- Kroger, one of the largest supermarket chains in the United States, is getting serious about electric vehicle charging.
- It has partnered with EVgo to add thousands of DC fast chargers in its stores in the next decade.
- The first new location is already up and running, with more to come.
Thousands of new DC fast chargers will be running in Kroger stores across the US in the next 10 years, after the massive supermarket operator partnered with EVgo to boost electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The companies said the first new shipping site is already operational in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the next sites on the list are scheduled to be operational soon in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Texas and Washington. Kroger stores in other states are also committed to having brand new EV chargers that can charge a car’s battery in less than 15 minutes.
EVgo will build at least 150 fast-charging kiosks annually through 2035 at Kroger and Foods Co. locations. and Fred Meyer, Fry’s Food Stores, Harris Teeter, King Soopers and Smith’s Food and Drug across the United States. Each station will feature up to 16 high-power kiosks.
The shipping operator did not say how powerful these kiosks are, however Salt Lake City websiteIt is a Smith’s store and has 12 350-kilowatt chargers that can charge up to 24 cars at once. All of the charging connectors here are CCS1, but EVgo also makes chargers with NACS connectors.
“EVgo’s expanded relationship with Kroger brings more fast charging options into Americans’ daily lives,” said Badr Khan, CEO of EVgo. “Kroger is the grocery destination of choice for millions of Americans. Adding fast charging to Kroger locations will provide the growing number of electric vehicle drivers with a key advantage – the convenience of charging where they shop while empowering drivers with the freedom to choose electric.”
EVgo currently operates approximately 4,800 DC fast charging kiosks in the United States, according to Alternative Fuels Data CenterBut the company is planning a massive expansion. By the end of 2029 — just three years from now — EVgo expects to have more than 15,000 kiosks in operation in the United States.
To drive installations to the highest levels, the American shipping operator has partnered with several companies, including General Motors Energy and Al Tayyar Companyto install kiosks in thousands of locations. GM Energy alone has more than 2,000 co-branded kiosks already in operation, with more to come. EVgo is also used Prefabricated panels Lengths that can be installed much faster than traditional systems.
