Who’s hot and who’s not among US retailers for EV charging
Only a measly 1% of US retailers offer EV charging stations even though they come with significant benefits and government incentives, according to Consumer Reports.
The independent research and consumer advocacy watchdog’s first-of-its-kind study, released today, evaluates the availability of EV charging stations and the commitments made by companies to provide charging at 75 of the largest national and regional retailers across the US.
Consumer Reports analyzed over 270,000 store locations across major retail categories, including big box stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, drugstores, department stores, and discount stores. EV charging is available on average at 1 out of every 14 big box store locations, 1 out of every 15 grocery stores, and 1 out of every 40 department stores.
The study asserts that installing EV chargers can be a way for brick-and-mortar retailers to increase foot traffic (an average of 4%) and revenue (5%). Most retail locations across the US are eligible for federal benefits covering 30% (up to $100,000) of installation costs.
Drew Toher, sustainability campaign manager at Consumer Reports, explained:
Retailers are uniquely positioned to address America’s charging challenge because they have easily accessible, convenient locations in virtually every community.
Companies can attract more shoppers, elevate their brand, and leverage federal incentives, while consumers benefit from the convenience of integrating EV charging into their routine stops.
The leaders and laggards
Spoiler: Except for IKEA, there are currently a lot more laggards than leaders when it comes to installed EV charging. Here’s what Consumer Reports found:
Big Box Stores: Among big box retailers like Walmart and Target, no company except IKEA currently offers EV charging at more than 10% of its locations. IKEA is the only retailer that offers EV charging at nearly 100% of its US locations – but it does need more chargers per location. Walmart is working to build its own DC fast charging network across the US.
Grocery Stores: Amazon Fresh/Whole Foods and some regional supermarkets, including Big Y, Hy-Vee, Meijer, and Raley’s, offer EV charging at over 10% of their locations. Trader Joe’s and Aldi are laggards, with a mere 10 locations combined. Lidl wins the booby prize with none.
Convenience Stores: Wawa and Sheetz lead this category, with more than 10% of locations providing EV charging. Larger chains like 7-Eleven and Circle K currently don’t offer EV charging at more than 1% of store locations. A couple of weeks ago, a Kentucky Circle K became the site of the Southeast’s first NEVI-funded EV charger, and more are in the pipeline in that state.
Department Stores: Kohl’s has installed EV charging at over 10% of its stores. Dillard’s, JCPenney, and TJX Co. combined have installed charging at fewer than 10 locations. Ross doesn’t have any.
Drugstores: Walgreens is the leader, as it’s installing EV chargers at hundreds of its store locations and committing to even more. But CVS is the laggard, as it currently offers charging at fewer than 10 store locations. Rite Aid has none. Drugstores are ideal for DC fast chargers since the average dwell time for drugstores is between 15 and 60 minutes.
Discount stores: Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Five Below have effectively made no investments in EV charging. With their nearly 40,000 store locations, these stores could play a key role in improving access to rural and under-resourced communities.
Fast Food: This whole retail category is the biggest laggard. With nearly 128,000 US locations, the sample of fast-food companies represents the largest segment of retailers that Consumer Reports surveyed. Fewer than 200 of their locations currently offer EV chargers, and no leading fast-food company offers EV charging at more than 1% of store locations. However, Starbucks, Subway, and Chipotle have all announced plans to start installing EV infrastructure.
Prateek Suri of the nonprofit electric transport organization Forth said in response to the Consumer Reports study:
With federal funding available, this is the best time for retailers to invest in EV charging.
Echoing the recommendations in the report, we urge retailers to commit to clear timelines, prioritize equity, educate customers, and ensure proper maintenance of chargers.
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Environment
Trump approves U.S. Steel merger with Japan’s Nippon after companies sign national security agreement
European EV charging provider Allego has launched what is says is Europe’s first rollout of the “world’s safest and most secure” Plug & Charge technology.
The new tech is based on the open industry standard OCPP 2.0.1 and promises to make EV charging as easy as, well, plugging in your car. Forget apps, cards, and complicated sign-ins. If your EV is compatible, all you have to do is pull up and plug in.
Jean Gadrat, Allego’s CMO, said, “By removing digital friction points, apps, and cards, we give drivers the confidence to travel further and charge more conveniently. Whether in the city, on the highway, or abroad, Plug & Charge delivers the same secure, one-step charging experience.”
Here’s how Allego’s Plug & Charge works
Plug & Charge is an ISO 15118-based authentication and payment method built by Allego on OCPP 2.0.1, standardizing communication between OCPP-compliant chargers and networks.
Once your car is enabled for Plug & Charge, the process is completely hands-off. You plug in, and your EV and the charger swap secure digital certificates to authenticate your account. There’s no need to tap an RFID card, open an app, or even press a button.
Allego’s system supports Mutual TLS encryption and certificate-based authentication, so only authorized vehicles can charge. That means no billing mistakes or fraudulent access, which has been a big concern with some older public charging setups.
Available across Europe now
Allego’s Plug & Charge functionality is at more than 5,000 fast and ultra-fast chargers across Europe, and it also works across partner networks, deploying a truly cross-network Plug & Charge experience.
It’s a future-ready platform, too. Thanks to OCPP 2.0.1, the protocol supports remote firmware updates, advanced security, and new features as they become available. So your charger can grow along with your EV.
“As new vehicle models and charging technologies emerge, OCPP 2.0.1 ensures your car always ‘speaks the same language’ as the charger,” said Manuel Trotta, Allego’s head of mobility solutions.
Allego partnered with Alpitronic, Hubject, and Ford to bring its cross-network Plug & Charge to life.
Read more: Waffle House is getting DC fast chargers – and it’s a genius move
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Environment
The Kia PV5 is a real-life Transformer: Here’s our first look at it as an electric truck
Kia is looking to shake things up with its new custom-tailored Platform Beyond Vehicles (PBVs). The PV5, Kia’s first electric van based on the platform, is already showing how versatile it is. After the PV5 was spotted for the first time with an open bed, Kia looks about ready to drop an electric truck variant.
Is Kia launching an electric truck PV5 variant?
At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Kia revealed its PBV strategy for the first time. The vehicles are designed as “total mobility solutions” that combine fit-for-purpose EVs with Hyundai’s latest software and tech.
Kia’s PBVs are based on Hyundai’s new ultra-flexible E-GMP.S EV platform, which can be custom-tailored for different uses. The first EV based on the platform, the PV5, launched earlier this year in the UK in two variations, Cargo and Passenger.
The Passenger model is fairly self-explanatory as a personal, everyday van, while the Cargo version is designed for commercial use.
Kia said more variants were on the way, including a refrigerated truck, chassis cab, open-bed, luxury “Prime” passenger, and sliding truck models.
The open-bed variant was recently captured driving in Korea, giving us our first look at the Kia PV5 as an electric truck.
Although brief, the video from HealerTV, taken as the vehicle was driving by, reveals a few new details. It’s our closest look at the open-bed variant so far.
Like other PV5 variants, it appears to be the same up front. In fact, it’s almost identical to the first teaser Kia showed.
It’s hard to tell from a video, but the reporter mentioned the electric truck “seemed like it was just the right size.” Since the PV5 Passenger is 4,695 mm in length, 1,895 mm in width, and 1,899 mm in height, we can expect it to be about the same size. To give you a better idea, it’s slightly smaller than the Volkswagen ID.Buzz SWB.
More variants on the way
The electric truck, or open-bed variant, comes after we saw the PV5 “Conversion,” which will feature new models, including a light camper and a camper van.
We got a preview of the camper van after Kia revealed two new “Spielraum” PV5 concepts, including one with a refrigerator, microwave oven, and even a wine cellar. And then we got a look at the PV5 “WKNDR,” an “adventure-ready” electric van concept. Kia’s electric van even has a wheelchair-friendly version, the PV5 WAV.
What’s next? Kia plans to launch a full range of electric vans. Next up will be the larger PV7 in 2027, followed by the PV9 in 2029. There’s also a smaller PV1, expected to arrive in late 2026 or early 2027.
In the future, Kia plans ot launch a Robotaxi model through a collaboration with Motional. All PBV models will be built at Kia’s Hwaseong EVO plant in South Korea. The facility can build up to 150,000 vehicles annually.
Kia said its goal is to “design PBVs that are simple and intuitive to operate and engage with, regardless of where, when or how they are used.” In other words, Kia wants to make your life easier, “Whether the purpose of the vehicle is to transport people, move goods, or meet logistics or personal mobility needs.”
In the UK, the PV5 Passenger and Cargo models start at £32,995 ($44,000) and £27,645 ($37,000), respectively.
It’s available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh, offering WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo version gets slightly more range with 181 miles or 247 miles, respectively.
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