by Ann Withanee — July 27, 2011—Walgreens plans to offer electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at approximately 800 locations across the country by the end of the year, making it the nation’s largest retail host, according to a recent announcement. The company’s neighborhood stores will provide convenient locations for EV drivers to recharge near home or work. The charging stations will feature either a high-speed direct current (DC) charger that can add 30 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes of charging time, or a Level 2 charger that can add up to 25 miles of range per hour of charge.
Major markets expected to host these sites are Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Select locations in Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington will also receive EV charging stations. Installation begins later this month.
Walgreens already has installations underway for EV charging stations at more than 60 stores across Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Walgreens will make up as much as 40 percent of all public EV charging stations across the country.
