Electrify America, an entity created by Volkswagen to spend US$800m on zero emissions infrastructure in California and $2bn country-wide as part of an agreement following ‘dieselgate, has announced it will install electric vehicle chargers at more than 100 Walmart locations across 34 states by June 2019.
This will more than double the number of electric vehicle charging stations at Walmarts in the US.
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The announcement is expected to make Walmart one of the leading electric vehicle charging station hosts in the US retail sector.
“The expansion of Walmart’s electric vehicle charging facilities with our ultra-fast charging systems will provide consumers with a quick and convenient way to charge their vehicles in the time it takes to make their purchases,” said Mark McNabb, president and CEO of Electrify America. “EV owners need a convenient, reliable and fast turnaround in recharging their vehicles.”
“Along with providing our customers with an enhanced shopping experience through added convenience, this initiative also allows us to contribute to the expansion of our nation’s EV charging station infrastructure,” said Mark Vanderhelm, vice president of energy for Walmart.
The new charging systems will offer the first-ever certified cooled-cable 150 to 350 kilowatt (kW) DC fast chargers. Electric vehicle chargers that offer this kind of power deliver energy for up to 20 miles of range per minute which is seven times faster than today’s 50kW DC chargers.
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By GlobalDataOn the wider scale, Electrify America’s charging systems will have a range in power from 50kW, the most commonly used fast charging for electric vehicles today, up to 350kW for its highway stations. The systems will also offer DC fast chargers ranging from 50kW to 150kW for metro locations. An L2 AC charger will also be offered at a majority of metro DC fast charging stations to accommodate plug-in hybrids and non-DC-charge capable EVs.
The majority of the new, larger battery EVs expected by 2020 from many manufacturers will typically use up to 150kW while at least one manufacturer will offer 320kW charging performance.
All charging stations will offer a CHAdeMO1 (50kW) connector, plus additional dual-handle dispensers with CCS1 (50 to 350 kW) connectors, ensuring that all fast charging capable cars will be able to use the stations, regardless of their charge point locations.
The chargers will have an all new intuitive and informative 15-inch touch screen display, with much of this content also available on an app so customers can manage their charging sessions from their smartphone. The new user interface is designed to provide a simplified plug-pay-charge-go experience, including opt-in text notifications.
In addition, the chargers will also feature redundant physical buttons below the display screen, as well as a credit card reader for universal driver access.
Functionally and aesthetically, the chargers are up to eight feet high to provide easier vehicle charge port access without complex, maintenance prone mechanical cable management systems while the height increases charger visibility.
Electrify America, which will spend that $2bn over the next 10 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 in 39 states, as part of its Cycle One investment. All the chargers will be installed or under construction by the end of 2019. Stations will be located at convenient EV charging stops with access to retail, dining, parking and other facilities.
See also: ABB to deploy high power EV chargers across the US
