recently, Chevron partnered with EVgo, the United States’ “largest public fast charging network,” to install DC fast chargers at many of its gas stations. Two types of chargers will be available to its customers: a 100-kilowatt version or a 350-kilowatt model.
A one-stop shop for food and fuel, Sheetz was one of the first US gas station retailers to install EV chargers at its stores. In April 2023, the chain announced that it had surpassed 2 million charging sessions.
Not content to rest on its laurels, Sheetz plans to expand its EV charging network to even more locations. With around-the-clock charging and a bevy of fast foods available 24/7, Sheetz will likely become a favorite fueling stop for EV owners across the central Mid-Atlantic states and the Midwest.
In 2024, Sheetz partnered with charging infrastructure company Ionna to install its “Rechargeries” fast chargers at several of its gas stations, according to an EVChargingStations.com article. By the end of 2026, the two companies plan to have DC fast chargers in place at more than 50 Sheetz stores.
Most of the charging stations will sport canopies, allowing drivers to charge their cars even in inclement weather. By 2030, Ionna plans to have a “nationwide DC fast-charging network for all EVs” with 30,000 charging stalls.
Many major auto manufacturers have invested in the project. As of the beginning of August 2025, the Ionna network has already installed 21 charging stations with 212 charging stalls. Another 21 stations will soon open, giving the network a total of 400 available stalls.
Gas Retailers Should Lean into EV Charging as EV Ownership Increases
As Electrek’s Michelle Lewis points out, gas station retailers need to plan to meet the increasing demand for EV charging across the country. With commercial EV fleets entering the picture in greater numbers than ever before, gas station companies need to rise to the challenge and find solutions to the costs and business disruptions that installing EV charging stations could give rise to.
Instead of looking at the short-term hassle that installation brings with it, gas station owners need to copy Sheetz’s model to offer not only EV charging but more amenities as well, as a McKinsey report advised. With EV owners’ need for activities that take up the half-hour they need to charge their cars, stations should consider stocking their stores with groceries, fast-food offerings, entertainment options, postal services, and even minor car repair services.
Discover How Expanding into EV Charging Can Benefit Your Gas Station at the EV Charging Summit & Expo
Learn more about the opportunities that await you when you expand your gas station’s fueling options to include EV charging. At the next EV Charging Summit & Expo, you’ll discover new charging technologies, information about how to fund your venture, and so much more. Register for your spot at the Summit today!
