Starbucks Corp., in partnership with Volvo Cars, has installed new electric vehicle (EV) chargers, powered by ChargePoint Holdings Inc., at the first Starbucks stores. The charging stations will be available to customers and members of the public. Four charging stations have been installed at the first Starbucks location in Provo, Utah, and additional places to charge will be positioned along a 1,350-mile route that winds through national forests and major community hubs from the Colorado Rockies to the Starbucks Support Center (headquarters) in Seattle.
“Access to EV charging should be as easy as getting a great cup of coffee – and now, it can be,” says Michael Kobori, Starbucks’ chief sustainability officer. “We look forward to continuing this partnership with Volvo and ChargePoint, exploring new ways to enhance the Starbucks Experience and inviting customers on our journey to become a resource positive company.”
These charging stations are among the first that are online and available along the proposed 1,350-mile route, providing customers a place to recharge both themselves and their battery-powered vehicles. By the end of the year, up to 60 DC fast chargers will be installed at up to 15 Starbucks stores approximately every 100 miles along the route.
“Volvo Cars is about giving people the freedom to move in safe, sustainable and personal ways,” comments Anders Gustafsson, SVP of the Americas region, and president and CEO of Volvo Car USA. “One way we can do this is by partnering with Starbucks and ChargePoint to provide an EV charging network that fits seamlessly into their lives and offer the peace of mind you can only get from a cup of their favorite coffee. We look forward to a great future together.”
While drivers of any EV equipped with a standard CCS1 or CHAdeMO receptacle will be able to use these stations for a fee, drivers of Volvo Cars will get the added benefit of having access to these stations at no charge or at preferential rates.
“With Volvo and Starbucks, we’re creating a premium EV driving experience between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest,” states Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint. “Through our partnership, EV drivers will have the opportunity to quickly fuel their vehicles at Starbucks locations along one of America’s most scenic byways.”
Drivers of Volvo Recharge models with Google embedded can use the ChargePoint app integrated into their vehicle’s in-dash system, while others can use the mobile ChargePoint app, to find, use and pay for access to the ChargePoint charging stations at participating Starbucks locations.
The full list of communities with planned EV charger-enabled Starbucks store locations along the route currently includes Seattle, Wash.; Issaquah, Wash.; Yakima, Wash.; Hermiston, Ore.; La Grande, Ore.; Nampa, Idaho; Twin Falls, Idaho; Unitah, Utah; Sandy, Utah; Provo, Utah; Grand Junction, Colo.; Glenwood Springs, Colo.; Silverthorne, Colo.; Idaho Springs, Colo.; and Broomfield, Colo.