Target to Expand Electric Car Charging Program to More Than 20 States
More than 600 new charging stations at more than 100 Target stores will be showing up through 2019.
As hybrid and electric vehicle adoption spread, so do charging stations to keep up with demand. As part of Earth Month, retailer Target announced on Monday that it’s planning on expanding its network of charging stations in the parking lots of its stores in partnership with Tesla, ChargePoint, and Electrify America.
Currently, only 18 sites in five states have charging stations and Target is planning on bringing those numbers up to more than 100 sites across more than 20 states for a total of more than 600 parking spots with charging stations.
Putting car charging stations in the parking lots of department stores like Target makes perfect sense. Since it takes much longer to fuel an electric car than a conventional car, keeping it plugged in while shopping can be much easier than taking it to a dedicated fuelling station like a traditional gas station.
“Accelerating our efforts to install new charging stations at Target stores across the country is one way we’re building on our commitment to investing in solutions that leave our communities better for future families,” said Target property management vice president John Leisen in a press release. “And it’s an opportunity to work with industry-leading partners to bring a more convenient shopping experience to guests as we look to design lower-carbon solutions throughout our entire operation.”
It sounds like Target wants to make this expansion happen fast. Target says charging stations will be installed at more than 100 stores “throughout 2018 and 2019,” so a few charging stations could be popping up in the parking lot of your local Target soon. Target hasn’t specified where they’ll go, but we can assume they’ll be targeting (pun intended) locations where electric cars and hybrids are especially popular.
