Chevron Dabbles In EV Charging, Installs EVgo Fast Chargers At Select Stations
EVgo and Chevron have partnered to bring EV fast charging capability to a select set of Chevron’s company-owned and -operated fueling stations in California. Chevron already has more than a dozen EVgo fast charging stations in operation or actively under construction at five of its stations in California.
“We are excited to be working with EVgo to install electric vehicle charging stations at select locations in California,” said Alice Flesher, general manager of Chevron’s company network of fueling stations. “While gasoline and diesel remain an important part of California’s transportation energy mix, we are always exploring how to evolve our offering, helping improve the consumer experience, and working to remain the preferred brand choice on the West Coast.”
The move is an exciting recognition that the energy mix that powers transportation in California is changing and that Chevron needs to adapt its fueling station business strategy accordingly. The new stations range from 5o–100 kW in power and will not only provide Chevron with a new revenue stream for its stations — they will lock in the drivers of those vehicles for 30–60 minutes as they fast charge their increasingly large EV batteries, providing ample opportunity to sell them more goods from the store or cafe inside.
Contrary to gas and diesel vehicles, the longer refueling times of electric vehicles allow drivers to venture beyond the confines of the service station. The first few EV charging stations at Chevron’s locations will surely be an interesting test of the potential for incremental drink, snack, and full meal sales for drivers.
EVgo fast charging station. Image credit: Kyle Field | CleanTechnica
“We believe the future of transportation is electric, and EVgo is helping everyone—including traditional fueling stations—take advantage of the benefits of EV adoption,” says Cathy Zoi, EVgo CEO. “EVgo is excited to work with Chevron to bring fast-charging to gas stations today and applauds the company’s forward-thinking efforts to serve the rapidly growing market of electric vehicle drivers in California.”
EVgo is clearly excited about the potential for not only increasing its EV charging footprint, but also playing a more active role in directly and visibly displacing fossil fuels with electricity. Not only are EVs cleaner than combustion vehicles when being powered from the grid, EVgo recently raised the bar when it comes to sourcing electricity used for charging EVs from renewable sources. The company recently announced that it was sourcing 100% of the electricity used for customer charging from renewables, providing a stark contrast to the nearby combustion vehicles filling up on dino juice. Zero emissions here, pollution there — your choice.
The first 5 Chevron stations with the EVgo chargers are located in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas in California, including stations in Aliso Viejo, Manhattan Beach, Menlo Park, and Venice. The Chevron-hosted EVgo fast chargers at the Menlo Park Chevron station at 1399 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025, are already open and operational. Additional stations are scheduled to open over the next few months.
Source: cleantechnica
