Walmart is among the largest retailers in the world and shares the goal of a more sustainable future by having EV charging stations in over 280 locations. While the retail giant already has almost 1,300 charging stations overall, the company plans to add thousands more.
More EV Charging Stations
More than 280 locations seem like a small number given that Walmart has over 5,000 stores in the US alone. However, thousands of additional EV charging stations might mean that the retail company is expanding far beyond that.
Walmart estimated that if all Americans drove electric vehicles instead of fuel-powered cars, the US's greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by two billion metric tons a year, which also saves drivers $1 billion annually, according to Interesting Engineering.
It is a convenient arrangement since customers can charge their cars while they shop at Walmart. EV owners can also rely on the stores' location should they need a charging station while they're on the road, which gives them more options aside from the pre-existing ones.
It may also drive up business since EV owners would choose to shop in a location where they can charge their vehicles at no cost. Since car companies are slowly transitioning to exclusively EV manufacturers, retail businesses may soon follow suit.
Still, the company could face certain challenges with a project as big as this. For one, the cost of installing EV charging stations will cost the company a huge chunk of money, and that's aside from the maintenance cost that they'll shoulder over the years.
One of Walmart's objectives is to make the charging stations accessible to all, which is why it is partnering with local governments, businesses, and organizations to make that possible. Soon, people will have a way to charge their vehicles for free.
An All EV Future
Although it will be many years before gas-powered vehicles are phased out, it's very likely that electric vehicles will be more widely used soon. In 2011, there are only 0.2% of total car sales in the US, which rose to 4.6% by 2021, considering that EVs were not yet widely used.
The next few years will likely show a taster growth in the number of EV sales given that more consumers and companies are adopting the idea of it. Some estimate that the US could see up to 50% of total passenger car sales by 2030, according to Beyond the Numbers.
Aside from the fact that electric vehicles are more friendly to the environment, they will also reduce the costs of having to pay for gas. Car companies are also putting their attention on EVs so they might be the better choice quality-wise instead of gas-powered ones.
It also helped that there are more choices now regarding EV models. Before, electric cars were limited to compact cars despite trucks and SUVs accounting for 78% of vehicle sales. Many car companies are set to release new and bigger models for EVs in 2024.
