Starbucks, Volvo to pilot EV charging stations across five states
Coffee giant Starbucks is partnering with Volvo Cars to install electric vehicle charging stations at Starbucks locations across five states.
The companies on Tuesday announced they are collaborating on a pilot program to install as many as 60 Volvo-branded, ChargePoint DC fast chargers at up to 15 Starbucks stores along a 1,350-mile route between Denver and Seattle, where Starbucks' headquarters is located.
The pilot is a test to understand the usage and potential scalability of EV charging stations at the coffee chains stores, as Starbucks looks to expand its roster of renewable energy and decarbonization projects to meet its goal to cut its emissions by 50 percent by 2030.
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"Volvo Cars wants to give people the freedom to move and lower their impact on the environment," Anders Gustafsson, Senior Vice President Americas and President and CEO of Volvo Car USA, said in a statement. "Working with Starbucks we can do that by giving them enjoyable places to relax while their cars recharge."
The project includes plans to put a charging station about every 100 miles along the route, which Volvo notes is "well within the battery range of most electric vehicles."
Those who own Volvo EVs will be able to charge their vehicles for free while all other EV owners will have to pay a fee to use the stations.
According to Volvo, ChargePoint's fast chargers can charge a vehicle's battery from 20 percent to 90 percent in about 40 minutes.
The pilot is expected to kick off this summer and will be completed by the end of the year.
The partnership comes as the auto industry is making big investments to shift from traditional combustion engines to battery-powered EVs amid increasing pressure by governments and regulators to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
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