Walmart has announced plans to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at thousands of its locations across the U.S. by 2023, according to a press release posted on Thursday, April 6, 2023. Currently, Walmart has 1300 charging stations at 280 locations in the U.S., and it aims to add thousands more to its over 4,700 Walmart and 600 Sam’s Club locations, all of which are within 10 miles of approximately 90% of Americans.
Vishal Kapadia, Senior Vice President of Energy Transformation at Walmart, stated in the release that easy access to on-the-go charging is a game-changer for EV drivers who have been hesitant to purchase an EV due to concerns about finding a charger in a clean, bright, and safe location when needed. The company is currently working with suppliers and plans to have at least four chargers at participating stores, although the stores were not identified. Walmart also stated that charging prices will be in line with their “Everyday Low Pricing” structure.
Other large retail outlets such as Costco have also started adding charging stations, but most of them are located in California. Walgreens currently has 365 charging locations and plans to reach 800, while Kroger has invested $1.5 million to install 200 Blink charging stations in Phoenix, San Diego, and Los Angeles, with plans to add another 250 across the country.
The Biden administration recently announced $7.5 billion in funding for a nationwide EV charging network in 35 states. President Biden also noted that his administration has invested $135 billion in the EV industry and plans to have more than 500,000 charging stations installed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) labor union.
What does this mean for RVs?
Currently, EV sales only account for 7% of automobile industry sales, and in the RV industry, there are only two motorized prototypes, the eRV2 by Winnebago and the Thor Vision. The Winnebago eRV2, which was featured at the Florida RV Trade Show in Tampa last January, is the second prototype and was customized from the Ford Transit all-electric platform, with a driving range of only 125 miles. Ford has also built the E Transit for delivery vehicles that typically drive only 75 miles per day.
According to Winnebago’s “Advanced Technology Group” and conversations with Winnebago Product Engineers, they acknowledged that the short driving range is not ideal and that’s why it’s still a prototype. Winnebago has decided to start now and address the deficiencies, so they are better prepared when more advanced battery systems and longer driving ranges become available. Currently, a level 3, 350-watt charger takes 45 minutes to charge a typical EV battery, indicating that there is still a long way to go before an EV RV becomes feasible. However, the concept of an RV towing an EV could be a practical solution.
What about EV trucks pulling trailers?
Several companies have introduced hybrids and all-electric vehicles in recent years. The one getting the most press is the Ford F-150 Lightning, which boasts a range of 230 miles and up to 300 miles with a battery upgrade. Ford advertises a towing capacity of 10,000 pounds. However, a recent Motor Trend test with an 8,500-pound trailer only provided a 30-minute test drive.
Chevrolet posted a tow test of the new 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV but did not mention the drive time before needing a recharge. Check it out here.
You can find current charging stations around the country at the U.S. Department Of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center here.
We have reached out to Walmart about whether any of the new charging stations will be pull-throughs, which would enable RVers towing electric vehicles to charge them without unhooking them or backing up. Walmart has not yet responded.
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook” as well as the Managing Editor of the RV Repair Club.
Read more from Dave here.
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The Motor Trend study cited in the article stated that a Ford Lightning towing a 6,000 pound trailer had an available amount of energy equal to a conventional F150 with four gallons of gas.
My Silverado 1500 holds 23 gallons, an amount that I suspect is about the same as an F150. By the time I use 23 gallons, the Lightning driver will have had to charge five or six times, assuming he can make it from charger to charger.
The article above says that, “Currently, a level 3, 350-watt charger takes 45 minutes to charge a typical EV battery …. That’s a little over 2,500 kilowatt hours for enough power to equal four gallons of gas. What’s the cost per kwh where you live, and what is your time worth if you have to stop every 30 minutes to recharge for 45 minutes as mentioned above?
Comments On This Article Are Very Articulate And Sane (Respectful/Robust)… Thankyou, Diane! : )
I must admit that I have not done a lot of research or the math, but: I thought I just read somewhere that by 2033 auto manufacturers have been told that 2/3 of the vehicles they sell are to be electric. Will 2/3 of the Walmart parking lots have EV charging stations? I doubt that their transformer can handle that much electricity. Where in any large city is there even enough room for that many stations – no less the electricity? It may be possible to scatter charging stations that frequently along Interstates, but I guess there will be no more travel along back roads. The ability to create electricity aside, where can they put all these stations? When will gas stations begin to disappear to where I can no longer drive my 1996 Lincoln Town Car? I know there is no room for a charging station on the back road to Cripple Creek, Colorado. The further along that this gets the confusder I gets. I wish my folks had brought me up Amish.
Hopefully these new charging stations do more than just charge your EV. That they also charge your pocket book to pay for them and the electricity they use to charge an EV. It is fine for Walmart to cater to their EV driving customers, as long as it is not at the expense of their gas and diesel driving customers.
Interesting article. Smart move by Walmart and “other” private businesses. Current research indicates that vehicle charging time may be from 30 minutes to an hour or longer. And that time frame is if a charger is available when needed or wanted.
What are the operators and passengers to do during this time? Sit in the vehicle while charging or enter the business and purchase items?
I’m betting the private business is hoping for the later.
Me, I want to fuel up and be back on the road in about 10 minutes.
Our government don’t give gas stations tax money to install gas pumps. Why should they give companies tax dollars to install electric chargers. Plus these electric charging stations don’t have a roof to protect you from the rain and snow.
But didn’t our gov’t subsidize the oil companies that built the gas stations? They also subsidized the coal industry. The gov’t has subsidized all sorts of energy and communication over our existence. Now our gov’t is subsidizing the electrification of autos, like they subsidized oil for our gas / diesel vehicles. Not that I agree with electric vehicles. Horse people probably did not like the oil hand-outs for gas for autos. The gov’t subsidized getting electricity to rural areas of the US and they have just subsidized the getting of internet to the rural areas of our country like earlier rural telephone subsidies.
I think the disconnect for many people is that 7% of the drivers are consuming $135 billion of subsidies while 93% are paying $5.00/gallon for fuel when simply building a single refinery for $14 billion would help 93%. Let the 7% have the $121 billion that’s left over. The disparity is far too glaring to make any sence or any cents for the masses. Hurt the many to help the few. 93% could use a little relief.
The Wal-Mart component tho, great. Private capital. Private decision.
I can kind of see that and believe that this electric mess should evolve rather than being pushed so hard. On the other hand my tax bite pays for so much that I do not see any direct benefit from. It has always been that way for me at least. So I guess I have gotten used to paying for the “other guy”. I just convince myself that the taxes that I do not use is eventually for the good of the USA and our society as a whole. On the other hand I sort of look at it like Walmart prices will go up to pay for charging stations. That is how confused I am.
Lithium batteries as a component of EVs ravage the planet in general. Children in the Congo, and child labor in other countries is the majority of the mining labor, for these technologies. One EV produces 20 tons of carbon to manufacture. 1 gasoline vehicle produces 5 tons of carbon per year average. 4 years worth of damage before it us even delivered, by comparison.
Electric vehicles, IMO, will certainly be beneficial to humankind one day. I’m just against any of my tax dollars supporting child labor in 3rd world mining operations. EVs are not ready for the masses. I’m not a fan of blood diamonds either though.
To each his own though. I agree on the unknowns of my tax dollars, just like you. It’s part of the big picture price of living in a 1st world society.
“EVs are not ready for the masses.” Agree. That part does not confuse me.
It’s great that a private company is leading the push to accomodate a new technology with private money. I’m sure it will help Wal-Mart’s ESG score at the same time but this is great for everyone, when private money invests in the future. It will help get 7% EV ownership to 10% faster by helping to deteriorate the valid objection of access to EV Charging sites.
The part of the article I take issue with is the propagandist element. “Biden Saves the World”, could have been the headline for the middle part of that article. Does Dave Solberg work for the White House? $135 billion is enough for 9-10 new oil refineries to help out the 93% of the population that don’t drive EVs and want cheaper gas. The USA has not built a new oil refinery since the 1970s, so yeah, maybe build one, start with that. I’m cheering for a new oil refinery, just one for $14 billion and then thru govt efficiency go ahead and waste 50% of left over $120 billion on EV infrastructure. Is
7%>93%?
Yet another reason they’ll give for banning overnight RV parking at Walmart.
EV charging stations? I’m wondering if they can provide the “clean, bright, and safe location”.
Walmart says they have stores within 10 miles of 90% of the population. I wonder if they are considering all the stores they are closing, Chicago,San Francisco, Portland all have large populations. They may have to re-evaluate their statement.
The 4 stores they just announced closing in Chicago are losing +/- $10 million per year. Nice to see Walmart putting those returns of losses into something profitable in areas that have a demographic that will embrace the product, electricity. Private capital used for making private investment.
I agree, if law enforcement can’t protect a business and it’s customer it’s time to lock the doors. Eliminate Woke, refund the police, and put the criminals where they should be, making little rocks out of big rocks. Everybody thought the penal system was terrible a hundred years ago but there was less crime partly due to prison conditions. Between being part of a chain gang in the hot sun and a guard busting your head if you didn’t work that was a deterrent to crime.
When I joined the Marines back in 1962, after boot camp I went to the Naval Air Station Memphis, TN for aviation training. The barracks I was assigned to was next to the brig(jail). It was August, temperature in the mid 90’s humidity 95%, we had 2 36” fans, one at each end of the squad bay. With one black and white TV in the rec room. We could look out our windows and see the prisoners A/C barracks with color TVs on each floor, lounge chairs in the TV room, pool tables etc. Treatment of prisoners was better than the ones that obeyed the rules and laws. Anytime a prisoner is treated better than law abiding citizens something is wrong with that picture.
It sounds like a great idea. But, if they put them close to the store, how are the going to police non EV vehicles from parking in these spots? Signs don’t mean a thing!
As it is now at most Walmarts, even the Handicapped spots are taken by inconsiderate ‘people’ looking for place to park near the entrance.
They will have to put them away from the store otherwise a large vehicle charging will be blocking traffic. You are right about inconsiderate people using the handicapped sites to run in and pickup 10 things real quick. We just moved back from FL where 50% of the population is handicapped. That’s a challenge.
way to go, Walmart!