Featured VW's Electrify America And Walmart, Perfect Together

At my local wal-wart (sic) which is the typical cookie-cutter design/layout of most I see, a large gas station is at the "back" of the lot which is the front/street level so the infrastructure is already there.

Besides, isn't VW paying for this?

 

Handicap parking is one thing, EV parking is another. If they put the charging stations up close, it's just to make people feel special. The logisics/cost to build and power the stations is nothing in the big picture to business...in fact it's probably still a write-off.

 

everything is a write off in business, even toilet paper.

 

Does the gas station want to pay for the electric that Target's/Wal-mart's chargers use?
Then the Wal-marts around me don't have large gas stations on the same lot like that.

The more money spent digging, laying cable, and repaving means less chargers installed. VW is paying a set amount of money, not number of chargers.

 

errr, I thought that was wipe off...... <rimshot>

It's walmart's station and they discount the price (usually cheapest in town) to lure customers who can purchase the fuel even cheaper by purchasing a store debit card. The location is about 2 blocks from the interstate so those using gasbuddy will gladly skip the stations at the exits who are typically +10 cents/gal higher.

The local Texas chain (HEB) adopted the same business model. These are fairly large stations with 10+ pumps, a small walk-in store, ice machines, air compressors, etc. with heavy, heavy usage (large underground tanks). Heavy investment.

 

None of our local Wal-marts have a gas station. Neither does the Costco I go to. Only BJ's and Gaint have their own station of the places I would go shopping. All the other nearby stations are independent from such big box stores.

 

So much local variance. Around me, the Walmarts have a Murphy Express gas station on the immediately adjacent property as well as other small shops adjacent. (1100 of the Murphy 1400+ stations are so located), As if a developer did the design and several are the same template.

Even at Xmas there is way more Walmart parking than is ever used. RVs parked. Even 18 wheelers. The occasional meet to craigslist sell something. And of course the drug deals. About 2 arrests for shoplifting a day.

Most Costco stores I've visited in VA and NC have a co-branded gas station accepting their charge and membership cards. I don't find it worth while to buy Costco gas even though I have a 20 year old plus membership card. I do buy gas at Murphy mart for the convenient lottery ticket. Besides the seller is cute.

 

Maybe older designs/layouts where property size was a restriction.

The layouts here have the front parking spaces (handicap) pretty much in the center of the property as the store front is offset from the main road by approx. 1,000 feet (very large parking lots as mike just referred to). Putting the chargers at the edges seems to make sense/cents to me.

 

i might have to start patronizing walmartz for the free 50 cents worth of electricity.

 

Put em in the gas stations where the closest thing is a convenience store that charges lots more for the same item. Create universal signage to show what gas station also has how many chargers at what price (green sign of 4/$.11 would be 4 chargers and 11 cents per kilowatt) similar to how gas prices must be advertised now. Once people see the ready availability of chargers, the use will expand.

 

especially if they sell lottery tickets.

 

And do what during charging?

Same conversation is happening on a different hybrid forum and saw this response:

"They just built a new Lowes in my town (Salinas, Ca) and when I was walking in I mentioned to my wife that some of the handicapped spots had charging stations. Some guy overheard me and said "yeah, they're are non-handicapped charging stations at the end of the lot". When I had to return a couple hours later I found them and they were indeed free.

They did it right. No one's going to want to ICE those spots but they aren't WAY out of the way, and then they have a couple for the handicapped folks as well right up in the front."

Now that's how you do it!!!!