CITGO Petroleum Corporation, along with longtime marketer Folk Oil Company, recently launched an electric vehicle charging pilot program designed to meet the needs of EV drivers in Battle Creek, Michigan. The CITGO at 15551 11 Mile Road now offers both regular transportation fuel and EV charging stations. For added consumer convenience, EV chargers include both Charging System (CCS) and North American Charging Standard (NACS) plugs.
“As a marketer, we need to provide offerings that meet all types of transportation needs for our consumers, so we appreciate how CITGO is approaching the EV space in a way that ensures its marketers’ success,” says Jim Linton, president of Folk Oil. “Working together we were able to pinpoint the best location to launch this program.”
CITGO devised an internal model to assess the viability of EV sites and collaborated with national electrical company AGI for implementation. The turnkey solutions provider will work with stores throughout the entire process, even facilitating access to available grants via the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, the Inflation Reduction Act and U.S. Department of Transportation’s Utilities.
Kevin Kinney, CITGO general manager of brand equity, explained how the CITGO approach differs from the conventional industry approach.
“Instead of a store receiving a monthly rent for EV charger installation, the CITGO program provides upfront assistance, while still giving the marketer full ownership of the installed EV charger,” says Kinney.
“In addition to our turnkey solutions, we offer an extensive range of EV charger brands, giving CITGO marketers the flexibility to choose the best solution for their site,” adds Brad Hinkley, vice president of business development for AGI’s ELM Division. “With so many moving parts in the EV space, we’re here to provide a streamlined program that covers everything from charger selection to post-installation maintenance.”
Based in Homer, Mich., Folk Oil manages 43 retail convenience stores in south central Michigan and northern Ohio, operating under the name “PS Food Mart.”
