EVgo Strikes A Meijer Deal

Nope, that’s not a typo in the headline. I do, in fact, know how to smell “major”. The news today is that EVgo announced plans to expand a partnership with Meijer, a regional grocery retailer across the Midwest U.S. So, this deal would obviously mean installing bunch of new fast charging stations in the region. These stations, located only in Ohio, will be equipped with high-power 350kW chargers and up to six stalls.

While you won’t be able to find these new stations across the whole Old Northwest, keep in mind that this is just the latest deal, and it builds upon EVgo and Meijer’s existing relationship.EVgo has already installed 24 charging stalls at six Meijer locations in Michigan and Ohio. These locations include major metropolitan markets like Detroit, Cincinnati, and Columbus.

“EVgo has always operated with a customer-centric focus, and we have a long history of building infrastructure in convenient locations where the charging experience can be integrated into our drivers’ daily lives. Grocery stores are a prime location for drivers to plug in to fill their cars and carts at the same time,” said Dennis Kish, Chief Operating Officer at EVgo. “By partnering with Meijer, we can help EV drivers across the Midwest take advantage of convenient public charging while they take care of their shopping list.”

Even before any deals with EVgo, this isn’t the company’s first green rodeo. Meijer made it clear in the press release that its management takes pride in their commitment to sustainability. With over 500 supercenters, Meijer Grocery, neighborhood markets, and Express locations spanning across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin, the company has solidified a presence in the region, and now management is working on lowering the environmental impact of that presence. Since 2010, Meijer has been providing EV charging at select stores and on its corporate campus. Now, with an expanded partnership with EVgo, Meijer is taking another significant stride towards achieving its sustainability goals.

“Meijer cares about the communities we serve and enabling electric vehicle charging in our communities aligns with our commitment to reduce carbon emissions,” said Erik Petrovskis, Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability at Meijer. “We’re excited about this expanded partnership with EVgo to continue to meet the needs of EV drivers in the Midwest.”

Grocery stores might not seem like the obvious choice for fast charging on the surface. After all, if you’re on a road trip, something like a rest area, convenience store, or restaurant might make more sense. But, there are two reasons that this still makes a lot of sense.

First, keep in mind that convenience stores really are just small grocery stores. As long as there are restrooms easily available, travelers are as well served at a grocery store as at a convenience store (assuming they’re both open).

Second, it’s important to keep in mind that EV charging isn’t only for people on road trips. People tend to linger around grocery stores for a while, making it an excellent place for someone to charge who doesn’t have charging at home. Commercial users, especially rideshare drivers and people delivering groceries, are also very well served for local driving.

Featured image provided by Meijer and EVgo.