Volvo Cars & Starbucks open EV charging corridor

Volvo Car USA and Starbucks want to establish a public EV charging network at Starbucks stores beginning this summer. The chargers will come through ChargePoint and bear Volvo branding. So far, the partners have designated 15 Starbucks locations and want to distribute 60 DC chargers.

++ This article has been updated; please continue reading below. ++

Volvo and Starbucks aim to have a charging hub every 100 miles along a 1,350-mile route from Denver to the coffee company’s headquarters in Seattle. That is a stretch of over 2,172 kilometres. The pilot installations will begin this summer.

Volvo Cars hope this would make charging as easy as buying a coffee. ChargePoint’s DC fast chargers can bring the Volvo C40 Recharge, for example, from a 20 per cent to a 90 per cent charge in about 40 minutes.

Volvo drivers in the US can use the ChargePoint app in the car when relying on Google. Volvo further points out that their drivers will charge at Starbucks for free or at preferential rates. At the same time, the new charge points will be open for anyone to charge for a fee yet to be determined.

“We are thrilled to partner with Volvo Cars to test how we can charge our customers’ electric vehicles at Starbucks stores,” said Michael Kobori, Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks.

Just as Volvo Cars plans to be a fully electric car company by 2030, Starbucks plans EV charging and onsite solar availability at stores and in adjacent locations. Starbucks aims to expand its solar pilot locations to 55 new stores this year.

The partners expect to complete the installations at the end of this year.

Update 11 August 2022

Following the partnership announcement above, Volvo and Starbucks have designated the first locations for the charging hubs delivered with ChargePoint. The partners installed four chargers at the Starbucks café in Provo, Utah. They will become active later this month.

The companies also confirmed targeting to open a corridor for EVs to drive between “four critical markets including Seattle, Boise, Salt Lake City and Denver”.

Volvo Cars USA emphasise this was a “scenic artery” that passes near six national forests and iconic spots. “From the Snoqualmie Pass in Washington, stretching the Snake River in Idaho, spanning Arches National Park in Utah and connecting outdoor destinations like Park City and Vail, the route represents the American road trip at its best.”

volvocars.com, volvocars.com (update Aug ’22)