DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreens is among the retailers looking to get in on the ground floor of electric vehicle recharging stations, planning to install eVgo high-powered rapid charging stations at 18 locations in Houston beginning in February 2011.
Walgreens is participating in the nation's first privately funded and comprehensive electric vehicle-support system, where NRG Energy will install the rapid charging stations for electric vehicles. Walgreens is the largest retailer participating in this program; others include Best Buy, H-E-B and Spec's Wine, Spirits & Finer [image-nocss] Foods.
The charging locations, which will also include some public parking facilities and work places, will make up NRG's eVgo network to help ensure anyone with an electric vehicle has a place to charge up within 25 miles of the Houston city center.
"Our neighborhood stores will be a great and convenient location for customers to recharge electric vehicles," said Walgreens director of energy and sustainability Menno Enters. "This is another way we are providing our customers with an environmentally sustainable shopping experience, and it sets us apart as a retailer who is moving clean and green energy alternatives forward."
"Walgreens is playing an invaluable role in helping get this network started by being a founder host of community convenience chargers as we work together to bring the value of electric vehicles to Houston," said NRG Energy president and CEO David Crane. "Walgreens will help ensure this all important initial launch is successful. We look forward to a long relationship that will help bring the same advantages of this alliance to other cities in the very near future."
Once the network is in place, Houston will have more than 100 chargers, including DC rapid chargers that can fully charge an electric vehicle in less than 30 minutes, and Level 2 chargers that can fully charge in four to six hours. NRG anticipates announcing the next eVgo cities in early 2011. NRG will focus its efforts on the 13 states that have deregulated their retail electricity markets and may build a national sales force through an electricity retailer, Green Mountain Energy Co., which it purchased this month for $350 million in cash.
Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,608 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Based in Princeton, N.J., NRG Energy owns and operates one of the country's largest and most diverse power generation portfolios.
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