According to NRG, it plans to install at least 30 charging stations at public parking facilities, other retailers and workplaces throughout the area by Labor Day. The charging stations will be conveniently [image-nocss] located along major freeways, near retail districts and in multi-family communities. Walgreens is the largest retailer participating in this program.
"We are pleased to have Dallas selected as the site of NRG's first operational charging station. For our customers with electric vehicles, we look forward to offering some of the city's best corners to help give people the confidence to drive longer distances with access to charging stations," said Walgreens Dallas market vice president Erv Siemoneit.
"Every day, we serve our customers' health and daily living needs and now, we are expanding those services to help customers who embrace environmental sustainability and electric vehicle use," added Walgreens director of energy and sustainability Menno Enters. "This is another way Walgreens is showing its commitment to helping the planet through innovation, design and efficiency."
The charging stations will feature a high-speed direct current (DC) charger that can add 30 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes of charging time, along with a Level 2 charger that can add up to 25 miles of range per hour of charge. The stations are strategically located across eVgo host partner cities to provide comprehensive coverage throughout the region.
By the end of 2012, NRG plans to install a total of approximately 70 charging stations in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and another 50 in the Houston area. Additionally, NRG plans will help electrify the Interstate 45 corridor that connects the two cities by the end of next year. Last November, Walgreens announced plans to host eVgo charging stations at 18 initial sites throughout Houston. Construction began this month at two locations.
"More Americans are choosing electric vehicles as a way to make a difference with respect to the environment and to our national security," said NRG EV Services president Arun Banskota. "To make EV ownership more affordable, convenient and fun, we have partnered with retailers such as Walgreens to host charging locations at strategic locations in metropolitan areas. Together, we are working to provide EV owners with range confidence, knowing that they will never be more than a few miles from a convenient charging station."
NRG started selling eVgo fueling packages to Metroplex residents in March. These charging plans will initially be priced from $49 to $89 per month, providing price security for three years during a time of rising gasoline costs. Through these eVgo plans, customers can avoid as much as $2,500 in upfront costs to install a home charging station, and in two of the plans, enjoy unlimited access to the eVgo network and unlimited miles of driving.
NRG owns and operates one of the country's largest and most diverse power generation portfolios. Headquartered in Princeton, N.J., the company's power plants provide nearly 26,000 megawatts of generation capacity. NRG's retail businesses, Reliant Energy and Green Mountain Energy Co., combined serve more than 1.8 million residential, business, commercial and industrial customers. It invests in solar, wind and nuclear power, as well as EV infrastructure and is a founding member of the Electrification Coalition, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit group of business leaders committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale.
Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,697 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly six million customers the multi-channel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America.
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