DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreens plans to offer electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at approximately 800 locations across the country by the end of the year, making it the nation's largest retail host. The company's neighborhood stores will provide convenient locations for EV drivers to recharge near home or work.The charging stations will feature either a high-speed direct current (DC) charger that can add 30 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes of charging time, or a Level 2 charger that can add up to 25 miles of range per hour of charge.
Major markets expected to [image-nocss] host these sites include Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Select locations in Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington will also receive EV charging stations. Installation begins later this month.
Walgreens already has installations under way for EV charging stations at more than 60 stores across Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago.
"Consumer interest and enthusiasm has been incredible and we're excited to provide locations to charge up in neighborhoods across the country," said Mark Wagner, Walgreens president of community management and operations. "As more Americans embrace environmentally sustainable technologies, our convenient locations make us uniquely positioned to help address the concern around accessibility or 'range confidence.' According to the Department of Energy, Walgreens will make up as much as 40% of all public EV charging stations across the country, making it easy for EV drivers to look to our stores for a quick charge near major highways, metropolitan areas or right in their neighborhood."
Walgreens has a longstanding commitment to reducing energy usage and expanding its renewable energy initiatives, it said. The company became the nation's first drugstore chain to install a geothermal energy system at one of its stores in Oak Park, Ill., last November. The company's Mira Mesa, Calif., location became the first drugstore to receive Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, it added. Walgreens also will have more than 100 rooftop solar installations at stores and distribution centers by the end of the year. In addition, the company uses an energy management system that monitors electricity, water, heating and cooling and waste management at more than 1,100 stores to help reduce energy usage and maintenance costs while extending equipment life.
Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,733 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
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