
Buc-ee's discussed opening its westernmost location yet
City officials in Meridian, Idaho met with Buc-ee's representatives on June 12 to discuss the potential of opening a travel center in the city, Meridian Economic Development Administrator Curtis Calder told USA TODAY. However, Buc-ee's has not submitted an application for the project.
Though plans for an Idaho Buc-ee's are still hypothetical, Buc-ee's fans online are already eager for the travel center to hit their state. In a heartfelt TikTok video posted on July 9, a woman is told Buc-ee's may expand to Idaho in which she covers her mouth in disbelief.
Buc-ee's did not wish to comment when contacted by USA TODAY on Friday, July 18.
What's so great about Buc-ee's? Fans love the food, gas pumps, mascot, sparkling bathrooms
Buc-ee's continues to expand national footprint
Buc-ee's, a travel center known for its long-line of gas pumps, large restrooms and beaver-themed merchandise, was established in Texas by Arch "Beaver" Aplin III in 1982, per the Buc-ee's website. Over the past 40-plus years, Aplin has lead the opening of more than 50 locations, which started in Texas and then began to branch throughout the South, Midwest and now are creeping to the West.
An expansion into Idaho would mark the chain's westernmost location, which is currently positioned in Berthoud, Colorado.
Shoppers recently celebrated the grand opening of Virginia's first Buc-ee's location, which opened its doors in Mount Crawford on June 30. That location opened just one day before another new store in in Brunswick, on Georgia's southeast coast.
Other states with Buc-ee's locations include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AEVA's Big LiDAR Bet: Is Mass Production Its Game Changer?
Aeva Technologies AEVA is taking a big step to get ready for the world of self-driving vehicles. The company plans to significantly increase its ability to make LiDAR sensors, which are like the "eyes" for autonomous cars and trucks. AEVA is setting up new production lines in North America that can churn out up to 200,000 of its advanced 4D LiDAR units every year. This is a huge move for the company's business plans and comes right after it strengthened its partnership with Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), a major truck ramp-up in production fits perfectly with Aeva's role as the sole provider of their special 4D LiDAR sensors for Torc Robotics, which is Daimler's self-driving trucking division. In fact, the very first Freightliner Cascadia trucks, equipped with AEVA's technology, are already operating on roads in Texas. With extra money coming in from DTNA, this increased production really highlights the growing trust in AEVA's ability to supply high-resolution, long-range sensors crucial for autonomous 200,000 units a year isn't just about big numbers; it shows Aeva Technologies is ready to supply many different car and truck makers, not just Daimler. With this large-scale production expected to start in late 2026 and continue into 2027, AEVA isn't just boosting its manufacturing power. It's also showing a clear intention to be a leader in the race to make self-driving technology a common reality. For a company still relatively new to mass production, this accelerated push could truly define AEVA's next big chapter in the high-volume world of automotive LiDAR. LiDAR Scaling by Peers Luminar Technologies LAZR has largely focused on cars, landing big deals with Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. The company's factory in Mexico is aimed at mass production and cost savings. Luminar's choice to build its own components helps with high-volume production. Luminar's Iris sensor delivers impressive range and resolution, and it estimates object motion through software analysis across Technologies INVZ, meanwhile, is focusing on big-name partners like BMW and Volkswagen's software arm, Cariad, to fuel its growth in self-driving tech. Innoviz aims to provide a complete LiDAR solution, including perception software, and is building factories to produce units on a mass scale. Innoviz's sensors offer excellent detail and are compact. The Zacks Rundown on AEVA Shares of Aeva Technologies have surged nearly 550% so far this year. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation perspective - in terms of forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio - Aeva Technologies is trading at a significant premium compared to the industry average. AEVA carries a Value Score of F. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research See how the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Aeva Technologies' earnings has been revised over the past 60 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Luminar Technologies, Inc. (LAZR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Aeva Technologies, Inc. (AEVA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Innoviz Technologies Ltd. (INVZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Luxury carmaker fires shot at Tesla in robotaxi wars
Luxury carmaker fires shot at Tesla in robotaxi wars originally appeared on TheStreet. Tesla's () has been steering the robotaxi narrative for the longest time, but recently a brand new player quietly slid into the frame. Behind the scenes, one luxury EV maker just threw its hat into the race and is ready to challenge the status quo. 💵💰💰💵 At this point, it's not trying to out-Tesla Tesla, but instead aim for an entirely different lane. As we see partnerships evolving quickly and rivals repositioning, the road ahead for autonomous driving has become a lot more crowded and a lot more interesting. The robotaxi race just got real Robotaxis aren't science fiction anymore, as they turn into arguably the fastest-growing bet in the tech space. To put things in perspective, estimates suggest that the global market for autonomous ride services could explode from $4.4 billion this year to $125 billion by 2034. That's a massive 45% compound annual growth rate, led by cheaper sensors, smarter AI, and a major push to cut costs in urban transit. Tesla finally entered the game in June with the quiet launch of its invite-only Robotaxi service in Austin. The cars operate using Tesla's robust camera-only Full Self-Driving system, avoiding the need for expensive Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) and instead relying solely on vision and machine believes that's the edge Tesla needs in scaling a lot faster and cheaper than the competition. But it's still early days. We've already seen glitchy behavior, including phantom braking and navigation errors, which complicates the bullish thesis. Google's Waymo, on the other hand, is the veteran. It recently crossed the 100 million driverless miles mark with zero humans behind the wheel. Its coverage in cities like Phoenix and Austin dwarfs Tesla's footprint, giving it a massive data lead in improving its software. China's not sitting this out, either. has already dished out its seventh-gen robotaxi and is testing in multiple countries. WeRide, another robotaxi upstart, launched Southeast Asia's first fully autonomous robobus in Singapore, aiming to expand swiftly. And then there's Uber, which is effectively becoming the nerve center of the robotaxi era. In Atlanta, riders can now hail Waymo vehicles directly through Uber. Similarly, in Austin, Waymo's 90-square-mile service also runs on Uber's platform. More News: Moody's drops 2-word warning on housing market Rigetti shakes up quantum computing with bold advance JPMorgan reveals 9 stocks with major problems By owning the rider interface and centralizing fleet access, Uber is positioning itself as the gatekeeper for robotaxi adoption. Lucid takes its shot at Tesla in the robotaxi wars Lucid () just made a massive foray into the robotaxi arena, and Wall Street's starting to pay attention. Luxury EV maker Lucid is teaming up with Uber and autonomous tech firm Nuro to roll out 20,000 Gravity SUVs on Uber's network over the next six years. Each of these cars will be equipped with Nuro's Level 4 self-driving technology, signaling Lucid's largest leap yet into AI-powered mobility. Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas hailed that partnership as 'strategic.'Jonas says this isn't your regular one-off announcement; it's a clear sign that Lucid is looking to carve out a key position in the robotaxi race that's been dominated by Tesla and Waymo. According to Jonas, Lucid has mostly been an under-the-radar player in the self-driving conversation. However, the Uber–Nuro deal could change that, helping the EV startup move beyond luxury retail and into recurring revenue streams. The Gravity SUV, Lucid's next blowout launch, now carries a lot more weight. Jonas feels the vehicle should be treated as a platform, not just for electric driving, but for autonomy and smart mobility partnerships. That makes the Uber deal a lot less about volume and more about signaling where Lucid is headed next. Uber is shelling out big money, with a $300 million investment in Lucid. That's not enough to solve the company's cash burn troubles, but it helps in a big way. Also, it puts Uber in a much stronger position to shape Lucid's roadmap. For a company that's been called a "Tesla-lite," this is Lucid's most ambitious pivot yet. Whether it pays off long-term is up for debate, but it's clear that Lucid just pulled up a seat at the lucrative robotaxi carmaker fires shot at Tesla in robotaxi wars first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data


Wall Street Journal
3 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
U.S. Natural Gas Futures Post Modest Gains
1525 ET – U.S. natural gas futures rise for a third straight session, holding above the key $3.50 level in choppy trade ahead of tomorrow's EIA storage data. 'Heat coming to Texas early next week has our full attention as it could set a new demand record,' Gary Cunningham of Tradition Energy says in a note. Meanwhile, the low-pressure system that passed over northern Florida into the Gulf 'may end up being just a lot of rain from the panhandle to New Orleans,' he adds. The EIA is expected to report a slightly bigger-than-average 47 Bcf build in storage for last week, according to a Wall Street Journal survey of analysts. Nymex natural gas settles up 0.8% at $3.551/mmBtu. ( 1018 ET – U.S. natural gas futures are higher for a third day with weather forecasts showing strong heat-driven demand for the second half of July. Traders are also taking note of an agreement for EQT to supply the natural gas for a 4.4 gigawatt plant to power a major data center development in Pennsylvania, as 'more supplies out of Appalachia may eventually become locally consumed,' Dennis Kissler of BOK Financial says in a note. Nymex natural gas is up 1.3% at $3.570/mmBtu. (