Like my Uncle Jim used to say, “nothing happens until the cash register rings.”
Cha-ching, cha-ching.
Since the start of the year, four high-speed charging stations have opened in Bentonville, Arkansas, even though the state has been a laggard in transitioning to electric vehicles.
Bentonville, however, is Walmart Inc. country and these are Walmart chargers — three at stores near the company’s headquarters and one at the airport.
In a matter of months, Walmart has become a major player in the burgeoning business of quickly fueling electric vehicles, speeding past Costco as well as more established charging companies with its in-house network of electron pumps. Walmart has hosted chargers from brands like Electrify America since 2018. But now the company is building its own network — and quickly. As of March of last year, every EV station at a Walmart is under the company brand.
While the blitz of infrastructure will fuel in-store sales, it will also redraw the American charging map, making public electrons cheaper and easier to find.
“They’re steamrolling,” said Bill Ferro, cofounder of Paren, a charging consultancy. “It’s the right time to do this and they’ve got the right locations.”
Walmart, meanwhile, isn’t alone in its play for EV pilots. If anything, it’s a little late to the game. Target Corp. has 150 high-speed charging stations spread around its US stores, according to Paren, while Costco Wholesale Corp. is selling electrons in 42 of its lots. Home Depot Inc. and Lowe’s Companies Inc. have 101 stations between them.
Shiri Levi-Laor, chief executive officer of Driivz Inc., a consultancy, says adjacent charging generally increases a store’s sales by 5%. By 2030, she estimates one in five fast-charging stations in the US will be in the parking lot of a big-box retailer.
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More evidence of the transition happening despite furious resistance and sabotage by the administration.
Not just Wal Mart.
Costco has always been a go-to destination for bulk groceries, electronics and even gas.
Now, the retailer is making headlines by bringing fast, reliable EV charging to its parking lots.
With electric vehicles becoming more popular and over a million new EVs registered in 2024 alone, the need for convenient charging options has never been greater. Costco EV charging stations are stepping up to meet this demand, offering a seamless way for drivers to power up while they shop.
I’ve never understood why they haven’t lined all those flat roofs with solar panels. Such and easy money maker.
I’m guessing they’re afraid it would be seen by many there as an act of betrayal to the climate denying delayalist anti-renewable aunty-BEV state of redness.
So why are they installing BEV chargers, then?
Flyin under the radar. As long as they’re powered by manly destruction like burnin stuff n smashin atoms, they kin git away wid it. Them so-lar panels is just too hippy dippy out there and obvious.
there has to be a regulatory structure for what is called “net metering” – meaning how will smaller solar generators be compensated for any extra power they produce.
Until there are consistent rules for that across the country, the WalMarts will not be incentivized to install solar on roofs or parking lots.
It’s not just about selling extra power. They can save a lot of money by producing the electricity they need to run the store
Walmart has just over 5,000 stores in the US, and ~500 of them have solar systems.
Costco has 85/652 stores with solar panels.
I’m less interested in how many legacy stores use solar than in how many stores sell solar kits of various sizes (like Lowes and Home Depot), especially as more and more places suffer multi-day blackouts due to extreme weather.
Because in most states, the regulatory and compensation mechanisms, so called Net Metering rules, have not been formulated consistently in such a way as to make those installations practical and remunerative. To pencil out, they would need to be able to feed electricity back into the grid at a favorable rate.
Utilities in many states also still guard their status as sole producers of power, something that was built in when they were founded as regulated monopolies a century ago, but may not be fit for purpose with current technologies and demands. New laws and regs desperately needed.