Walmart to create largest private EV charging network in US
Walmart to create largest private EV charging network in US
Robert Besser
10 Apr 2023, 12:37 GMT+10
- To take advantage of the growing adoption of electric vehicles in the US, Walmart said plans to have its own network of EV charging stations at its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores by 2030
- The new fast-charging stations will be placed at thousands of its stores, alongside some 1,300 already available, as part of an agreement with Electrify America
- Walmart has more than 5,000 stores and Sam’s Club warehouses, which are located within 10 miles of some 90 percent of the US population
BENTON, Arkansas: To take advantage of the growing adoption of electric vehicles in the US, Walmart said plans to have its own network of EV charging stations at its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores by 2030.
The new fast-charging stations will be placed at thousands of its stores, alongside some 1,300 already available, as part of an agreement with Electrify America, one of the largest open public EV networks in the US and a subsidiary of Volkswagen.
Walmart has more than 5,000 stores and Sam’s Club warehouses, which are located within 10 miles of some 90 percent of the US population.
In an interview, Vishal Kapadia, Walmart’s recently appointed senior vice president of Energy Transformation, said, “We have the ability to address range and charging anxiety in a way that no one else can in this country,” as quoted by Reuters.
However, there are still many concerns over uptime, performance, ease of use and high installation costs, as the country’s EV charging infrastructure is gradually developing.
Owning its chargers, instead of partnering with a network operator, will help Walmart address reliability and cost issues, Kapadia said, noting that he expects the new charge points to be direct-current fast chargers, with about four chargers, on average, installed per store.
Walmart declined to comment on the plan’s financial details, adding that it was currently seeking a supplier.
There are some 30,000 fast-chargers in the US, which can charge a vehicle within one hour. However, top of the line models can cost providers more than $100,000 per unit.
US President Joe Biden has pledged to create a network of 500,000 public EV chargers by 2030.
Walmart would begin installing chargers independently and consider applying for federal funding later, Kapadia said.
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