Photo Credit: iStockWalmart's 100th EV charging station sounds like a neat milestone on paper, but an on-site video published by The Arkansas eTraveler (@TheArkansaseTraveler) points to a different takeaway. The bigger story may be the kinds of places where these chargers are being installed. Here's what to knowIn a video published Aug. 26, the YouTube creator documented Walmart's 100th charging location under the company's own brand. The footage shows the retailer using existing store lots and parking areas to make charging easier to access. Instead of just talking about it, the video has YouTubers from across the country provide a look at the stations in their areas.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe video thus shows the impact of Walmart's charger expansion in easy-to-understand terms. Large retailers already control sizable parking areas and draw a steady stream of visitors. That gives them an advantage in adding chargers, especially in places where purpose-built charging networks have expanded more slowly.That model can also help serve areas that many drivers consider charging deserts, where public stations are harder to come by.More backgroundFor a lot of drivers, the issue is not only how many charging stations exist in the U.S. It is also whether those stations are in places that feel convenient and familiar.That is part of what makes a Walmart lot useful. A driver can plug in, shop, use the restroom, pick up food, or pause for a break without needing to find another stop. That can make charging feel less like an extra task and more like something folded into a normal routine.AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the footage, the chargers are shown as part of active retail locations that people already know how to enter, use, and navigate. They are often in areas with few other options, which could be a great help to EV drivers.If other big-box chains follow a similar path, public charging in the United States could grow differently. Expansion would not need to depend only on highway rest areas or standalone charging hubs, it could also happen through everyday destinations.What's being done?By building out a branded network of its own, Walmart is doing more than letting outside providers place equipment on its property. It is also suggesting that charging can be incorporated directly into the retail experience.That strategy could help more drivers feel comfortable switching to an EV, especially those without easy access to home charging. Apartment renters, travelers, and households that depend on public infrastructure often need reliable places to plug in while completing other errands.AdvertisementAdvertisementAs more retail-based chargers come online, drivers may be able to work charging into trips and shopping stops they already intended to make away from home.Where can I learn more?Walmart's 100-site milestone lands differently once you consider how quickly the broader rollout has progressed. The articles below track that buildout, from new chargers at stores across the U.S. to the retailer's rise in national fast-charging rankings and growing lead over other big-box chains.• Walmart had 612 connectors at 73 stores across the U.S. just a couple of months back.• After hitting 50 stations, Walmart's network surged into the top 20 of U.S. fast charging.AdvertisementAdvertisement• As Walmart expanded, it sped past Costco and kept reshaping the U.S. charging map.Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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