You’ll soon be able to sip on a cup of Joe as your electric car sips on some electrons at your local Starbucks. This is due to Volvo’s recently announced collaboration with ChargePoint to establish a network of EV chargers at Starbucks stores in five US states. Starbucks pretty much wants to become the gas station of the future for electric cars.
Both companies intend to install 15 DC fast charging stations at Starbucks along a 1,350-mile corridor between Seattle and Denver. Each charging station will include four outlets, for a total of 60 chargers. They will also be branded with Volvo’s logo, making it one of the few EV charging stations in the US to do so, aside from Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Volvo is using a range of chargers from ChargePoint, including the company’s Express Plus and Express 250 units, the former of which are capable of delivering up to 350kW of power. Volvo says it will re-power one of the automaker’s C40 Recharge crossovers from 20 percent to 90% in 40 minutes.
This is not a new concept as other automakers have already ventured down this path of direct partnership with retail locations. Volkswagen, which owns the EV charging firm Electrify America, places many of its chargers in the parking lots of large box stores like Walmart and Target.
The goal of this partnership between Volvo, ChargePoint and Starbucks is to create a charging corridor between Seattle and Denver, which I assume must have the largest concentration of Starbucks locations and customers per capita.
Fun Fact: Tesla submitted plans in 2018 for a huge, 62-stall Supercharger station in Santa Monica, complete with a restaurant and movie theater.
🔌 Shameless Plug
Volty is a digital platform that brings you the best content, news, analysis, research, and information about electric vehicles. Our live TV and VOD channels boast over 1000 hours of free original premium content streaming 24/7. Explore and learn everything about electric vehicles. www.volty.
