Volvo Car USA and Starbucks want to establish a public EV charging network at Starbucks stores beginning this summer. The chargers will come through ChargePoint and bear Volvo branding. So far, the partners have designated 15 Starbucks locations and want to distribute 60 DC chargers.
The aim is to have a charge hub every 100 miles along a 1,350-mile route from the Denver area to the coffee company’s Seattle headquarters. The pilot installations will begin this summer.
Volvo Cars hope this will make charging as easy as buying a coffee, and indeed, the connection is rather obvious. ChargePoint’s DC fast chargers can bring the Volvo C40 Recharge, for example, from a 20 per cent to a 90 per cent charge in about 40 minutes.
Volvo drivers in the US can use the ChargePoint app in the car when relying on Google. Volvo further points out that their drivers will charge at Starbucks for free or at preferential rates. At the same time, the new charge points will be open for anyone to charge for a fee yet to be determined.
“We are thrilled to partner with Volvo Cars to test how we can charge our customers’ electric vehicles at Starbucks stores,” said Michael Kobori, Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks.
Just as Volvo Cars plans to be a fully electric car company by 2030, Starbucks plans EV charging and onsite solar availability at stores and in adjacent locations. Starbucks aims to expand its solar pilot locations to 55 new stores this year.
The partners expect to complete the installations at the end of this year.
Keyword: Volvo Car USA and Starbucks to install charge points