Walgreens Plans EV Charging at 800 Stores
Today, Walgreens announced plans to install 800 electric-vehicle charging stations at its drugstores by the end of 2011.
We have not heard of any other retail chain making this kind of commitment on this timetable. (Please correct us in the comments.) The company said the charging stations will either be a high-speed DC Level 3 charger that will add 30 miles of range in 10 minutes or a Level 2 charger that can add up to 25 miles of range in an hour.
The stations will be built and serviced by 350Green, and they will roll out in New York first. The city will have 50 Level 2 stations and 10 Level 3 stations.
Keith Jajko, a 350Green spokesman, told us these will not be free for Walgreens customers. The charging stations will have a different brand name and website to be launched at a later date. They will feature two types of pay options: Customers will either pay for a single-charge visit, or they can sign up for a subscription plan like a cell phone for repeated visits.
Sixty other stations are planned in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas and Chicago. Walgreens is based in Deerfield, Ill.
This concept, especially the short charger, is a bit brilliant.
While the quick-charge ports’ ability to finish its job in a typical drugstore visit makes the most sense, vehicles like our long-term Nissan Leaf come standard with a Level 2 charge port, not a quick-charge port, which is optional. However, cars like the Chevy Volt and upcoming Ford Focus EV don’t have the quick-charge port option at all.
Most Level 3 chargers will be installed alongside Level 2 stations at the same location, and if not they will be within a half-mile of each other, Jajko said.
Last week, Ikea announced a pilot program to test charging stations at its furniture stores in Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington. The program will start this fall and run through the end of 2012. Ikea did not release information on the type of charging stations or the cost. However, a trip to Ikea could take long enough to recharge a Leaf completely. We just don’t know how you’d get any large purchases home.
We list the markets for the Walgreens stations below:
- Boston
- Denver
- Los Angeles
- New York
- San Francisco
- Washington, D.C.
Select locations in:
- Florida
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- Washington
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If it takes me longer than 15 minutes to get in and out of a drug store then I don't go back. I think the chargers would be best suited elsewhere like a restaurant or mall.
U obviously haven't encountered some very common Walgreens' situations:
1. 1 Cashier with 5+ customers waiting in line;
2. Check writing by most older age customers;
3. PRICE CHECK!
4. Pricing errors - esp due to weekly sales - that requires the manager's approval.
I'm a frequent Walgreens customer. I can grab what I want in less than 2 minutes, and then wait another 10-15 minutes just at the cashier.
Excellent move Walgreens.
350 Green is installing 73 EV chargers in Chicago. Even a regular parking facility has the charger.
I wish Walmart, Target, Sears, K-Mart and all other stores join in. Even Libraries should install 1 such.
I'd be interested in hearing. The TOS seems rather clear that it is not unless expressly approved by Amazon. I guess if the library got it in writing then they would be ok.
Terrific move by Walgreens. I do professional window tinting and car detailing in the Dallas - Fort Worth area, and there has been such positive feedback from my customers in the area about the EV charging stations at local establishments. I've definitely seen an increase in eco-friendly vehicles, and you have to think that these EV charging stations will continue to grow in popularity.
Walgreens is paving the way for eco-friendly vehicle adoption, and I hope other large and wide-spread establishments similar to Walgreens take the same initiative.