USA: Over 120 EV charging stations completed at Walmart stores

Electrify America have opened at Walmart facilities, on average, one new EV charging station every three days over the last 11 months.

Electrify America and Walmart announced that more than 120 plus ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are now operational and open to the public at Walmart stores across the U.S. Building upon the original commitment set forth in April 2018, the companies are planning to expand the relationship in the coming years with additional Electrify America charging stations located at Walmart stores across the country.

Electrify America’s continued collaboration with Walmart is expected to make the retailer one of the largest retail hosts of electric vehicle charging stations across the United States.

The first 120 Walmart sites with Electrify America chargers are located across 34 U.S. states. Most of the new stations are strategically located at Walmart stores off major highways, with dozens more chargers planned for major metro areas.

Currently, a significant number of commercial EV charging stations in the U.S. are concentrated on the east and west coasts or in major urban areas. Through the Electrify America-Walmart collaboration, EV users will have increased access to services near highways, rural communities and driving routes in other sections of the country.

“This milestone marks an important moment in the expansion of our charging station network,” said Brendan Jones, chief operating officer at Electrify America. “We look forward to continuing our work with Walmart to make electric vehicle charging faster and more convenient for consumers across the country, and in turn, encourage more adoption of zero emission vehicles.”

“Along with providing our customers with an enhanced shopping experience through added convenience, this initiative also allows us to contribute to the expansion and accessibility of our nation’s EV charging station infrastructure,” said Mark Vanderhelm, vice president of energy for Walmart, Inc.

Additional Electrify America charging station are expected to be installed at Walmart stores located in urban areas such as the District of Columbia and 46 states including California, the largest electric vehicle market in the U.S.

Electrify America chargers at Walmart stores feature 150 kilowatt (kW) and 350kW DC Fast Chargers. Chargers at this power can charge a vehicle at speeds of up to 20 miles of range per minute.

Electrify America, which is investing $2 billion over the next ten years in electric vehicle infrastructure and education, plans to deploy more than 2,000 chargers across 484 sites in 17 metropolitan areas and on highways. Stations will be located at convenient EV charging stops with access to retail, dining, parking and other facilities, with Walmart becoming a key partner to these objectives.