Walmart Plans Own EV Charger Network At US Stores By 2030 (reuters.com) 55
Walmart plans to have its own network of electric vehicle charging stations by 2030 to tap into the growing adoption of EVs in the United States. Reuters reports: The new fast-charging stations will be placed at thousands of Walmart and Sam's Club stores, alongside nearly 1,300 it already offers as part of a deal with Volkswagen unit Electrify America, one of the country's largest open public EV networks. Walmart's more than 5,000 stores and Sam's Club warehouses are located within 10 miles of about 90% of Americans.
"We have the ability to address range and charging anxiety in a way that no one else can in this country," Vishal Kapadia, Walmart's recently appointed senior vice president of Energy Transformation, said in an interview. Owning its chargers, instead of partnering with a network operator, will help Walmart address reliability and cost issues, Kapadia said. Kapadia said he expects the new charge points to be direct-current fast chargers, with about four chargers on average installed per store.
"We have the ability to address range and charging anxiety in a way that no one else can in this country," Vishal Kapadia, Walmart's recently appointed senior vice president of Energy Transformation, said in an interview. Owning its chargers, instead of partnering with a network operator, will help Walmart address reliability and cost issues, Kapadia said. Kapadia said he expects the new charge points to be direct-current fast chargers, with about four chargers on average installed per store.
Obvious difficulties (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
What gets me is the part about only 4 per store. Considering the closest one to me is classified as a "supercenter" and the number of parking spaces it has, four seems almost like an after thought.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
That might actually make it easier to meet the goal of "about 4 chargers average per store".
Have like 5 tranches:
1/5 - 0 chargers
2/5 - 2 chargers
3/5 - 4 chargers
4/5 - 6 chargers
5/5 - 8 chargers.
By not even bothering to install chargers at some locations, you can install more at others for still less effort. If you do it right, once you've installed like 2 chargers, installing even more is easier.
If you can make a fairly informed decision, perhaps by having an employee/manager keep an eye out for EVs for a
Re: (Score:2)
I think that as many charging spaces as there are handicapped spots would be a good start.
I've seen all the chargers at my local wawa in use, and they have like 10 of them.
I hope that even if they start at ~4 chargers, that they make it part of an expandable rail type system, which makes having more charging heads easier, even if you can't charge 100% of the spots at 100% rate, it allows for more flexibility in leaving cars there while you finish up your mega-shopping trip(or having lunch at the Subway insi
Re: (Score:2)
even if you can't charge 100% of the spots at 100% rate
The rate will be way less than 100%.
A typical driver will want to add 30 miles of range (about 10 kwh). A 150 kw supercharger can do that in 4 minutes.
Most people will be in the store for much longer than that. Their EV is sitting in the space but no longer charging.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm not sure that the 'typical' driver will even bother to plug in to a Walmart charger unless it's free. So I think that the range desired might be a bit more than that, in that they're either critically low or want to fully charge.
But otherwise exactly. I've read that in some spots, Tesla will start charging you more if your car is still plugged in but not charging. IE they want you there when the charge is done to move it. But given that essentially fining you for leaving your car sitting in a charge
Re:Obvious difficulties (Score:5, Interesting)
Currently EVs are priced above the median Walmart customer's value line. The "Now" of the deal is pulling in a different customer base to their stores (or at least their immediate vicinity). Those DCFC are a huge draw for EV owners. A destination for its own purpose.
In the longer term, the DC Fast Charge sites will assuredly morph to include additional Level 2 chargers to entice the core Walmart demographic. They who will do their ordinary shopping and wait around just a bit longer to get those extra kWh in.
No difficulty here.
S-curve (Score:2)
Currently EVs are priced above the median Walmart customer's value line.
The initial purchase price of an EV is more than an equivalent ICE car, but the total cost of ownership is less. Most car purchases are done on a payment plan, so this doesn't affect the value line as much as you might think - the difference is probably a couple of dollars per payment, or perhaps more payments for a longer term.
I estimate that an EV will have about 1/3 the cost of an ICE for "gas" (at $0.14/kwh here in the Northeast, which is above average) so the weekly expenses for driving around will be
Re: (Score:2)
I'm getting close to my 4 year mark on my model 3.
admittedly, I have very very low mileage. the lockdown and WFH helped that a lot.
still, it has been my daily driver (when I drive that day) for all that time.
total spent on maint: $0.00
seriously. not a single service call that I had to pay for. one service to fix a front end link that was a bad part from the start.
I dont recommend tesla, the brand, for lots of reasons, but as for an ev, I've never had a car that cost me zero dollars for upkeep, over a 4 y
Re: (Score:2)
Currently EVs are priced above the median Walmart customer's value line.
Perhaps. But half are above the median.
Those DCFC are a huge draw for EV owners. A destination for its own purpose.
Maybe. But I am an EV owner and I don't see any reason I would ever use it.
I shop at a Walmart near my home, so it is easier and more convenient for me to charge at home while I'm sleeping.
The only time I use a supercharger (or any charger other than the one in my garage) is during long trips. When on a trip, I want to stop next to a nice place to eat, not a Walmart.
Re: (Score:2)
it is easier and more convenient for me to charge at home while I'm sleeping.
One of the complaints has been how to accommodate people that live in high-density housing. Not every renter or property owner has an individual garage where they can install a dedicated charger. People living in apartment buildings or where their only option is on-street parking will need a solution.
By installing fast chargers at their stores, Walmart brings in additional customers that weren't planning on going to the store that day to shop. But while they are there charging their cars, what else will
Re: (Score:2)
One of the complaints has been how to accommodate people that live in high-density housing. Not every renter or property owner has an individual garage where they can install a dedicated charger. People living in apartment buildings or where their only option is on-street parking will need a solution.
Why not install chargers in lamp posts where there's already a ready supply of power? That's what's being done where I live where almost no one has off street parking.
Re: (Score:2)
One of the complaints has been how to accommodate people that live in high-density housing. Not every renter or property owner has an individual garage where they can install a dedicated charger. People living in apartment buildings or where their only option is on-street parking will need a solution.
Why not install chargers in lamp posts where there's already a ready supply of power? That's what's being done where I live where almost no one has off street parking.
Sure. That is similar to how in cities in Alaska, they have electrical outlets at parking meters and lots, and have had them for years. At present, they are used for keeping engines and batteries warm.
Re: (Score:2)
But while they are there charging their cars, what else will they do but wonder around the store and perhaps purchase something. I'm guessing the stores that install chargers will also see an increase in their impulse-sale items.
Yup. As chargers begin to proliferate, people will charge at the restaurant while they are out at dinner, or Wal-Mart - any place that has a charger.
In the short term, it will be an actual draw. I predicted years ago that hotels/motels will start adding them, and that charger availability would become a draw.
We'll likely see parking lots all over adding them. Electricity at the meter exists already in places like Alaska.
The paradigm will be topping off the charge fairly often.
Re: (Score:2)
One of the complaints has been how to accommodate people that live in high-density housing. Not every renter or property owner has an individual garage where they can install a dedicated charger.
If you don't have the ability to charge your BEV at home, you're going to be overpaying for electricity. Unless you live somewhere with nutty expensive gas, you're probably better off getting a hybrid vehicle.
Re: (Score:2)
Currently EVs are priced above the median Walmart customer's value line.
Perhaps. But half are above the median.
Those DCFC are a huge draw for EV owners. A destination for its own purpose.
Maybe. But I am an EV owner and I don't see any reason I would ever use it.
I shop at a Walmart near my home, so it is easier and more convenient for me to charge at home while I'm sleeping.
The only time I use a supercharger (or any charger other than the one in my garage) is during long trips. When on a trip, I want to stop next to a nice place to eat, not a Walmart.
I think what the purpose would be is for availability for people who are running a little low, or those who like to constantly top their car off. So they can stop off at Wally World, and the genius is that if they are running rather low in charge, they'll likely stay in the store a bit longer. I don't know if higher adoption of EV's will have them treated like younger folks treat their phones or not - some people are always running near empty.
One thing in the EV vs ICE wars that I see is that a lot of pe
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Not everything has to be targeted at the median customer, and I know a distressing number of people who make "good money" who shop there for convenience, proximity, etc. I suspect you're spot-on about attracting other customers. Level 3 chargers are relatively scarce, and these will attract travelers and enable multifamily-dwellers who don't have the ability to Level 2 at home. With vehicles like the Ioniq 6 able to gain substantial range in as little as 18 minutes these will have significant allure, es
Re: (Score:2)
It's weird, because there are already a lot of EV chargers at existing Walmart stores (Electrify America network, especially, IIRC). I didn't read the article, but I also hope they are talking about fast chargers, because although I do sometimes shop at my local WM, I try to spend as little time there as possible, as it resembles a prison inside.
Re: (Score:2)
one guesses that Walmart customers are going to be more likely to not be people with EVs than the general population.
Irrelevant. Being a Walmart customer is not a requirement to charge your vehicle. I never shop at a Walmart, but there is nothing to keep me from stopping at one to charge my vehicle. I've actually already done this on some trips in my EV at some Electrify America chargers. Lots of people go to gas stations for gas but never step foot inside for snacks.
Re: (Score:2)
Lots of people go to gas stations for gas but never step foot inside for snacks.
What?? Dood - you haven't lived until you've had some of that yummy gas station sushi!
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
For a while my wife's favorite tacos were from a gas station. It was hilarious when her family would visit and she would have to admit where she had picked up their food from :-)
And in full confession, there was a Minit Mart type station across the street from where I worked that had the best Chili cheese dogs and decent fries for cheap.
From what I understand, some people really like Boudin Sausage from sketchy looking places in Louisiana. I really need to try that some time.
Re: (Score:2)
Being a Walmart customer is not a requirement to charge your vehicle.
Correct. There are additional perks for Walmart as well. In addition to making money on the charge (they're not complimentary, after all), Walmart can collect data on non-customers, and even more data on its customers.
When do their EV customers usually go to their stores? Wow long do they tend to stay there? Do the charges create more customers? Do they tend to buy stuff, or more or less stuff, when charging? Those are just the ones that jump out at me. I'm sure there are analytics I can't think of that are
Wal-Mart just removed EVGo DCFC charger (Score:2)
from one of its San Jose super center stores. I have never seen anyone plug in. I'm guessing they removed them due to lack of use. So, this news is somewhat surprising.
I think a few DCFC are good, but ideally there should be rows of L2 chargers also. Not everyone needs an L3 charge. Even an hour of L2 charge while shopping at Wal-Mart gives you a nice boost. It has to be priced low enough - ideally, free or at cost.
Foolish. (Score:3)
I can't think of anybody I know with a supercharging EV who'd pay for that and would even go inside Walmart let alone charge there.
What makes MORE sense is to have FREE slow charging 6k chargers. For the load of 1 super charger they could have at least 5 slower chargers. Put in at least 12 charging spots in the front after (and include some) handicapped spots. Maybe 20.
After 1 hour, then charge money. A slow charge is about 12 miles per hour so it covers driving to the store and encourages you to go in the store for a while. Add a few super chargers in the future on.
I go to Target and 6k charge which easily covers the distance to the store in the short time I'm in the place... hardly worth bothering most the time so I'll go multiple places and finish at Target. It's had me go in the store more than I would normally... really it's only saving me less than $1 in electricity but it worked to get me there many times over the years.
WHY have so many fast chargers? you want people to stay a while and kill some time. The stores are located a short distance from most people; it doesn't need to attempt to be a gas station. Where fast makes sense are those diners in the middle of nowhere and you need a break and food for 30 min and could also use a quick recharge.
Re:Foolish. (Score:4, Informative)
Tesco and some other supermarkets in the UK have chargepoints at 7kWh, 22kWh and 50kWh. The 50kWh is DC, the others are AC. The DC chargers take up more space but also charge more per kW so perhaps the supermarket is incentivized to blend AC & DC depending on parking space, grid power. Probably the same would work in Walmart. If overstay were an issue they could start charging people though that could cause resentment so maybe there are other ways to incentivize people to leave promptly - loyalty points or other small perks.
Re: (Score:2)
Chargepoint (among others) has the ability for locations to set different rates based on time of day, length of stay, etc. It is entirely possible to set a charger to allow free or cheap charging for the first amount of time, then charge a premium for time spent after that. I used one the other day that charged $.12/kWh with free parking during the first hour, then switched to $.16/kWh plus $2/hr for parking after that. It's perfect to incentivise average-length visits but discourage long parking session
Re: (Score:2)
I've done exactly that on several occasions (there are already fast chargers located at some Walmarts). It's convenient because during the 15-20 minutes it takes to charge up my car enough to continue my trip, I can run in and use the facilities. That's all I really want when I'm in the middle of a road trip.
Level 2 chargers make sense at places where you're going to be park
Re: (Score:2)
I can't think of anybody I know with a supercharging EV who'd pay for that and would even go inside Walmart let alone charge there.
That's what makes this so delicious, lol!
"Need a charge ... but it's Walmart ... what if somebody sees me there?!?"
Re: (Score:2)
I know Target is more "upscale", but I see plenty of Teslas using the row of Tesla chargers at my Target. And while I personally avoid Walmart like the plague, I know people (like my dad) who are far wealthier than me but choose to shop at Walmart.
Re: (Score:2)
I know plenty of EV people who show at Walmart because it's there. Slow/free level 2 chargers are limited appeal because one doesn't get significant range delta at a location where one doesn't stay for an extended period of time. My local WF has 2x level 2 that are distinctly slower than my home level 2. We sometimes plug in to get a few miles, but rarely can we get more than 5-7 miles while shopping.
>WHY have so many fast chargers? you want people to stay a while and kill some time.
At Mal-Wart???
>
Re: (Score:2)
Level 2 chargers can vary. Level 1 just means a standard 110V 15A outlet. Level 2 is a 240V outlet, but it c
Re: (Score:2)
You're absolutely right. I have a PHEV that will only charge via 240v AC with a J1772 connector. I was close to one of the Walmart Electrify America locations a while back so I stopped to see if I could charge while I went inside. Unfortunately it only supported a couple of the fast-charge methods and didn't have the standard L1/L2 J1772 connector.
My car (Prius Prime) only has a 25 mile EV range, so I'm happy to charge wherever I can if it is less expensive than burning gasoline. I would be very happy if
Seems unnecessary (Score:2)
If Walmarts are located within 10 miles of everyone, why would there be any range anxiety? Surely people would just charge their EVs at home.
Re: Seems unnecessary (Score:2)
it's about competition. tons of retail stores are building chargers. they will get the business of EV customers, which will grow over the years. businesses without will not be as attractive to visit. it's the same reason a store with a built in fast food place will be more popular than one without.
Re: (Score:3)
Good for Walmart (Score:3)
It obviously makes sense to provide charging facilities where people park their cars - at home, streets, car parks etc. But really this policy needs to be a part of national infrastructure plan, not left to the whims of businesses. Within 10 years the majority of cars sold in most Western countries will be EVs. In some countries, ICE vehicles will be banned. Most people will charge at home, but some might not be able to, so general availability of public chargers is important.
Norway would be a good country to study. Already 80% of new cars sold are EV and in 2 years ICE cars won't be sold at all. Norway achieved this with carrot & stick methods - EVs have cheaper tolls and other perks, and ICE car sales are taxed more. On top of that, look at the charging infrastructure [ladestasjoner.no]. It is insane. That only comes about with some joined up thinking at the government level.
Re: (Score:3)
It obviously makes sense to provide charging facilities where people park their cars - at home, streets, car parks etc. But really this policy needs to be a part of national infrastructure plan, not left to the whims of businesses. Within 10 years the majority of cars sold in most Western countries will be EVs. In some countries, ICE vehicles will be banned. Most people will charge at home, but some might not be able to, so general availability of public chargers is important.
Norway would be a good country to study. Already 80% of new cars sold are EV and in 2 years ICE cars won't be sold at all. Norway achieved this with carrot & stick methods - EVs have cheaper tolls and other perks, and ICE car sales are taxed more. On top of that, look at the charging infrastructure [ladestasjoner.no]. It is insane. That only comes about with some joined up thinking at the government level.
Out of curiosity - how does Norway fund road maintenance? Here in PA, we have a tax on gasoline and fuel - highest in the country, but as EV's proliferate, that revenue will drop. It would be interesting to hear how other countries fund their maintenance.
Re: (Score:2)
Most countries don't ring fence taxes so specifically - government needs X amount of money for schools, roads, prisons, police etc. and they divvy it out on the basis of all the taxes they levy. They might have taxes specific to driving and lots of EU countries have annual car taxes and also car registration taxes. Norway did make EVs exempt from some tax but I expect with ICE cars getting abolished it will come back in some form. They also have toll roads, annual car taxes and super progressive speeding fi
Re: (Score:2)
"Most people will charge at home, but some might not be able to..." That's 20% of the car driving population you are talking about ...
Here’s an idea (Score:3)
While 250kW chargers are great when you are on a road trip, having slower like 50kW, could be great for shopping customers who can’t charge at home.
I don’t know how where the costs are when building these sites, I am sure the power supply is a factor. Fx the price of 5 * 50kW vs 1 * 250kw.
What might be the biggest problem are education of the users not to use a fast charger if they don’t need to and not sit there at idle.(use idle chargers)
The ideal scenario would be just enough 250kW stalls.
Some add more stalls by letting the chargers in the cabinets be over allocated and switch between the needed stalls. Tesla and a few others do this.
Insufficient (Score:1)
lol (Score:2)
Recent EV Rental (Score:2)
I rented an EV for 8 days, ending Wednesday. Finding places to charge it was a huge pain in the ass and wasted a lot of time.
Re: (Score:2)
That's why Walmart(and other stores) adding EV chargers is such a good thing. You get enough charger density, and it can be even more convenient than gas stations.
I mean, gas stations are mostly convenient because we've been building them for over a century.
Here's how I figure it goes: Walmart puts in ~4 chargers per store. They can then monitor it, and if all 4 chargers are in use too often(indicating that there might be an EV waiting to charge), then they install another 4. Rinse and repeat until the
Re: Recent EV Rental (Score:2)
We ended up parking at a mall for almost 3 hours, just so we could charge it up before returning it.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm actually surprised that they wanted it topped off. Lower fuel costs and easier fueling would mean just pricing in a charge into the rental price makes sense.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't own an EV simply because I have nowhere to charge one at home ... ...I know people who own them, they rarely if ever charge them anywhere but home
so what? (Score:3)
Walmart started free outdoor pickup at its stores even before the pandemic. I have not shopped inside one of their stores since at least like 2019. It's much more efficient to have them be the ones to try to figure out where they decided to hide item X on their shelves. Not sure how many EV owners are going to be spending their time walking the halls of Walmart or Sam's.
Source (Score:2)
Ok, now do the right thing and cover the roof and parking lot with PVs and/or wind turbines. More than a convenient site to charge, Walmart has extensive exposed surface area ripe for energy capture.