British energy company bp plans to invest $1 billion in electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the US, underpinned by a partnership with car rental giant Hertz, Kallanish reports.

“EV charging is one of bp’s five strategic transition growth engines in which the company expects to significantly grow investment through this decade,” the company says in a statement.

The investment is set to cover deployment of chargepoints in major cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Some of the fast-charging installations will also include gigahub locations, which the companies are co-developing in high-demand locations such as airports. These hubs will serve ride-share and taxi drivers, car rental customers, and the general public.

bp will rely on the telematics of Hertz’s fleet of connected cars to establish the locations it will invest in. The ultimate goal is to provide the rental company with a charging network supporting its ambitions to have one-quarter of its fleet all-electric by the end of 2024.

Currently, Hertz has purchase deals with Tesla, Polestar, and GM. The diverse fleet, with EV at different price points, is available in more than 750 locations across 38 US states.

Through its subsidiary bp Pulse, the energy major operates 22,000 EV charging points globally. This network is intended to expand to 100,000 chargers -- 90% of which rapid or ultra-fast – by 2030.

In a separate statement, bp announced plans to purchase TravelCenters of America, a leading services stations operator across major US highways. The $1.3 billion acquisition is set to provide options to expand its EV charging offering, as well as develop new mobility offers such as hydrogen for both passenger vehicles and fleets.