EVgo, a publicly traded technology company offering fast charging networks for electric vehicles, said Wednesday it has expanded its EVgo Advantage digital coupon platform to 22 retail locations, including Cumberland Farms and Wawa locations, in eight states.
The Los Angeles-based company, founded in 2010, owns and operates over 850 fast-charging locations in 60 metro areas in over 30 states. The EVgo Advantage digital platform allows participating retailers to offer “on-the-spot coupons” and other promotions to drive in-store shopping, the technology company said. Retailers using the program can boost customer engagement, loyalty and sales by improving the charging experience for EV drivers.
Wawa
Convenience-store chain Wawa also is expanding. The chain this month announced plans for 40 new stores in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama Gulf Coast and 40 more in the Mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The company has more than 950 stores and plans to be at 1,800 locations by 2030.
- Wawa is No. 9 on CSP’s 2022 Top 202 ranking of convenience-store chains by store count.
Cumberland Farms
Cumberland Farms stores are owned by U.K.-based EG Group, which in 2019 acquired the Westborough, Massachusetts-based chain with 600 locations in seven Northeast states and Florida.
- EG America is No. 4 on CSP’s 2022 Top 202 ranking of convenience store chains by store count.
EVgo’s decision to offer its digital platform to retailers with charging stations is expected to increase foot traffic at convenience stores, as most drivers who charge near retailers exit their vehicles and go in the stores or shop by phone while recharging. An EVgo survey of EV drivers suggests nearly nine out of 10 shop (87%) while charging their vehicles.
“When EVgo first piloted EVgo Advantage in 2019, we knew it was one more way for us to deliver value to our drivers and site host partners. We’re thrilled to be able to offer EVgo Advantage at select Wawa and Cumberland Farms locations along the East Coast to make charging with EVgo even better than before,” said Jonathan Levy, chief commercial officer at EVgo.
Save Mart Companies
The EVgo Advantage program, which launched at 10 Lucky/Lucky California locations with The Save Mart Cos., is now in eight states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Florida, the company said.
Last month, EVgo announced a partnership with Amazon involving artificial intelligence designed to ease the process of locating a charging station for EV drivers, CSP Daily News reported. The partnership is expected to use Alexa and Echo Auto.
EVgo, a leader in charging solutions, builds and operates the infrastructure for individual drivers, commercial fleets, ride share businesses such as Lyft, and other businesses to adopt electric transportation. The company’s network, powered by 100% renewable energy, has purchased renewable energy certificates since 2019. The company’s products include EVgo eXtend, a premium service offering and other software products and service offerings including EVgo Optima, EVgo Inside, EVgo Rewards and Autocharge+. EVgo’s Autocharge+ offering allows EV drivers with “compatible combined charging system" (CCS) EVs to start a charging session in seconds and without having to swipe their credit cards or open an app.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.